Debbie Wilkins
| Debbie Wilkins | |||||||
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| EastEnders character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Shirley Cheriton | ||||||
| Duration | 1985–1987 | ||||||
| First appearance | Episode 10 21 March 1985 |
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| Last appearance | Episode 235 14 May 1987 |
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| Created by | Tony Holland and Julia Smith | ||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||
| Profile | |||||||
| Occupation | Bank clerk | ||||||
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| Father | Derek Wilkins |
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| Mother | Iris Wilkins |
| Husband | Terry Rich |
Deborah "Debbie" Wilkins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shirley Cheriton, from 21 March 1985 to 14 May 1987.
Debbie is Walford's first upwardly mobile character. She has an on/off relationship with her ill-fated boyfriend Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson) and she tends to be a bit too pretentious for the working class locals of Albert Square.
Debbie moves to Albert Square with her boyfriend, nurse Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson) in March 1985. At the time of their arrival, they are the only upwardly mobile residents. They throw cocktail parties, get involved in campaigns and protests, and jog in matching track suits, much to the bemusement of the locals. Many of Debbie’s working class neighbors find her stuck-up; none of them know that Debbie had actually been raised in a Walford council estate, not far from Albert Square. Debbie and Andy have a rocky relationship. Ambitious and determined, Debbie's interests focus upon success, whilst Andy wants to settle down and start a family. When Debbie leaves a steady job as a bank clerk in order to start her own business and make fast money, Andy is furious as they then have insufficient funds to repay their mortgage. Various rows erupt, and Debbie soon discovers that starting her own business is not as easy as she had expected. Without regular work, Debbie begins to struggle financially.
Andy asks Debbie to marry him and for Christmas 1985, he buys her an engagement ring; however, she is mugged on New Year's Eve and it is stolen. Andy subsequently becomes over-protective, which infuriates Debbie as it goes against her ideals of female equality. The situation between Debbie and Andy is complicated further by local policeman Roy Quick (Douglas Fielding), who begins wooing Debbie early in 1986. This leads to Debbie and Andy having an open relationship; dating other people, but living together. The situation is not ideal however, as Andy gets jealous seeing Debbie pursued. Roy is infatuated with Debbie and asks her to marry him several times, but Debbie declines when she realizes she wants to marry Andy after all. Debbie and Andy's happiness does not to last as in August 1986 Andy runs in front of a truck to save a toddler from being hit and is killed. Debbie’s grief is compounded with guilt as her last words to Andy during a row are "drop dead". Debbie is unable to pay her mortgage after Andy dies so she moves in with her friend Naima Jeffery (Shreela Ghosh).
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