EastEnders’ Greatest-Ever Character Revealed Ahead of the Soap’s 41st Anniversary — And It’s Not Ian, Phil or Dot
EastEnders has been a fixture on BBC screens for more than 40 years. With countless memorable characters — from legendary villains to much-loved landladies — it’s no surprise viewers have formed strong attachments to their favourites.
Ahead of the soap’s 41st anniversary on February 19, fresh research from Betway has revealed the greatest EastEnders characters of all time, with the race for first place proving incredibly tight.
The study analysed several factors, including positive audience sentiment, award nominations, and the number of episodes appeared in. Based on these metrics, Stacey Slater claimed the number one spot in the rankings.
Portrayed by Lacey Turner since 2004, the character earned an impressive sentiment score of 51.9 and has appeared in a remarkable 1,968 episodes.
The actress, who is currently on a break from the show, has also amassed 23 award nominations and taken home 20 wins throughout her time on the soap.
Taking a close second place is Albert Square hardman Phil Mitchell. Played by Steve McFadden, Phil arrived in Walford in 1990 and has left an undeniable mark on the BBC soap ever since.
He has been central to some of EastEnders’ most iconic storylines, including Who Killed Archie? and Who Killed Lucy Beale?
Although Phil boasts a higher sentiment score of 53.9 out of 100 and has featured in more episodes than Stacey, he has secured just six awards and received 11 nominations to date.
Meanwhile, the much-loved Dot Cotton — portrayed by June Brown — featured in 2,336 episodes during her time on EastEnders and achieved a higher sentiment score of 56.6. However, she received fewer awards and nominations overall.
Another Albert Square legend to land a spot in the top 10 was Peggy Mitchell. Played by the late Dame Barbara Windsor, Peggy recorded the highest sentiment score in the rankings at 59.8 out of 100. The character first appeared on the soap in 1991 and remained part of Walford until her exit in 2016.
EastEnders first premiered on February 19, 1985. Jane Slaughter, who plays barmaid Tracey, holds the title of the show’s longest-serving cast member, while Adam Woodyatt is the longest-serving principal character.
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