Meet the new Lucy Beale and... introducing Ray Dixon

If you were looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing New Year, forget it. Lucy Beale's returning to Walford - and if past form is anything to go by, trouble won't be far behind.
Hetti Bywater will be playing Lucy, who has been living in sleepy Devon for the past year. She'll be back in Walford in January 2012. We do wonder what she will make of her dad Ian's new living arrangements with Mandy?
Newcomer Hetti says “I’m really excited to be joining such an iconic show as EastEnders, especially becoming part of the Beale household. I’m looking forward to find out what’s in store for Lucy and seeing what she’s going to get up to when she returns to Walford”

Meanwhile there's a new face in town, in the form of Ray Dixon, Bianca's ex and Morgan's dad. Whitney contacts him as she thinks that he should contribute more to Morgan's upbringing... not realising that he doesn't even know that he has a son.
Wethinks Whitney will be in for a verbal bashing from Bianca, when Ray arrives in the Square in January, wanting to play a part in his son's life...
Ray will be played by Chucky Venn who you might recognise from his roles in The Bourne Ultimatum and The Dark Knight.
“I have had the pleasure of working on many great productions with fantastic artistes such as Morgan Freeman and I have to say working on EastEnders feels like it is up there with the best of them. EastEnders is etched in British history and it is an honour and a pleasure to be part of it.”
Bring on the New Year!

