EastEnders fans were first introduced to the Fox clan back in 2006.
The all-female family consisted of single mum Denise and her two daughters Chelsea and Libby.
Over the years, the trio have been joined by other family members.
They’ve been at the centre of some of the BBC soap’s most dramatic storylines and have become Walford icons.
From murders, affairs, weddings and heartbreak, there isn’t much the Fox girls haven’t been through.
Chelsea is currently dealing with the news that her new husband Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) has been arrested for the murders of Chantelle Atkins, Tina Carter and Kush Kazemi.
While some of the Fox girls remain in Albert Square, Daily Star has taken a look into the lives of the stars who play the famous family members.
Denise Fox
(Image: BBC)
Denise first arrived in Albert Square in 2006 and was introduced to viewers as single mother to Chelsea and Libby.
She has gone on to marry three times over the past 16 years.
Other storylines involving Denise include surviving a bus crash, losing her job, descending into poverty and a relationship with policeman Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).
Actress Diane Parish previously married to IT specialist Sebastian Parish and the couple had two children together called Kaya and Kenya.
She has since found romance in 2017 with the ‘man of her dreams’ Gerry Zucarello, and in 2020, the couple revealed that they were engaged after making the announcement on social media.
Denise is Diane’s second EastEnders role.
She previously played singer Lola Christie back in 1998.
However speaking on the TV programme Secrets of The Square, Diane admitted that the role of Lola wasn’t for her, saying: “I don’t sing, I’m not a singer and it was horrible! Oh, it was awful.”
Chelsea Fox
(Image: BBC)
Tiana Benjamin originally played the role of Chelsea from 2006 until 2010.
She reportedly left her role in the Harry Potter film series for the role.
The actress announced her departure from the soap in 2010.
In 2011, Tiana starred in drama film Fast Girls.
She also played a role in the fourth episode of BBC crime drama The Interceptor in 2015.
(Image: BBC / Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Chelsea is currently played by former Coronation Street star Zaraah Abrahams.
Before joining EastEnders, Zaraah participated in ITV reality star Dancing on Ice as a replacement for injured Michael Underwood.
Her partner was skater Fred Palascak and the pair finished in third place.
In 2015, Zaraah joined the cast of the Cinemax series The Knick, a medical drama directed by Steven Soderbergh, set around a New York hospital in the early 20th century. She portrayed the role of Opal.
Libby Fox
(Image: BBC)
Belinda Owusu first shot onto our screens back in 2006 when she joined the cast of EastEnders as Libby.
With the nickname ‘Squiggle’ she was introduced to viewers 15 years ago along with her half-sister Chelsea.
She was part of some huge storylines over the years including a romance with Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) and her relationship with dad Owen Turner (Lee Ross)
Libby made her last appearance in 2010, when she headed off to Oxford for university, before returning in April 2014 as part of the beginning of the Who Killed Lucy Beale? storyline.
She has since made many guest appearances, last being seen in Walford in January 2017.
The actress current plays Nicky McKendrick in BBC medical drama series Holby City.
(Image: Instagram/immab)
After the BBC announced Holby City had been cancelled, Belinda shared a photo from her last day filming back in December.
She told her followers: “Whilst I pose adorably (right?) next to my radiator on what is the final day of filming at @bbcholbycity I cannot believe my luck.
“I love Holby City. I love my little Nicky. I love each and every one of you crazy talented lot I’ve been lucky enough to work with. My goodness I’ll miss it all.
“Thank you Holby for having me. Biggest thank you to our wonderful audience for staying with us.”
Belinda welcomed her first child with her long-term partner Michael Mackin in April last year.
Owen Turner
(Image: BBC)
Owen was Denise’s abusive ex-husband and the father of Libby.
Lee Ross first appeared in the soap in 2006 and left the show in 2009.
He made his final appearance after being murdered by Denise’s jealous partner Lucas.
The actor has since appeared on The Catherine Tate Show in many sketches, working alongside Catherine Tate and Niky Wardley.
Lee has also had many guest roles in a variety of television shows including Waking the Dead, Hustle, Jericho, M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team and recurring roles in Mutual Friends and Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes.
