Helen Wins Custody of Her Boys

Three weeks of themed programmes from the last two decades reliving key moments from the characters’ lives and the events that make Ambridge unforgettable. This episode forms part of the second week when we take a look at five different events that affect the characters relationship to their homes and the land, in ‘There’s No Place Like Home’.

It’s the day of the family court hearing where Helen is to discover whether she has won custody of her two boys, Henry and Jack.

Years of coercive control left Helen desperate to escape from her abusive husband, Rob Titchener. Fearing for her life and the safety of her son Henry and her unborn baby, Helen made plans to leave. Rob intercepted her and offered her an ultimatum. The only way he would ever let her go would be if she killed herself. Rob then threatened Henry which was the last straw for Helen: she took the knife Rob had placed in her hands and stabbed him. The storyline had ramifications far beyond Ambridge and sparked nationwide discussions around domestic abuse and coercive control. Helen was ultimately found ‘not guilty’ and at a separate family court hearing was able to win back custody of her two boys and bring them back home.

This programme was originally broadcast on 16th September 2016.

Helen Titchener ..... Louiza Patikas
Pat Archer ..... Patricia Gallimore
Tom Archer ..... William Troughton
Tony Archer ..... David Troughton
Rob Titchener ..... Timothy Watson
Ursula Titchener ..... Carolyn Jones
Kirsty Miller ..... Annabelle Dowler
Judge Loomis ..... Nigel Anthony

Writer, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti
Director, Julie Beckett

Cast from earlier episodes this week:
Jill Archer ..... Patricia Greene
David Archer ..... Timothy Bentinck
Ruth Archer ..... Felicity Finch
Tony Archer ..... Colin Skipp
Brian Aldridge ..... Charles Collingwood
Jennifer Aldridge ..... Angela Piper
Debbie Aldridge ..... Tamsin Greig
Christine Barford ..... Lesley Saweard
Harrison Burns ..... James Cartwright
Alan Franks ..... John Telfer
Bert Fry ..... Eric Allan
Eddie Grundy ..... Trevor Harrison
Clarrie Grundy ..... Heather Bell
William Grundy ..... Philip Molloy
Joe Grundy ..... Edward Kelsey
Siobhan Hathaway ..... Caroline Lennon
Shula Hebden Lloyd ..... Judy Bennett
Alistair Lloyd ..... Michael Lumsden
Lynda Snell ..... Carole Boyd
Robert Snell ..... Graham Blockey
Carol Tregorran ..... Eleanor Bron

Writers in earlier episodes this week, Simon Frith, Mary Cutler, Joanna Toye and Tim Stimpson.
Directors in earlier episodes this week, Vanessa Whitburn and Sean O’Connor.