Comment number 1.
At 07:09 15th Nov 2011, Jodie Gold wrote:Wowww...... Can't wait for lucy beale!
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Comment number 2.
At 07:40 15th Nov 2011, Isaac Thompson wrote:I want Peter to come back
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Comment number 3.
At 07:50 15th Nov 2011, Bigsmile76 wrote:Never really liked Lauren Branning. They got a new actress to play her. Even more horrible. Will the same happen to Lucy Beale? BTW, sometimes a character that an actor plays is a complete opposite of the character in real life, but apparently the actress who used to play Lucy is horrible in real life as well and was kicked out for her stinky attitude.
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Comment number 4.
At 07:51 15th Nov 2011, jazrushy91 wrote:i hate it when tv shows replace actors/actresses. it totally spoils it
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Comment number 5.
At 09:14 15th Nov 2011, irish_keany wrote:damn the new lucy beale is sexy and i am excited she's coming back. And i think that they should bring back grant (ross kemp) he was just the greatest character ever.
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Comment number 6.
At 10:15 15th Nov 2011, Loopy wrote:old news
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Comment number 7.
At 11:50 15th Nov 2011, Sunny wrote:I carnt wait till lucy is back, lets see wat she brings back lol.......
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Comment number 8.
At 11:59 15th Nov 2011, acvdm1989 wrote:Congratulations to Hetti! Local Sussex girl cast to EastEnders! :)
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Comment number 9.
At 21:38 15th Nov 2011, XXpreets96XX wrote:sooooo glad theres a new lucy beale... i loved the idea behind the character but the actor really didnt do her justice... hopefully this ones gonna rock the new year!!! fingers crossed!!! XXXXXXXXXXX
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Comment number 10.
At 09:31 16th Nov 2011, Sunny wrote:hahahaa yeah fingers crossed, and i hope tanya gets her treatment xxxxxxxxxxxx
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Comment number 11.
At 09:42 16th Nov 2011, kat_and_alfie wrote:So glad to see Lucy Beale return, can't wait to the New Year!
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Comment number 12.
At 13:37 16th Nov 2011, tamjida11 wrote:Jayy is so pifff. I luv him xxxxxxxxxx
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Comment number 13.
At 17:03 16th Nov 2011, Lollipop wrote:I can't wait!!!! I love antony
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Comment number 14.
At 00:38 17th Nov 2011, Ben Robinson wrote:First of all i know im not an expert, im only 16 since october but i have strong opinions soo ...
BBC i am a huge fan of EastEnders and i am looking forward to Ray Dixon....
But i really dissaprove of the new Lucy Beale, i have heard about Mellissa Suffield being fired for various reasons but Mellissa IS the Lucy Beale... as far as im concerned she is not replace-able, in my opinion either give Mellissa another chance and ask her back or keep Lucy away from the square for a while, Lucy has potential and im sure Hetti Bywater has potential too but she looks nothing like Lucy.... im sorry but i do not like it at all and what the recasts so far are to go by the characters personality will be completely different too!
I didnt like new Lauren but i warmed to her... new Ben i think is terrible, not the actor Joshua Pascoe is a bad actor.. because he is a talented actor, but he is not the Ben Mitchell i know, he looks different and has aged dramatically since his short time in prison, its just not Ben at all. I read an article about how the previous actor was fired, accurate or not i dont know, but from what it said i felt sorry for the actor... he had talent, although some have said he was annoying and too young... does that mean if you decide you want Ian Beale to turn elderly that he must be re-cast... no ... they age when they age, some people in this world mature late, its life, its real like the soaps (to some extent) are meant to be... NO MORE RE-CASTS!!!! PLEASE!!!
Im not sure how many more re-casts i can take now, especially on such talented actors/actresses that have been central to the show for so long, whatever Mellissa did bring back the real Lucy or dont bother... :)
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Comment number 15.
At 13:18 17th Nov 2011, eastenders_is_my_life wrote:the new lucy beale looks inecent... i hope she has a reli big story line and her and whitney and fatboy have some massive arguement then whitney and fatboy should own lucy then leon should come back and they and rob her house then leon and lucy should "share a monent" and have a one night stand then it should go on from there
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Comment number 16.
At 12:33 18th Nov 2011, Nick Jay wrote:@bigsmile76 I totally agree with you. I just don't get this feeble excuse the producers use ... need someone to play more adult roles. I'm sure the original actors could have done a great job had they been given a chance but you're also forgetting (?) the new actor playing Ben Mitchell ... don't know about you but I really don't like him. Nothing like the original one in character OR looks ... other than the glasses. But I never liked Lucy ... always too OTT for me but hey ho. At least Max is back so that's one good thing. :)
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Comment number 17.
At 02:13 20th Nov 2011, amy mcdowell wrote:i want steven wicks (aaron sidwell) i miss him he was amazing actor i think he should come back with lucy in january! xx
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Comment number 18.
At 08:58 20th Nov 2011, Willowglitzer wrote:pah lucy back cause of everything practile begged for money of back for goodness hah she aint't morgan freeman is the day but it was put down as tony i knes because morgan [IS MIXED RAS]SMALL ONE i knew as soon as i saw
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Comment number 19.
At 11:23 20th Nov 2011, Clare wrote:I am looking forward to Chucky joining Eastenders :)
Not so chuffed about Lucy's return :(
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Comment number 20.
At 21:10 21st Nov 2011, Ofcourse wrote:The new Lucy is gorgeous but I will probably hate her character if she is like the old Lucy. I Nthink we get used to actor/actress changes. I'm used to Ben and Lauren now (just don't like Lauren)
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Comment number 21.
At 10:57 22nd Nov 2011, Sunny wrote:lol how cum u dnt like lauren xxx
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Comment number 22.
At 07:57 23rd Nov 2011, Willowglitzer wrote:sunny tanya is getting no more treatment why because it is drugging her up to much
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Comment number 23.
At 20:16 24th Nov 2011, emma b wrote:its so nice to have max back :) i hope he stays and tanya gets better you can still see the love in his eyes for her but it looks like that brother of his is bad news lets hope max wont be easily led by him.........love eastenders its the bomb been watching it since i was 5 lol xx
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Comment number 24.
At 20:21 24th Nov 2011, emma b wrote:oh yeah i would love steven beal to come back ;) and this new lucy looks like a right slapper
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Comment number 25.
At 22:57 24th Nov 2011, Katnap wrote:are all the characters so screwed up? Unhumanly impossible, the lot of them it should be in the fantasy genre, not real life drama LOL
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Comment number 26.
At 23:01 24th Nov 2011, Katnap wrote:oh, and how refreshing that a cancer patient, how ever much make believe, is taking another corse than the murderous chemo and radiation treatment. seeing that roughly 50% of oncologists in Europe would not put their spouses through the treatments known as main stream, says a lot. I hope they try a story line with an alternative medicine approach, like homeopathy, let's see if the BBC had the guts to?!
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Comment number 27.
At 00:52 25th Nov 2011, Alice Dobie wrote:I can't wait as for recast's It seem's Melissa was given a chance to change her behaviour on separate ocassion's , and didn't so she was given a final warning and told to clear up her behaviour changed her way's or be sacked so she was sacked Yes I agree she was a good actress but being in the public eye You need to be a role model to Young People watching the show and of course Young kids e.g. 10 and 11 Year old's , Melissa was a amazing actress and I loved her as Lucy but she just should of been a bit more responsible for her action's.
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Comment number 28.
At 22:15 26th Nov 2011, fireaz wrote:Where is Peter
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Comment number 29.
At 01:01 29th Nov 2011, Caz wrote:Well proud of ya hetti u go girl give phat boy a massive kiss for me lol. Well done hun xxx
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Comment number 30.
At 18:38 29th Nov 2011, Sam_10121213 wrote:Go Hetti can you belive why Rainie shouted at Tanya thats low even for her.I wonder in another spoilers it says what is Kat up to with Tony who the hell is that and tony the jailbird is white(in clour no offence).:):):P:P:PLol
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Comment number 31.
At 21:13 29th Nov 2011, Gemmybaby2206 wrote:Uggh another new character like they already replaced Lauren and Ben :( People are going to stop watching it soon because they like the old characters the ones they are used to, they the characters cant go in prison or on holiday or whatever and have a dramatic change....It's not fair on the viewers, well that's my opinion
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