Christian Clarke
Encyclopedia
Christian Clarke is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by John Partridge
. He made his first appearance on 17 January 2008.
) receives an invitation to his civil ceremony
with partner Ashley Jennings (Tony Boncza
). Jane throws the invitation away but it is later found by Jane's husband Ian
(Adam Woodyatt
). Jane refuses to tell Ian why she does not want to go to the ceremony but Ian wants to meet Christian, and invites him and Ashley to dinner at Fargo's Restaurant. Christian reveals that he was once in love with Jane's first husband David Collins (Dan Milne
). Ashley storms out of the restaurant and the couple end their relationship. Christian arrives in Walford as he has nowhere to stay. He apologises and Ian allows him to move in. Christian flirts with Ian's stepson, Steven
(Aaron Sidwell
), so Steven pretends Stacey Branning
(Lacey Turner
) is his girlfriend to put Christian off. Roxy Mitchell
(Rita Simons) tries to chat him up, but is shocked to discover a stripper he had hired for his sister was an ex-boyfriend of his. They go on to become close friends. He becomes involved in a love triangle
between Steven and Stacey, as Steven begins to experience confusion over his sexuality. He and Steven share a kiss but Steven falsely claims that Christian made a move on him; as a result, Christian leaves the Square. He returns after Steven's lie is exposed. Christian is tricked by Ian's daughter Lucy
(Melissa Suffield
) into letting her use his flat so she can spend some "quality time" with her boyfriend, Olly Greenwood (Bart Edwards). Christian walks in on them about to have sex and stops them. Ian punches Christian over what happened with Lucy and Olly, but when he catches Lucy attempting to leave with Olly, he insists she move in with Christian again.
Christian is surprised to see his mother Linda (Lynda Baron
) after having lost contact with her for nearly 20 years. At first, Christian dislikes her because she still disapproves of his sexuality, but when Ian's son Peter
(Thomas Law
) tells him how he lost his mother Cindy
(Michelle Collins
), Christian makes amends with her. Roxy unexpectedly goes into premature labour, and Christian offers to help raise the baby, Amy, as her marriage to Sean Slater
(Robert Kazinsky
) has ended. However, Roxy leaves Christian heartbroken when she gets back with Sean. She later tells Christian that he is to be Amy's godfather. Roxy gives her daughter the middle name Christina, after Christian. Christian's colleague at Masala Queen, Syed Masood
(Marc Elliott
), argues with him over his sexuality, saying that homosexuality
goes against his God's will
, but then unexpectedly kisses Christian. Syed then tries to avoid Christian, and although they sleep together, Syed denies he is gay and proposes to his girlfriend Amira Shah
(Preeya Kalidas
). On the day of Syed and Amira's engagement party, Christian takes a man called Luke back to his flat, but Luke beats Christian up after revealing he is not gay and hates gay men cottaging
in public places. Following this, Christian becomes agoraphobic
, but Syed helps Christian return to a normal life. Christian's friend James Mackie (Paul Keating
) turns up, and Syed sees them together and is jealous. After James admits that he has feelings for Christian, Syed tries to put him off. Christian finds out and tells Syed that he must break up with Amira, but Syed cannot go through with it, so Christian starts a relationship with James. However, one day Christian takes Syed down an alleyway and kisses him, not realising they have been seen. Christian then breaks off his romance with James and restarts his secret affair with Syed. Christian and Syed are photographed looking cosy in an alleyway. Syed is blackmailed and Christian discovers it is Lucy. Syed soon breaks off the affair, and Christian tells Syed he cannot help arrange his wedding any more.
