Kathy’s own family, the Hills, have not been seen in the soap since 1999.
Gillian Taylforth would be keen to see Kathy Beale’s own relatives make a comeback to EastEnders.
The BBC One soap favourite was an original cast member of the show since its inception in 1985 and despite Kathy being killed off-screen in 2006, made a return to the soap in 2015 and has been part of the show ever since.
However, Kathy’s own blood relatives – the Hills – have not been in the show since 1999 following the exits of the family.
In her backstory, Kathy was one of five siblings and the soap introduced her older brother Ted Hills (Barry Croucher) and his children Tony (Mark Homer) and Sarah (Daniela Denby-Ashe) in 1995.
However, Ted was written out in 1997, while Tony and Sarah experienced some dramatic storylines before each departed the show in 1999.
Kathy left Walford to live with Ted in South Africa in 1998, while Tony settled in Amsterdam with partner Simon Raymond (Andrew Lynford) and Sarah left for university and later reunited with love interest Joe Wicks (Paul Nicholls).
Little has been discussed of the Hills since, even after Kathy had married evil Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas) in South Africa and he forced her to fake her own death.
Yet, in the run-up to Kathy’s wedding, Ted and Tony both got a mention when Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) had a look through Kathy’s old address book.
!["Brian]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/EastEnders-Ted-Hills-d2bec46.jpg?quality=90&crop=4px%2C0px%2C613px%2C408px&resize=613%2C408" "\"EastEnders")
So, when actress Gillian Taylforth spoke with RadioTimes.com and other press, we asked her whether she would like to see Kathy’s own relatives make a return to the soap.
“Yeah, Ted. That would be nice, yeah, because that’s why [Kathy] went over to South Africa to see Ted,” recalled Taylforth.
“So yeah, that would be nice if the Hills came in, you know. That would be nice. And who knows? Who knows if there are other relatives out there? Yeah, that would be lovely…and I hadn’t thought about that for a long time.”
!["Mark]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/06/EastEnders-Tony-Hills-aaaf8c1.jpg?quality=90&crop=4px%2C5px%2C613px%2C408px&resize=613%2C408" "\"EastEnders")
Meanwhile, they aren’t the only returns that Taylforth would be keen to see as she was asked about other faces she would be keen to see back.
On seeing Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) back in the soap again, Taylforth said: “Again, I saw Jackie you know, at the funeral and that was lovely. And I obviously didn’t see what she was doing with Tom and that.”
She then noted that she’d like to Lisa Fowler (Lucy Benjamin) to return for another stint in the soap after she returns this summer, noting: “We got Lucy Benjamin and that was great. It was lovely, that. I didn’t get to do anything with her when she came back last time. So that’d be really good to see her again and work with Lucy.”
!["Danny]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/07/436126-b66d99e.jpg?quality=90&crop=1346px%2C401px%2C2920px%2C1945px&resize=620%2C413" "\"436126,EastEnders\"")
When discussing whether we could see Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) return to the soap after her exit in early 2022, Taylforth noted that Smith’s other commitments might get in the way.
“Tiffany, yeah, little Maisie. Oh, she’s so busy at the moment,” noted the actess. “Yeah, you do’t whether when she could ever get back because she’s so busy working…and that would be nice. She’s a lovely girl, really lovely.”
Finally, Taylforth also showed enthusiasm to see a comeback for Milly Zero in the role of Rocky’s troublesome niece, Dotty Cotton, who departed in December last year.
!["Milly]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/10/Milly-Zero-Dotty-Cotton-8ec9b6c.jpg?quality=90&crop=4px%2C5px%2C613px%2C408px&resize=613%2C408" "\"Milly")
Taylforth said: “I really liked little Milly Zero, brilliant little Milly who played Dotty. We had some lovely stuff together, you know, obviously with the Rocky-Dotty relationship. So that was great to do.”
Read More
- EastEnders 2023 summer preview: 5 spoilers from Chris Clenshaw
- 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Lisa Fowler returns – but what’s she hiding?
- EastEnders’ Lucy Benjamin reveals young co-star recreated iconic Peggy Mitchell line
- EastEnders’ Balvinder Sopal wants Ash return if Suki and Eve go public
- EastEnders summer return for Angela Wynter as Yolande Trueman
- EastEnders’ Anna Knight determined to find mum amid Peter Beale update
- EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw promises “big” Christmas for the Beales
- EastEnders’ Michelle Collins confirms flashbacks and Cindy Beale breakdown
- EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw reveals impact of Cindy return on Knights
- EastEnders’ Adam Woodyatt hypes up Ian reunions with Phil and Sharon
- EastEnders’ Michelle Collins teases Cindy’s scenes with love rival Elaine
- 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Kim faces court and Martin suspects Theo
- EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw on “different” Cindy and Ian reunion
- EastEnders’ explosive Cindy Beale comeback is a campy soap triumph
- EastEnders’ Ian Beale has heart attack and keeps huge secret from Cindy
- Will Jacqueline Jossa return full-time to EastEnders as Lauren Branning?
- 15 EastEnders questions we still have after Cindy and Ian Beale’s return
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Take part in the Screen Test, a project from Radio Times and the Universities of Sussex and Brighton, to explore the role of television and audio in our lives.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.