Walford Families
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Billy Mitchell
Down-on-his-luck Billy Mitchell is renowned within the Mitchell tribe as being the weakest link. He possesses none of the alpha male tendencies of his thuggish, less hirsute cousins, nor does he possess the entrepreneurial skills of the rest of the family.
| Fact title | Fact data |
|---|---|
| First appearance: | 9th November 1998 |
| Address: | Basement Flat, 89 George Street |
| Occupation: | Executive Director of Butcher's Joint's |
Billy was a nasty piece of work in the early years, the result of a tough upbringing. With time, however, he's mellowed considerably. Unfortunately, this big softie didn’t manage to keep his family together - ditzy Honey left him, taking the kids with her.
Oh go on, give us a chance.Billy Mitchell
- Likes: Thriller films and crisps in sandwiches
- Health issues: Has had panic attacks
- Childhood: Neglected by his parents so he ended up going into a children's home at the age of ten
- Nicknames: Called 'Skidmark' by Julie Perkins
- Weaknesses: Can't swim
Billy then took young fatherless Jay under his wing, and made him part of the Mitchell gang, only for Phil to take over as Jay's surrogate dad. Shortly after, Billy's partner, Julie left him.
Billy isn't one of life's winners, but he’s good-hearted and well-meaning. Though he's partial to the odd criminal enterprise to get himself out of a spot of bother, especially if his family is in need. Torching E20, stealing money from the charity collection box at the Queen Vic, an unsuccessful attempt at drug dealing and fraudulently using Janine's credit card to pay for Lola's nursery furniture are just some of his misdeeds. When he was picked to carry the Olympic torch, Billy finally became a hero for a day, earning the respect and admiration of the rest of the residents on The Square... although things went quickly back to normal after that!
A die-hard West Ham fan, Billy's now a great-grandfather to little Lexi. Billy doesn't want to see Lexi turn out like the rest of his family; spending their lives in care. When Lexi was taken off Lola, Billy was determined to get her back, even if this meant having to relinquish control to Phil Mitchell.
It was a tough time for Billy and Lola, as Phil seemed determined to keep hold of Lexi, and made several attempts to sabotage Lola getting her back. But at the final court hearing, Billy pleaded with Phil to finally do the right thing and give him his family back... and in a very un-characteristic move, Phil finally relinquished control and allowed mother and daughter to be re-united.
Perry Fenwick
- Perry's main interests are football, gardening and music.
- He plays the guitar and drums.
- Perry's one of several EastEnders stars to have been a pupil of the Sylvia Young Theatre School.
- He once had trials for Leyton Orient Football Club.
- Perry's long list of TV credits includes Inspector Morse, Minder, Watching and Bergerac.
- He also appeared alongside fellow East Ender Todd Carty in Tucker's Luck.
- Among his film roles are Greenwich Mean Time, Janice Beard and The Winslow Boy.
