There’s a general rule of thumb in soapland – you can’t arrive without having a pre-existing connection to someone else.
EastEnders is no exception, and while fans may have thought that the Hawkins-Roper newcomers are only linked to Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), actor Jamie Bamber has confirmed that his alter-ego Ned already knows another Walford local.
While Ned’s partner Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter), her sister Jodie (Anna Constable) and their mother Rose (Anna McLoughlin) all made their first appearances earlier in the week, we’re yet to meet Ned and his son Ryder (Felix Uff).
Gemma explained that he was on holiday, so we’ll have to wait a few more weeks before they settle into Albert Square.
Teasing how the clan land on Nicola’s doorstep (again), Bamber told Radio Times and other media: “They are essentially refugees from Essex. [They] wash up with cardboard boxes, suitcases, and with nowhere to go.
We’re yet to meet Ned (Jamie Bamber) and his son Ryder (Felix Uff). BBC/Jack Barnes
“They knock on the door like a tornado – like a hot mess of people whose lives are ruined. They have no home. Their house is burnt down, and this is their first port of call.
“Ned knows nobody in this Square, but he’s got his wit, because he’s a former military man. He’s come from nothing. He’s worked his way up through the ranks. He’s retrained within the army as a PTSD therapist.
“He’s someone who can talk and listen, and he stays calm in extraordinarily tense situations.”
Bamber also teased that there is “tension” between Ned and sister-in-law Nicola, suggesting that there’s more to their relationship than first meets the eye.
The star also revealed that the character will get quite the shock when he realises that the East End community aren’t as foreign as he first thought.
“He’s got a bit of history with Alfie [Moon, Shane Richie] in the Queen Vic,” he confessed.
Bamber revealed that Ned knows Alfie Moon (Shane Richie). BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron
“You find out very quickly that there’s only two people he really knows, and that’s Nicola and Alfie. But he doesn’t know Alfie’s the publican and that’s a surprise to him.”
How have Ned and Alfie crossed paths, and how will Nicola feel when she’s forced to accept the family into her home?
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