On the wedding day, Syed admits to Christian that he is gay but cannot come out because he is not just gay, but a son, a brother and a Muslim. When he runs away, distressed, Syed's mother Zainab
(Nina Wadia
) sees and confronts Christian who tells her everything, but she does not believe him and attacks him verbally and physically. She then goes to the wedding and confronts Syed who eventually confesses, and she tells him to marry Amira. When Syed and Amira return from their honeymoon, Christian introduces a man called Leyton (Daniel Crowder) as his boyfriend to make Syed jealous, which works as Syed is clearly upset. However, after Syed and Amira consummate their marriage, Syed tells Christian that they are planning a baby, and says he and Christian can both move on as Christian has Leyton and Syed has Amira. However, Christian tells Syed he has broken up with Leyton and was only with him to make Syed jealous. At Syed's and Amira's flat, Christian and Syed argue, but are then seen kissing on floor of the flat by Syed's father, Masood
(Nitin Ganatra
). This leads to the exposure of their affair, and Syed comes out to his family and friends, and Amira leaves Walford. However Syed rejects Christian again. Amira's father Qadim (Ramon Tikaram
) and his associates track down Christian, wanting to know where Syed is. Christian says he does not know, so they beat him and leave him outside on the pavement. When Syed returns, he apologises to Christian but Christian calls him a coward, saying he never wants to see him again. Syed has therapy to attempt to cure his same-sex attraction, and he tells Christian he no longer feels anything for him. However, Syed soon admits to Christian that his therapy has not worked and he wants to admit his true feelings. Christian pushes him away, but the next day he accepts Syed when he says he chooses Christian and turns his back on his family. The pair then move in with each other. On New Year's Eve, Christian attends a party at The Queen Victoria
pub, and shares a kiss with a man. Christian tells Syed, and Syed is angry, but later forgives him. They decide they would like a child and a drunken Roxy offers to be the surrogate mother. However, despite their attempt, she does not become pregnant. Syed and Christian decide to adopt, and Christian later proposes to Syed, and Syed agrees. They continue with their plans to adopt and Christian finds a new flat for them. However, Syed almost changes his mind and the couple split up until Syed realises that he does want children.
Christian starts working at the local boxing club, and whilst there, 15-year-old Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) confides to him that he is gay. Christian gives advice to the teenager, but Ben develops a crush on Christian, which he discourages. Amira returns to Walford with hers and Syed's baby, Yasmin. She promptly tells Syed that she wants him to be a part of their baby's life but bans Christian from seeing her. Syed starts to secretly see Amira and Yasmin, and Ben reports this to Christian. Christian confronts Syed and declares that Syed has to choose between him and the baby. However, he relents and gives Syed his blessing to see his child. However, Yusef Khan
(Ace Bhatti
) suggests to Christian that Yasmin may not be Syed's child, casting doubt in Christian's mind. Christian then asks Yusef to perform a secret paternity test on Yasmin. The results of the test state that Syed is not the father of Yasmin, and Christian reveals this to Syed and Amira. Syed is devastated, but Amira continues to claim that he is the father. Syed doubts Christian, believing that he may have falsified the test. However, it emerges that it was Yusef who falsified the paternity test. Christian feels hurt that Syed suspected him of lying, but he reluctantly agrees to let Amira and Yasmin stay with him and Syed as they have nowhere else to go. Christian is annoyed to discover that Syed is helping Amira get a home in Walford. When Christian and Ben watch a film together, they talk about Christian and Syed's relationship and Ben misreads the signals, and tries to kiss Christian. Christian is horrified and Ben runs out of the flat, seen by Zainab and Yusef. Ben later lies to Yusef that Christian touched him inappropriately, and Yusef takes Ben to tell his father, Phil Mitchell
(Steve McFadden
). Phil confronts Christian in the pub, and Christian punches Phil when he calls him a "nonce". Phil leaves but later turns up at Christian's flat, smashing it up and and hitting Christian with a baseball bat. Ben is forced to tell the truth so Phil leaves. However, Christian is upset with Syed for not trusting him, and when Amira tells Christian that he will be judged by the community, Christian decides to break up with Syed and leave Walford.
was in the role of Sean Tully
in Coronation Street
. However, Partridge's character is not as camp
as Cotton's, and is described as "very suave and a real charmer" and a "savvy, bright character [who is] very fun." Partridge commented that it would be "stupid" to copy Cotton's character, adding that "it's about time EastEnders had a gay character in the show." He later told Attitude
that Cotton's character in Coronation Street is the reason Christian is in EastEnders due to his popularity, and that Christian was created to be the opposite of Sean. Partridge said of his character, "I think he's going to upset the apple cart at the Beales'" and "Christian, like me, is an openly proud gay man and he is certainly going to ruffle a few feathers when he arrives."
