Ellie McLean

Free-spirited and fun loving, Ellie goes out of her way to make sure those around her are having a good time. Nothing gives Ellie more pleasure than to please others, but sometimes it comes at the cost of her own happiness.

Family means a great deal to Ellie and she was shocked to discover her mother Maggie had cirrhosis. Ellie took some convincing to go against her mother’s wishes and consent to John being the donor. And after the operation her moral conscious came into effect once more, this time feeling unable to abandon their new Uncle in his recovery period as she and Caitlin had agreed on. She stood by John until she learnt the truth – John had raped Maggie and was in fact Caitlin’s father. After this bombshell, Ellie’s alliances have firmly been with her mother and she set about supporting Maggie in whatever she needed.

After a failed romance with Bob, Ellie was still looking for her significant other but struck up a solid friendship with AJ. When AJ took some time out in India, his absence made Ellie’s heart grow fonder as she realised she was in love with him. Gearing up for his return, Ellie was heartbroken when he came home with a new fiancée in tow! Not wanting to be a homewrecker, Ellie quietly tortured herself. That was until AJ kissed her. Realising her feelings were reciprocated, Ellie finally admitted how she felt. AJ made the decision that Ellie was the one he wanted, he broke things off with Farrah and Ellie and AJ set up home together with AJ’s niece, Katie.

Playing house got Ellie thinking and she proposed to AJ that they should have children of their own. Ellie was ecstatic to find out she’s pregnant and after a brief wobble from AJ, the new parents were overjoyed for the future. Ellie’s celebrations were cut short when she was caught in the middle of the latest feud between Caitlin and Maggie. With her mother returning to the drink and Caitlin leaving town, Ellie turned her back on relapsing Maggie and was forced to take responsibility for Ruby after she was hit by a firework.

But when Ellie discovered she was bleeding she was forced to reach out to her mum for help. Their reunion was bittersweet as Maggie helped Ellie through a miscarriage and as Ellie learnt that she has polycystic ovaries.

Ellie has been embroiled in the murder of Joe Dunn, the man who groomed Ruby – her niece. After helping Caitlin move the body, Ellie has been on edge ever since.

Played by Leah Macrae