In 2018, the soap star starred as retired drag queen Hugo Battersby/ Loco Chanelle in the hit West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Lee was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Bedfordshire University in 2014 for his Outstanding Contribution to the Acting Profession.
Other awards include Best Actor BBC Audio Awards 2014, Best Actor in a leading role Massachusetts Film Festival 2016.
He was also nominated for an Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jack Firebrace in Birdsong at The Comedy Theatre.
Lucas Johnson
(Image: BBC)
Don Gilet made his EastEnders debut as Lucas back in 2008 and left the soap two years later.
Fans of the soap will know Lucas was responsible for the death of his ex Trina Johnson, the mother of his son Jordan.
Lucas shoved his ex during a showdown and she was impaled on a rake as a result.
He also killed Libby’s father Owen Turner by strangling him a car with a bow tie and he then buried the body under tree.
(Image: Getty Images)
It is also believed that Lucas killed two prostitutes in 2010 as well.
After spending time in jail, he made a dramatic return to Walford in 2020 but ended up back behind bars last year.
Away from Albert Square, actor Don lives with his partner Tracy Whitwell in London, who works as an actress.
Tracy has worked on various shows including Playing the Field, Soldier Soldier and Peep Show.
Together Don and Tracy share a son named Flynn.
Trina Johnson
(Image: BBC)
Sharon Duncan-Brewster is best known for playing Crystal Gordon on ITV prison drama Bad Girls.
The actress joined the cast of EastEnders as Trina in 2009 and played the role for eight months until she was brutally murdered with her ex Lucas.
Since leaving the soap, Sharon appeared in the 2009 Doctor Who special The Waters of Mars as Maggie Cain.
In 2011, she appeared in all four episodes of TV drama Top Boy.
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Sharon also played the role of Catherine Hunter, who is Alex Hunter’s mother, in the FIFA 17’s story mode known as The Journey.
The soap star reprised the role of Catherine Hunter in FIFA 18’s The Journey: Hunter Returns and FIFA 19’s The Journey: Champions.
Sharon also portrayed Kitty in the BBC One production of The Long Song in December 2018.
Jordan Johnson
(Image: BBC)
Michael-Joel David Stuart first appeared on-screen on the BBC One soap as Jordan Johnson in May 2008.
The character quickly became wrapped up in one of his biggest storylines to date after discovering the body of his mother, Trina, who was murdered by his father Lucas.
Another one of his storylines included being bullied by Ben Mitchell who ended up hitting him round the head with a spanner and fractured his skull.
Joivan Wade took over the role of Jordan in 2016 until he was killed off with a heroin overdose storyline off-screen.
(Image: Instagram)
In the 12 years since he left the soap, original Jordan actor Michael-Joel has taken to social media to show off the results of his hard work in the gym, sharing shots of his chiseled torso posing in a sizzling topless snap.
The former child star’s seriously ripped bod left delighted fans in shock and landed him the title “baller”.
Not much is known about the star’s private life or relationship status.
The actor appears to have removed his social media platforms and taken a break from the spotlight.
Kim Fox
(Image: BBC)
Actress Tameka Empson has played Denise’s sister Kim since 2010 after first being introduced as a guest character in 2009.
The EastEnders website describes Kim as having big hair, a loud personality, hyperactive and a big heart.
Over the years, the character has found herself surrounded by humour and heartbreak.
During coronavirus lockdown, Tameka was busy having a baby and didn’t tell anyone about her pregnant.
(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Revealing she had another child on ITV daytime show Loose Women in July 2020, Tameka said: “I’ve been contributing to the human race… I have a baby boy, a bouncing baby boy.”
When asked why she didn’t tell fans, she replied: “It wasn’t so much deliberate. I just wanted to enjoy it. A baby comes and you want to enjoy it before everyone says, ‘How’s he doing?’
“But now he’s here and he’s loud!”
Tameka is also mum to Nylah and said parenting during lockdown had been “a challenge”.
As well as playing Kim, Tameka landed a dream role, voicing the character of Pearl the Police Horse, on Disney’s 101 Dalmatian Street in 2019.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One at 7.30pm
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