Talking about his casting in the role of Christian, Partridge has disclosed: "I'm slightly terrified when I come into work every day. It's an enormous machine. Plus, the actors I work with the most, Adam Woodyatt
(Ian
) and Laurie Brett
(Jane), are such consummate professionals that I don't want to weaken the Beale family or bring anyone down. I want to stand up there with them and be seen as a good team player."
confusion over his sexuality, Partridge has deemed the scene in which the two characters unexpectedly kiss "the first time Christian's ever been lost for words!" Expanding on this, he added: "You know what Christian's like — now that he realises Steven's gay, he's ready to get his big wooden spoon out and give the situation a good old stir! It's not that he's being malicious towards the teenager — after all, they're practically family. [...] The thing is, Christian's really not interested in Steven's sexuality — he just wants to be a mate to him. He's aware of how difficult it is to come out to the people you love. But Christian makes sure Steven knows the score, by subtly telling everyone that he likes real men, not 18-year-old boys!" Following the development which saw Steven accuse Christian of coming on to him, Partridge has given the plot twist his approval, stating: "It could've gone one of two ways, and I'm really glad the producers didn't choose to make Christian look predatory. Sexuality is a difficult issue, but one that definitely needs to be touched upon. I think it'll help to educate people about social situations."
Partridge has commented that one aspect of his character he most enjoys is "that he weaves in and out of lots of characters' stories, so I have interaction with loads of different people. Take his friendship with Roxy
, for example — I absolutely love it, and working with Rita Simons, who plays her, is such a pleasure. We're very natural in that set-up." In turn, Simons has commented that her own character, Roxy, would be "really lost without (Christian). He's her rock". Partridge has also denied that that Christian is a stereotypical gay man, saying "Christian wears slightly brighter colours than I would normally wear but you know it is a BBC show and we have to show that I am gay you know? I don't think it's stereotypical at all because there are what I call seven shades of gay and that goes from real straight acting to camp and I like to think that Christian has all of those elements as I do as a gay man."
In June 2009, Christian begins an affair with Muslim character Syed Masood
, played by Marc Elliott
. The storyline is said to be controversial, as homosexuality is strictly forbidden according to mainstream interpretations of Islam
. However, the show's executive producer Diederick Santer
explained that the storyline will not be a moral tale, but one of human interest, adding: "[Syed] struggles with his sexuality when he finds himself drawn to Christian and he believes this goes against his faith. This is not a story about Syed and Christian's physical relationship — we don't see anything beyond one kiss." Santer also said that EastEnders always tries to "reflect modern life in multicultural Britain and [tell] social issue stories relevant to [its] diverse audience." Partridge commented on the storyline, saying: "I'm thrilled this storyline is being done. People fall in love in impossible circumstances all the time. Why are Christian and Syed any different?"
Partridge told entertainment website Digital Spy
that lessons were learnt after a kiss between Christian and his then-boyfriend Lee Thompson in 2008 prompted 145 complaints from viewers, saying: "Even after [the gay kiss] story, Diederick [Santer, executive producer], Dominic [Treadwell-Collins
, series story producer] and the BBC were brave enough to push forward with this current storyline. Everybody learned lessons from that [gay kiss] as to how to tell this story... so as not to offend people, not to be gratuitous and not to let something like a kiss be something that overshadows the story we're trying to tell. I'm immensely proud of that and immensely proud of this storyline. I'm honoured that they've allowed me to be a face for it."
In December 2009, Santer was asked what his favourite storyline of the year had been. He replied "I'm really pleased with the Christian/Syed storyline. It's bold and we thought long and hard before we did it to make sure we got it right and I'm really proud with what we've done. Marc [Elliott] and John [Partridge] have absolutely stepped up to the plate and like all good EastEnders stories, we're not even half done with it yet. There's miles to go."
In 2010 Christian will get a beating once his and Syed's secret is revealed. A source explained: "It seems that Christian is going to take the brunt of Syed's problems. Syed and Amira's wedding achieved one of the highest ratings of the year, so we're expecting viewers to again be gripped when this storyline reaches its dramatic climax. "There will be lots of twists and turns along the way. And sadly for poor Christian, he'll be the one who ends up taking a battering. There will also be lots of complaints." Tahir Shah from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee criticised the storyline as soon as it was reported for portraying Muslims in a negative light."EastEnders is known for its gritty and realistic storylines but we cannot condone such violence from a Muslim character," he explained. However, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell
described the plot as "groundbreaking", adding: "No storyline in any drama will ever reflect the totality of the many diverse gay lifestyles and experiences. Full credit to the BBC for having a gay Muslim character. The lives of gay Muslims are very rarely in the media."
deeming him to be "a realistic portrayal of a London based, slightly older gay man." Gareth McLean
of The Guardian
praised the character, saying "he brings EastEnders a step closer to more accurately resembling London."
In October 2008, a kiss between Christian and new love interest Lee prompted 145 complaints from viewers who were displeased that homosexual kissing had been broadcast before the 9pm watershed
. The BBC released a statement defending the incident, stating: "EastEnders aims to reflect real life, and this means including and telling stories about characters from many different backgrounds, faiths, religions and sexualities. We approach our portrayal of homosexual relationships in the same way as we do heterosexual relationships. In this instance, Christian is enjoying the first flush of romance and we've shown him being affectionate with his new boyfriend in the same way any couple would. We also aim to ensure that depictions of affection or sexuality between couples are suitable for pre-watershed viewing. We believe that the general tone and content of EastEnders is now widely recognised, meaning that parents can make an informed decision as to whether they want their children to watch."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
. He made his first appearance on 17 January 2008.
Storylines
Christian is first mentioned when his older sister Jane Beale (Laurie BrettLaurie Brett
Laurie Brett is a Scottish actress, currently known for her role as Jane Beale in EastEnders, in which she has starred since 2004.-Personal life:...
) receives an invitation to his civil ceremony
Civil ceremony
A civil registrar ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the UK, this person is normally called a registrar...
with partner Ashley Jennings (Tony Boncza
Tony Boncza
Tony Boncza is an English actor. Born in Fulham, educated in Sevenoaks and Kingston Upon Thames. Originally trained as a journalist.-Career:...
). Jane throws the invitation away but it is later found by Jane's husband Ian
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
(Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
). Jane refuses to tell Ian why she does not want to go to the ceremony but Ian wants to meet Christian, and invites him and Ashley to dinner at Fargo's Restaurant. Christian reveals that he was once in love with Jane's first husband David Collins (Dan Milne
Dan Milne
Dan Milne is a British actor/director who is possibly best known for his role in EastEnders.-Career:He started his career in 1996 and made an appearance in Murder Most Horrid and as a pub poet in In a Land of Plenty...
). Ashley storms out of the restaurant and the couple end their relationship. Christian arrives in Walford as he has nowhere to stay. He apologises and Ian allows him to move in. Christian flirts with Ian's stepson, Steven
Steven Beale
Steven Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1996, Edward Savage from 1997 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2008...
(Aaron Sidwell
Aaron Sidwell
Aaron Michael Sidwell is a British actor and singer . He is known for playing Steven Beale in the British soap opera EastEnders, a role he played from September 2007 to May 2008...
), so Steven pretends Stacey Branning
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
(Lacey Turner
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner is an award-winning English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role for which she has won 33 awards...
) is his girlfriend to put Christian off. Roxy Mitchell
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
(Rita Simons) tries to chat him up, but is shocked to discover a stripper he had hired for his sister was an ex-boyfriend of his. They go on to become close friends. He becomes involved in a love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
between Steven and Stacey, as Steven begins to experience confusion over his sexuality. He and Steven share a kiss but Steven falsely claims that Christian made a move on him; as a result, Christian leaves the Square. He returns after Steven's lie is exposed. Christian is tricked by Ian's daughter Lucy
Lucy Beale
Lucy Katherine Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Eva Brittin-Snell from 1993 to 1996, Casey Anne Rothery from 1996 until 2004, Melissa Suffield from 2004 to 2010 and Hetti Bywater from 2012 onwards. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the newborn baby...
(Melissa Suffield
Melissa Suffield
Melissa Hollie Suffield is a British actress from London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lucy Beale. Her first appearance on the show was 28 October 2004 and her last on 27 August 2010.-Career:...
) into letting her use his flat so she can spend some "quality time" with her boyfriend, Olly Greenwood (Bart Edwards). Christian walks in on them about to have sex and stops them. Ian punches Christian over what happened with Lucy and Olly, but when he catches Lucy attempting to leave with Olly, he insists she move in with Christian again.
Christian is surprised to see his mother Linda (Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours....
) after having lost contact with her for nearly 20 years. At first, Christian dislikes her because she still disapproves of his sexuality, but when Ian's son Peter
Peter Beale
Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010. The character has previously been portrayed by James Martin, Joseph Shade, Alex Stevens and Francis Brittin-Snell. Law took over the role on 31 August 2006...
(Thomas Law
Thomas Law
Thomas John Law is a British actor. He is the fourth actor to play Peter Beale in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders...
) tells him how he lost his mother Cindy
Cindy Beale
Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins.Cindy always had an eye for the lotharios of Walford and despite trying to settle down repeatedly with the more reliable Ian Beale, she was unable to remain faithful to him. She had a selfish...
(Michelle Collins
Michelle Collins
Michelle Danielle Collins is a British actress best known for her roles on television in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Cindy Beale, Coronation Street as Stella Price, and BBC dramas Sunburn and Two Thousand Acres of Sky...
), Christian makes amends with her. Roxy unexpectedly goes into premature labour, and Christian offers to help raise the baby, Amy, as her marriage to Sean Slater
Sean Slater
Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Robert Kazinsky. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007...
(Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
) has ended. However, Roxy leaves Christian heartbroken when she gets back with Sean. She later tells Christian that he is to be Amy's godfather. Roxy gives her daughter the middle name Christina, after Christian. Christian's colleague at Masala Queen, Syed Masood
Syed Masood
Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood , and brother of Tamwar and Shabnam and Kamil Masood...
(Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott is a British actor from Stratford-upon-Avon, who is best known for his role as Syed Masood in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Personal life:...
), argues with him over his sexuality, saying that homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
goes against his God's will
Haraam
Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
, but then unexpectedly kisses Christian. Syed then tries to avoid Christian, and although they sleep together, Syed denies he is gay and proposes to his girlfriend Amira Shah
Amira Shah
Amira Shah is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Preeya Kalidas. The girlfriend, and later wife, of Syed Masood , she first appeared on screen in the episode broadcast on 7 May 2009. She returned on 10 October 2011.The character was described as high maintenance,...
(Preeya Kalidas
Preeya Kalidas
Preeya Kalidas is a British singer and actress of Indian descent. She plays Amira Masood in the soap opera EastEnders. She returned to a career in singing, with her single "Shimmy" being released in July 2010 taken from her debut album Constant Craving, was supposed to be released in September...
). On the day of Syed and Amira's engagement party, Christian takes a man called Luke back to his flat, but Luke beats Christian up after revealing he is not gay and hates gay men cottaging
Cottaging
Cottaging is a British gay slang term referring to anonymous sex between men in a public lavatory , or cruising for sexual partners with the intention of having sex elsewhere...
in public places. Following this, Christian becomes agoraphobic
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
, but Syed helps Christian return to a normal life. Christian's friend James Mackie (Paul Keating
Paul Keating (actor)
Paul Keating is a British actor from London, England, best known for his performances on the West End stage. He has been nominated twice for an Olivier Award.- Stage career :...
) turns up, and Syed sees them together and is jealous. After James admits that he has feelings for Christian, Syed tries to put him off. Christian finds out and tells Syed that he must break up with Amira, but Syed cannot go through with it, so Christian starts a relationship with James. However, one day Christian takes Syed down an alleyway and kisses him, not realising they have been seen. Christian then breaks off his romance with James and restarts his secret affair with Syed. Christian and Syed are photographed looking cosy in an alleyway. Syed is blackmailed and Christian discovers it is Lucy. Syed soon breaks off the affair, and Christian tells Syed he cannot help arrange his wedding any more.
On the wedding day, Syed admits to Christian that he is gay but cannot come out because he is not just gay, but a son, a brother and a Muslim. When he runs away, distressed, Syed's mother Zainab
Zainab Masood
Zainab Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by comedienne Nina Wadia. She made her first appearance on 16 July 2007.-Backstory:...
(Nina Wadia
Nina Wadia
-Television and film:Wadia first came to prominence in BBC sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, playing characters such as Mrs "I can make it at home for nothing!" and one half of The Competitive Mothers...
) sees and confronts Christian who tells her everything, but she does not believe him and attacks him verbally and physically. She then goes to the wedding and confronts Syed who eventually confesses, and she tells him to marry Amira. When Syed and Amira return from their honeymoon, Christian introduces a man called Leyton (Daniel Crowder) as his boyfriend to make Syed jealous, which works as Syed is clearly upset. However, after Syed and Amira consummate their marriage, Syed tells Christian that they are planning a baby, and says he and Christian can both move on as Christian has Leyton and Syed has Amira. However, Christian tells Syed he has broken up with Leyton and was only with him to make Syed jealous. At Syed's and Amira's flat, Christian and Syed argue, but are then seen kissing on floor of the flat by Syed's father, Masood
Masood Ahmed
Masood Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nitin Ganatra.- Storylines :Masood moves to 41 Albert Square with Zainab, Shabnam and Tamwar in October 2007. Masood and Zainab are both active in the postal industry: Masood is a postman and Zainab the owner of a...
(Nitin Ganatra
Nitin Ganatra
Nitin Ganatra is a Kenyan born British actor. He is known internationally as Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also appears in the Gurinder Chada film Bride and Prejudice as Kholi Saab and The Mistress of Spices as Haroun...
). This leads to the exposure of their affair, and Syed comes out to his family and friends, and Amira leaves Walford. However Syed rejects Christian again. Amira's father Qadim (Ramon Tikaram
Ramon Tikaram
Ramon Pramod Junior Tikaram is a British stage and screen actor of Indo-Fijian and Malaysian descent.-Early and personal life:...
) and his associates track down Christian, wanting to know where Syed is. Christian says he does not know, so they beat him and leave him outside on the pavement. When Syed returns, he apologises to Christian but Christian calls him a coward, saying he never wants to see him again. Syed has therapy to attempt to cure his same-sex attraction, and he tells Christian he no longer feels anything for him. However, Syed soon admits to Christian that his therapy has not worked and he wants to admit his true feelings. Christian pushes him away, but the next day he accepts Syed when he says he chooses Christian and turns his back on his family. The pair then move in with each other. On New Year's Eve, Christian attends a party at The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
pub, and shares a kiss with a man. Christian tells Syed, and Syed is angry, but later forgives him. They decide they would like a child and a drunken Roxy offers to be the surrogate mother. However, despite their attempt, she does not become pregnant. Syed and Christian decide to adopt, and Christian later proposes to Syed, and Syed agrees. They continue with their plans to adopt and Christian finds a new flat for them. However, Syed almost changes his mind and the couple split up until Syed realises that he does want children.
Christian starts working at the local boxing club, and whilst there, 15-year-old Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) confides to him that he is gay. Christian gives advice to the teenager, but Ben develops a crush on Christian, which he discourages. Amira returns to Walford with hers and Syed's baby, Yasmin. She promptly tells Syed that she wants him to be a part of their baby's life but bans Christian from seeing her. Syed starts to secretly see Amira and Yasmin, and Ben reports this to Christian. Christian confronts Syed and declares that Syed has to choose between him and the baby. However, he relents and gives Syed his blessing to see his child. However, Yusef Khan
Yusef Khan
Doctor Yusef Khan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ace Bhatti. Yusef is the father of Afia Khan and former husband of Zainab Masood . He appears from 23 November 2010. Described as strong-willed, he arrives as Walford's new general practitioner....
(Ace Bhatti
Ace Bhatti
Ahsen Rafiq "Ace" Bhatti is a British actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He has starred in numerous television series, including New Street Law, Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, The Sarah Jane Adventures as Haresh Chandra and in EastEnders playing Yusef...
) suggests to Christian that Yasmin may not be Syed's child, casting doubt in Christian's mind. Christian then asks Yusef to perform a secret paternity test on Yasmin. The results of the test state that Syed is not the father of Yasmin, and Christian reveals this to Syed and Amira. Syed is devastated, but Amira continues to claim that he is the father. Syed doubts Christian, believing that he may have falsified the test. However, it emerges that it was Yusef who falsified the paternity test. Christian feels hurt that Syed suspected him of lying, but he reluctantly agrees to let Amira and Yasmin stay with him and Syed as they have nowhere else to go. Christian is annoyed to discover that Syed is helping Amira get a home in Walford. When Christian and Ben watch a film together, they talk about Christian and Syed's relationship and Ben misreads the signals, and tries to kiss Christian. Christian is horrified and Ben runs out of the flat, seen by Zainab and Yusef. Ben later lies to Yusef that Christian touched him inappropriately, and Yusef takes Ben to tell his father, Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
). Phil confronts Christian in the pub, and Christian punches Phil when he calls him a "nonce". Phil leaves but later turns up at Christian's flat, smashing it up and and hitting Christian with a baseball bat. Ben is forced to tell the truth so Phil leaves. However, Christian is upset with Syed for not trusting him, and when Amira tells Christian that he will be judged by the community, Christian decides to break up with Syed and leave Walford.
Creation
In November 2007, it was announced that a new gay character was to join the cast of EastEnders, as the show's bosses had seen how popular Antony CottonAntony Cotton
Antony Cotton is an English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk.-Early and personal life:...
was in the role of Sean Tully
Sean Tully
Sean Tully, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Antony Cotton, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 13 July 2003. Sean works as a factory machinist, and as a part-time barman in the Rovers Return...
in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. However, Partridge's character is not as camp
Effeminacy
Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....
as Cotton's, and is described as "very suave and a real charmer" and a "savvy, bright character [who is] very fun." Partridge commented that it would be "stupid" to copy Cotton's character, adding that "it's about time EastEnders had a gay character in the show." He later told Attitude
Attitude (magazine)
Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Vitality Publishing. It is sold worldwide as a physical magazine and a digital download for the iPad and iPhone via the App Store. The first issue appeared in May 1994....
that Cotton's character in Coronation Street is the reason Christian is in EastEnders due to his popularity, and that Christian was created to be the opposite of Sean. Partridge said of his character, "I think he's going to upset the apple cart at the Beales'" and "Christian, like me, is an openly proud gay man and he is certainly going to ruffle a few feathers when he arrives."
Talking about his casting in the role of Christian, Partridge has disclosed: "I'm slightly terrified when I come into work every day. It's an enormous machine. Plus, the actors I work with the most, Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
(Ian
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
) and Laurie Brett
Laurie Brett
Laurie Brett is a Scottish actress, currently known for her role as Jane Beale in EastEnders, in which she has starred since 2004.-Personal life:...
(Jane), are such consummate professionals that I don't want to weaken the Beale family or bring anyone down. I want to stand up there with them and be seen as a good team player."
Development
Discussing the storyline which sees Christian become involved in Steven Beale'sSteven Beale
Steven Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1996, Edward Savage from 1997 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2008...
confusion over his sexuality, Partridge has deemed the scene in which the two characters unexpectedly kiss "the first time Christian's ever been lost for words!" Expanding on this, he added: "You know what Christian's like — now that he realises Steven's gay, he's ready to get his big wooden spoon out and give the situation a good old stir! It's not that he's being malicious towards the teenager — after all, they're practically family. [...] The thing is, Christian's really not interested in Steven's sexuality — he just wants to be a mate to him. He's aware of how difficult it is to come out to the people you love. But Christian makes sure Steven knows the score, by subtly telling everyone that he likes real men, not 18-year-old boys!" Following the development which saw Steven accuse Christian of coming on to him, Partridge has given the plot twist his approval, stating: "It could've gone one of two ways, and I'm really glad the producers didn't choose to make Christian look predatory. Sexuality is a difficult issue, but one that definitely needs to be touched upon. I think it'll help to educate people about social situations."
Partridge has commented that one aspect of his character he most enjoys is "that he weaves in and out of lots of characters' stories, so I have interaction with loads of different people. Take his friendship with Roxy
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
, for example — I absolutely love it, and working with Rita Simons, who plays her, is such a pleasure. We're very natural in that set-up." In turn, Simons has commented that her own character, Roxy, would be "really lost without (Christian). He's her rock". Partridge has also denied that that Christian is a stereotypical gay man, saying "Christian wears slightly brighter colours than I would normally wear but you know it is a BBC show and we have to show that I am gay you know? I don't think it's stereotypical at all because there are what I call seven shades of gay and that goes from real straight acting to camp and I like to think that Christian has all of those elements as I do as a gay man."
In June 2009, Christian begins an affair with Muslim character Syed Masood
Syed Masood
Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood , and brother of Tamwar and Shabnam and Kamil Masood...
, played by Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott is a British actor from Stratford-upon-Avon, who is best known for his role as Syed Masood in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Personal life:...
. The storyline is said to be controversial, as homosexuality is strictly forbidden according to mainstream interpretations of Islam
Homosexuality and Islam
LGBT topics and Islam are influenced by both the cultural-legal history of the nations with a large Muslim population, along with how specific passages in the Qur'an and statements attributed to the prophet Muhammad are interpreted. The mainstream interpretation of Qur'anic verses and hadith...
. However, the show's executive producer Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
explained that the storyline will not be a moral tale, but one of human interest, adding: "[Syed] struggles with his sexuality when he finds himself drawn to Christian and he believes this goes against his faith. This is not a story about Syed and Christian's physical relationship — we don't see anything beyond one kiss." Santer also said that EastEnders always tries to "reflect modern life in multicultural Britain and [tell] social issue stories relevant to [its] diverse audience." Partridge commented on the storyline, saying: "I'm thrilled this storyline is being done. People fall in love in impossible circumstances all the time. Why are Christian and Syed any different?"
Partridge told entertainment website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
that lessons were learnt after a kiss between Christian and his then-boyfriend Lee Thompson in 2008 prompted 145 complaints from viewers, saying: "Even after [the gay kiss] story, Diederick [Santer, executive producer], Dominic [Treadwell-Collins
Dominic Treadwell-Collins
Dominic Treadwell-Collins is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas Family Affairs and EastEnders.-Career:...
, series story producer] and the BBC were brave enough to push forward with this current storyline. Everybody learned lessons from that [gay kiss] as to how to tell this story... so as not to offend people, not to be gratuitous and not to let something like a kiss be something that overshadows the story we're trying to tell. I'm immensely proud of that and immensely proud of this storyline. I'm honoured that they've allowed me to be a face for it."
In December 2009, Santer was asked what his favourite storyline of the year had been. He replied "I'm really pleased with the Christian/Syed storyline. It's bold and we thought long and hard before we did it to make sure we got it right and I'm really proud with what we've done. Marc [Elliott] and John [Partridge] have absolutely stepped up to the plate and like all good EastEnders stories, we're not even half done with it yet. There's miles to go."
In 2010 Christian will get a beating once his and Syed's secret is revealed. A source explained: "It seems that Christian is going to take the brunt of Syed's problems. Syed and Amira's wedding achieved one of the highest ratings of the year, so we're expecting viewers to again be gripped when this storyline reaches its dramatic climax. "There will be lots of twists and turns along the way. And sadly for poor Christian, he'll be the one who ends up taking a battering. There will also be lots of complaints." Tahir Shah from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee criticised the storyline as soon as it was reported for portraying Muslims in a negative light."EastEnders is known for its gritty and realistic storylines but we cannot condone such violence from a Muslim character," he explained. However, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell
Peter Tatchell
Peter Gary Tatchell is an Australian-born British political campaigner best known for his work with LGBT social movements...
described the plot as "groundbreaking", adding: "No storyline in any drama will ever reflect the totality of the many diverse gay lifestyles and experiences. Full credit to the BBC for having a gay Muslim character. The lives of gay Muslims are very rarely in the media."
Reception
The character's introduction to EastEnders was welcomed by critics, with the Pink NewsPink News
Pink News is a United Kingdom-based online gay newspaper.The paper version, The Pink News, officially launched at the Law Society on 28 June 2006 by Francis Maude, Chairman of the Conservative Party, Meg Munn, Minister for Equality, Simon Hughes, President of the Liberal Democrats and Meg Hillier,...
deeming him to be "a realistic portrayal of a London based, slightly older gay man." Gareth McLean
Gareth McLean
Gareth McLean is a Scottish journalist who writes for The Guardian newspaper and on Soap operas for the Radio Times magazine.McLean graduated with an MA in English from the University of Aberdeen, working at The Scotsman newspaper as a Feature Writer from 1997 until he began writing as a TV Critic...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praised the character, saying "he brings EastEnders a step closer to more accurately resembling London."
In October 2008, a kiss between Christian and new love interest Lee prompted 145 complaints from viewers who were displeased that homosexual kissing had been broadcast before the 9pm watershed
Watershed (television)
In television, the term watershed denotes the time period in a television schedule during which programs with adult content can air....
. The BBC released a statement defending the incident, stating: "EastEnders aims to reflect real life, and this means including and telling stories about characters from many different backgrounds, faiths, religions and sexualities. We approach our portrayal of homosexual relationships in the same way as we do heterosexual relationships. In this instance, Christian is enjoying the first flush of romance and we've shown him being affectionate with his new boyfriend in the same way any couple would. We also aim to ensure that depictions of affection or sexuality between couples are suitable for pre-watershed viewing. We believe that the general tone and content of EastEnders is now widely recognised, meaning that parents can make an informed decision as to whether they want their children to watch."
See also
- List of LGBT characters in film, radio, and TV fiction
- List of EastEnders characters (2008)