As part of EastEnders legend Dot Branning’s (June Brown) final farewell, the BBC soap is bringing back a number of former Walford mainstays. One such returnee is Colin Russell, who first appeared back in 1986.
The character was involved in one of EastEnders’ most memorable moments in its history, and shared a lasting bond with Dot. So it’s fitting that he’ll be making his way back to join the mourners at her funeral.
But, with viewers likely to hear an update on his life since we last saw Colin, what do we need to know ahead of his comeback?
Read on to find out – or even refresh your memory – about Colin as RadioTimes.com delves into the archives.
Who is Colin Russell and who plays him?
Colin is played by Lord Michael Cashman. During his early stint on the show, Colin was a graphic designer who initially kept his gay identity a secret from the other locals. But later in the year, he began a relationship with a younger man called Barry Clark (Gary Hailes). The pair moved in together, and the soap gained a lot of attention when it aired a scene with a simple peck on the cheek between the two men.
When the deeply religious and traditional Dot discovered that Colin and Barry were sharing a bed, she started a rumour that Colin had AIDS. This caused the community to shun Colin. However, despite Dot’s actions, Colin formed a bond with her and was supportive when she learned of her husband Charlie Cotton’s (Christopher Hancock) bigamy.
As for Colin’s relationship with Barry, it suffered greatly as a result of the latter’s behaviour. Barry engaged in criminal activities, deliberately made Colin jealous and caused problems with Colin’s work. But when Colin called the police after his flat was vandalised, they were more concerned with the fact that Barry was under the age of consent for gay sex when the couple first moved in together. The police informed Barry’s parents and, terrified of his homophobic father, Barry broke up with Colin.
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Colin grew depressed and, when he later suffered worrying symptoms, he feared he had AIDS. But he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis instead – although Doctor Legg (Leonard Fenton) chose not to tell him as he felt this could cause another flare-up. Colin moved on with his life and met Guido Smith (Nicholas Donovan). In 1989, the pair shared the first gay mouth-to-mouth kiss to air on EastEnders – a groundbreaking moment for television.
When Colin’s health began to deteriorate, Dr Legg was forced to reveal that Colin had MS, and Colin was furious that he had lied. As he accepted his condition, Guido stood by him but Colin still worried that he was only with him out of pity. Just months after that kiss, Colin left his partner and decided to move away, with his friends waving him off.
When was Colin Russell last on EastEnders?
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After 27 years away, Cashman briefly returned to his role as Colin in 2016. His storyline saw Dot having a crisis of faith when she accepted Colin’s invitation to his wedding. Colin was due to marry a man called Eddie Tsang (Kevin Shen). Despite now accepting gay relationships, Dot’s Christian beliefs meant that she was against same-sex marriage. Colin arrived for a visit, revealing that he had a feeling Dot may not attend his wedding.
Colin headed over to The Queen Vic, where the wake was taking place for Paul Coker (Jonny Labey), who was killed in a homophobic attack. Colin spoke with another gay man, Johnny Carter (Ted Reilly), about homophobia. But he expressed comfort over how much acceptance there now was of gay relationships. After chatting over their memories, Dot eventually agreed to go to Colin’s wedding, and he was delighted as he left Walford once more.
How has life fared for Colin since his last appearance? With Dot’s farewell set to air tonight (Monday 12th December), there’s not long left to find out.
Speaking recently about his return, Cashman said: “When I went back in 2016, it was specifically to work with June on what we thought would be a very important story for the two of them – Colin’s wedding.
“Going back this time, it felt like I’d never been away. I have never worked with such a warm, generous, welcoming group of actors in my life. I was overcome when, after some of the scenes which were very dramatically challenging for the actors, I heard their colleagues applaud them. It lifted my heart.”
Read more:
- EastEnders Christmas preview: Mick Carter in danger and Jay’s special plans for Lola
- EastEnders boss says more characters could’ve returned for Dot’s funeral
- June Brown’s children appear in Dot’s funeral scenes for EastEnders
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 or Streaming Guide, or visit our Soaps hub.
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