Billy Mitchell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() Perry Fenwick as Billy Mitchell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Perry Fenwick George Greenland (2022 flashback) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duration | 1998–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 1689 2 November 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Matthew Robinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spin-off appearances |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Billy Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Perry Fenwick, who made his first appearance on 2 November 1998. Billy was originally introduced by producer Matthew Robinson as a guest character, facilitating the introduction of Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) to the show. Early on, Billy was Jamie's abusive uncle and guardian - which results in Jamie being taken away from Billy by his relative Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Billy was then brought back to the serial on 2 August 1999 and Fenwick was offered a longer-term contract, and Billy ended up becoming a regular character. Frequently portrayed as a small-time criminal, Billy is a luckless resident of Albert Square who often struggles financially. His most prominent storylines include two failed marriages with Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth) and Honey Edwards (Emma Barton) and having a daughter Janet (Grace) born with Down syndrome. Fenwick filmed his 1000th episode on 6 August 2010,[2] and later his 2000th on 24 September 2022.
Billy's other major storylines have seen him involved in criminal activities with both Phil and his brother Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp); working for Steve Owen (Martin Kemp); and being blackmailed by Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass) to gain leverage against Steve and Phil, leading to Dan kidnapping Mel Beale (Tamzin Outhwaite); his complicated relationship with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks); marrying Little Mo after she escapes her abusive husband Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns); a subsequent incident where Little Mo gets raped by Graham Foster (Alex McSweeney) and struggling to cope with raising their son Freddie; a feud with Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs) and attempting with Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) to stop Andy from marrying Phil and Grant's sister Sam (Kim Medcalf); working for local gang boss Terry Bates (Nicholas Ball) until witnessing Terry murder Jase Dyer (Stephen Lord); becoming the guardian of Jase's son Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) after his death; a short relationship with Jean Slater (Gillian Wright); reuniting with his former girlfriend Julie Perkins (Cathy Murphy) and discovering that their deceased son had a daughter Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold); and developing a romantic obsession with Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater). He later reunites with Honey, becomes the manager of a funeral parlour from which he is later sacked; sleeps with Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) which ends his relationship with Honey; a relationship with Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), feuding with Jay over his relationship with Honey who he reconciles with after she splits with Jay; struggling to deal with Lola's brain tumour and death; reuniting with his estranged father Stevie Mitchell (Alan Ford) and discovering that he has a half-brother Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian).