Kim Fox
Encyclopedia
Kimberley Harmony Angelica "Kim" Fox is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Tameka Empson
. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox
(Diane Parish
), and aunt to Chelsea Fox
(Tiana Benjamin
) and Libby Fox
(Belinda Owusu
). She first appeared as a guest character on 24 November 2009, and was reintroduced in 2010 as a regular character after piquing the interest of new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
.
Kim is described as "viscous and bubbly" on the outside, but hiding vulnerability and low self-esteem. The EastEnders website describes Kim as having big hair, a loud personality and a big heart. She is sharp, family-orientated and cares about her appearance, having a loud dress sense and being the life and soul of any party. She chooses the wrong men to have relationships with, but knows what she wants when it comes to love. Kim makes her first appears for Denise's wedding to Lucas Johnson
(Don Gilet
). She briefly returns after Denise is presumed dead, but makes a more permanent return when she separates from her boyfriend Dexter Mulholland (Robbie Gee
). Kim has kissed Ricky Butcher
(Sid Owen
), sparking a brief feud with his wife, Bianca
(Patsy Palmer
). She established a short-lived speakeasy
and later opened a bed and breakfast
. Kim has also gone through a HIV
scare.
For her portrayal of Kim, Empson earned a nomination for "Best Comedy Performance" at the 2011 British Soap Awards
. That same year she won the "Funniest Performance" award at the Inside Soap Awards
. Ruth Deller from entertainment website Lowculture
praised the character during her guest appearance in 2009 and later said Kim is a "big, ballsy, whirlwind", who provides some light relief to the show. Daniel Maier from The Guardian
has criticised Kim's B&B venture, calling it a "holding pen for characters who are 'between homes' within Albert Square's hermetically sealed biosphere."
to attend the wedding of her sister, Denise. She is disappointed by her plans for a low-key hen night, so organises a livelier event. During her visit, Kim's partner Dexter Mulholland (Robbie Gee
) makes a pass at her niece, Chelsea, but she chooses to forgive him. She makes a repeat visit seven months later, and reveals that she has broken up with Dexter as he was unfaithful to her. The following month, Kim is told that Denise has committed suicide. She returns to Walford for the funeral, as does her sister Daphne (Emi Wokoma). It later transpires that Denise is still alive, as her death was staged by her husband, Lucas Johnson
(Don Gilet
). Kim comes to stay with her, having once more separated from Dexter. She begins working at the local beauty salon, and establishes a short-lived speakeasy
.
Kim causes trouble by kissing her married neighbour, Ricky Butcher
(Sid Owen
). His wife Bianca
(Patsy Palmer
) finds out and is initially furious, but she and Kim forge a bond and become friends. Despite earlier conflict over her speakeasy, Kim also becomes friends with Kat Moon
(Jessie Wallace
), landlady of the local pub. When Dexter buys Kim out of their restaurant business, she purchases the house next door to Denise's and opens a bed and breakfast
, called Kimberley's Palace. It becomes her sole source of income when she is fired from the beauty salon for her lax attitude to work. Walford's new GP, Yusef Khan
(Ace Bhatti
), makes a long term booking at the B&B. Kim is initially attracted to him, but refrains from pursuing him as Denise is also interested in him. She accidentally tells Masood Ahmed
(Nitin Ganatra
) that Denise and Yusef havent had sex yet which Masood uses to his advantage by telling Denise. Denise is at first annoyed with Kim for telling people about her private life, but they later rencocile. The next day, Kim helps out at Tommy Moon's christening.
Kim wakes up in a skip and Patrick sees CCTV footage of a drunken Kim entering the Minute Mart late at night and taking alcohol. Kim explains to her sister Denise that her erratic behaviour comes after an ex-boyfriend told her that he contracted HIV. Denise persuades Kim to take a HIV test which comes back negative, leaving Kim relieved.
was asked by entertainment website Digital Spy
if there were plans for Kim and Dexter to return. He said, "There's nothing currently storylined for Kim and Dexter, but they really caught my eye. I know they've caught [future executive producer] Bryan [Kirkwood
]'s eye, too, because we were only talking about them recently. They work brilliantly with the rest of the family. I hope that if the actors are up for it and if me or Bryan find the right moment, we'll see them again." Kim was subsequently brought back as a regular character by Kirkwood in 2010, on which he said, "I'm a huge fan of Tameka. She is a real talent and will bring a fresh, funny and exciting new flavour to the show." Empson said "I'm really thrilled and excited to be returning to EastEnders. I've always loved the show and working with such fantastic actors makes the whole experience even sweeter. Kim Fox is such a great character to play and gives me scope to do things I usually wouldn't get away with." Kim's return was aired on 27 July 2010.
Speaking in July 2010 about the storyline where Denise is discovered to be alive, Empson told Digital Spy that finding out was "crazy" for Kim, but said that "It's the start of a new direction for Kim and Denise, though." Speaking about Kim's relationship with Denise, Empson said that they are "chalk and cheese—and the macaroni's yet to be made. You'll start to see—even more than you can now—that Denise and Kim are very different. You'll start to wonder how they can be sisters! They're Foxes by blood, though. They'll watch each other's backs but at the same time, they'll tear each other down. They won't let anyone else tear the other down, though—that's their job!"
In September 2010, Empson teased that Kim would stir things up with her kiss with Ricky Butcher
(Sid Owen
): "Well put it this way, all the men are in my eyesight. [...] I don't think anybody is safe from Kim."
, Empson said she felt good about bringing humour to EastEnders through her character. The actress explained "I think people want to smile, people want to have a laugh and I love Kim. You get so much theatre with Kim. I'm not actually like her but I love it. I like to party like Kim, but Kim can out-drink me any time."
Empson said of the character and her style: "I like to have a good time but Kim's like ten times more full-on than me. Her outfits—I could only dream about wearing her outfits. The tighter the better for Kim! I like a bit of comfort and to be able to breathe. [...] Kim knows no bounds—she feels no shame. Kim's very feminine and she's all about 'the look' and pampering herself." Jaci Stephen from the Daily Mail
has described Kim's style as "bling-on-a-budget" and said that if her outfits do not turn heads, then her loud voice will always get attention as her voice is "louder than her taste in clothes".
criticised Kim's B&B, saying, "There's been a [...] futile relaunch afoot in EastEnders, in which the B&B has reopened as Kimberley's Palace. Who stays there? Really, though? Tourists? Escaped convicts? Delegates for Whelk 2011, Europe's leading mollusc expo at Walford International Conference Centre? By the look of it, the place is actually a holding pen for characters who are "between homes" within Albert Square's hermetically sealed biosphere.
Ruth Deller from Lowculture
praised Kim on her guest appearance in 2009 saying, "Denise Johnson's sister, Kim, has only been in the show five minutes and has already stolen the limelight big style. Tameka [Empson] is a joy in everything she appears in and she was the only thing that made those terrible wedding episodes worth watching. A new Aunt Sal
type recurring character, perhaps? She's a much more interesting prospect than yet another new Mitchell/Branning/Slater/etc, though I'd fear for her if she was made a permanent fixture and had to complete the obligatory Phil Mitchell
shagging initiation ritual. Some people are just too good for all that nonsense". Deller later praised Kim when she had returned saying, "It's widely acknowledged that EastEnders can't do comedy very well, but that's only because it tries to do comedy the way Coronation Street
or Neighbours
do, which just won't wash in Britain's most miserable postcode. What it can do is provide characters who offer some light relief to the show, whilst still functioning (just about) as believable human beings. Kim Fox is one such character—a big, ballsy, whirlwind, she brings a sense of fabulousness to all her scenes and works well as the kind of character that can sympathise with those going through the usual Walford misery whilst encouraging them to embrace their inner fag/hag. Cherish her before she succumbs to the inevitable marriage to Phil/Ian/Max/Whoever."
Empson received a nomination in the "Best Comedy Performance" category at the 2011 British Soap Awards
for her portrayal of Kim. She later won "Funniest Performance" at the 2011 Inside Soap Awards
. Of her win, she said "It feels amazing. All those days in the bedroom practising with the hairbrush, now I've finally got my award and it feels great." In October 2011, Empson was nominated for one award, at the Screen Nation Awards which celebrate the best British Black talent. She was nominated for the Favourite Female TV Star.
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 Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson is a British actress and comedienne who is perhaps best known for being one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non Blondes.Tameka also featured in a episode of MI High : Red Button Rampage, Series one...
. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox
Denise Fox
Denise Celeste Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006. Parish temporarily left EastEnders in early 2008 to give birth to her second child...
(Diane Parish
Diane Parish
Diane Parish is a British actress best known for her role as Denise Johnson in the BBC Soap EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.-Career:...
), and aunt to Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tiana Benjamin. She first appeared on 5 May 2006 and was joined by her mother Denise and her half sister Libby. Benjamin announced her departure from the show in April 2010...
(Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Opium Benjamin is a British actress best known for playing Chelsea Fox in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders.Benjamin trained at The Anna Scher Theatre School in London....
) and Libby Fox
Libby Fox
Elizabeth "Libby" Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Belinda Owusu. She made her first appearance on 22 May 2006 and left in 2010. She is the daughter of Denise Fox and Owen Turner, and half sister of Chelsea Fox. The Fox family were introduced by executive...
(Belinda Owusu
Belinda Owusu
Belinda Ruth Owusu is a British actress, who rose to prominence in 2006, aged 17, when she won the role of Libby Fox in BBC's EastEnders.-Career:...
). She first appeared as a guest character on 24 November 2009, and was reintroduced in 2010 as a regular character after piquing the interest of new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
.
Kim is described as "viscous and bubbly" on the outside, but hiding vulnerability and low self-esteem. The EastEnders website describes Kim as having big hair, a loud personality and a big heart. She is sharp, family-orientated and cares about her appearance, having a loud dress sense and being the life and soul of any party. She chooses the wrong men to have relationships with, but knows what she wants when it comes to love. Kim makes her first appears for Denise's wedding to Lucas Johnson
Lucas Johnson
Lucas Aaron Johnson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Don Gilet. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 April 2008. Lucas is introduced as a preacher and estranged father of established character Chelsea Fox. He has a son, Jordan, and goes on to marry...
(Don Gilet
Don Gilet
Don Gilet is a British actor, best known for his roles in BBC productions Babyfather, EastEnders and 55 Degrees North. Don's surname is actually pronounced 'Gillit' but takes the stage name 'Jillay'.-Personal life:...
). She briefly returns after Denise is presumed dead, but makes a more permanent return when she separates from her boyfriend Dexter Mulholland (Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee is a British actor, best known for his Desmond's character "Lee Stanley", and for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper Snatch. He also appeared in the movie Mean Machine playing "Trojan".-Hosting:...
). Kim has kissed Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
), sparking a brief feud with his wife, Bianca
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
(Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
). She established a short-lived speakeasy
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
and later opened a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
. Kim has also gone through a HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
scare.
For her portrayal of Kim, Empson earned a nomination for "Best Comedy Performance" at the 2011 British Soap Awards
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
. That same year she won the "Funniest Performance" award at the Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
. Ruth Deller from entertainment website Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
praised the character during her guest appearance in 2009 and later said Kim is a "big, ballsy, whirlwind", who provides some light relief to the show. Daniel Maier from The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
has criticised Kim's B&B venture, calling it a "holding pen for characters who are 'between homes' within Albert Square's hermetically sealed biosphere."
Storylines
Kim visits WalfordWalford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
to attend the wedding of her sister, Denise. She is disappointed by her plans for a low-key hen night, so organises a livelier event. During her visit, Kim's partner Dexter Mulholland (Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee is a British actor, best known for his Desmond's character "Lee Stanley", and for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper Snatch. He also appeared in the movie Mean Machine playing "Trojan".-Hosting:...
) makes a pass at her niece, Chelsea, but she chooses to forgive him. She makes a repeat visit seven months later, and reveals that she has broken up with Dexter as he was unfaithful to her. The following month, Kim is told that Denise has committed suicide. She returns to Walford for the funeral, as does her sister Daphne (Emi Wokoma). It later transpires that Denise is still alive, as her death was staged by her husband, Lucas Johnson
Lucas Johnson
Lucas Aaron Johnson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Don Gilet. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 April 2008. Lucas is introduced as a preacher and estranged father of established character Chelsea Fox. He has a son, Jordan, and goes on to marry...
(Don Gilet
Don Gilet
Don Gilet is a British actor, best known for his roles in BBC productions Babyfather, EastEnders and 55 Degrees North. Don's surname is actually pronounced 'Gillit' but takes the stage name 'Jillay'.-Personal life:...
). Kim comes to stay with her, having once more separated from Dexter. She begins working at the local beauty salon, and establishes a short-lived speakeasy
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
.
Kim causes trouble by kissing her married neighbour, Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
). His wife Bianca
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
(Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
) finds out and is initially furious, but she and Kim forge a bond and become friends. Despite earlier conflict over her speakeasy, Kim also becomes friends with Kat Moon
Kat Moon
Kathleen "Kat" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to November 2004, then returned in May 2005...
(Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
), landlady of the local pub. When Dexter buys Kim out of their restaurant business, she purchases the house next door to Denise's and opens a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
, called Kimberley's Palace. It becomes her sole source of income when she is fired from the beauty salon for her lax attitude to work. Walford's new GP, 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...
), makes a long term booking at the B&B. Kim is initially attracted to him, but refrains from pursuing him as Denise is also interested in him. She accidentally tells Masood Ahmed
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...
) that Denise and Yusef havent had sex yet which Masood uses to his advantage by telling Denise. Denise is at first annoyed with Kim for telling people about her private life, but they later rencocile. The next day, Kim helps out at Tommy Moon's christening.
Kim wakes up in a skip and Patrick sees CCTV footage of a drunken Kim entering the Minute Mart late at night and taking alcohol. Kim explains to her sister Denise that her erratic behaviour comes after an ex-boyfriend told her that he contracted HIV. Denise persuades Kim to take a HIV test which comes back negative, leaving Kim relieved.
Creation and development
Kim was referenced multiple times following Denise's arrival in EastEnders. She initially appeared as a guest character, along with her boyfriend Dexter, between 24 and 27 November 2009. In December 2009, executive producer Diederick SanterDiederick 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...
was asked by 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....
if there were plans for Kim and Dexter to return. He said, "There's nothing currently storylined for Kim and Dexter, but they really caught my eye. I know they've caught [future executive producer] Bryan [Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
]'s eye, too, because we were only talking about them recently. They work brilliantly with the rest of the family. I hope that if the actors are up for it and if me or Bryan find the right moment, we'll see them again." Kim was subsequently brought back as a regular character by Kirkwood in 2010, on which he said, "I'm a huge fan of Tameka. She is a real talent and will bring a fresh, funny and exciting new flavour to the show." Empson said "I'm really thrilled and excited to be returning to EastEnders. I've always loved the show and working with such fantastic actors makes the whole experience even sweeter. Kim Fox is such a great character to play and gives me scope to do things I usually wouldn't get away with." Kim's return was aired on 27 July 2010.
Speaking in July 2010 about the storyline where Denise is discovered to be alive, Empson told Digital Spy that finding out was "crazy" for Kim, but said that "It's the start of a new direction for Kim and Denise, though." Speaking about Kim's relationship with Denise, Empson said that they are "chalk and cheese—and the macaroni's yet to be made. You'll start to see—even more than you can now—that Denise and Kim are very different. You'll start to wonder how they can be sisters! They're Foxes by blood, though. They'll watch each other's backs but at the same time, they'll tear each other down. They won't let anyone else tear the other down, though—that's their job!"
In September 2010, Empson teased that Kim would stir things up with her kiss with Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
): "Well put it this way, all the men are in my eyesight. [...] I don't think anybody is safe from Kim."
Characterisation and style
With the announcement of Kim's permanent return to Albert Square, the character was described as "viscous and bubbly" on the outside, but hiding vulnerability and low self-esteem. The EastEnders website describes Kim as having big hair, a loud personality and a big heart. She is sharp, family-orientated and cares about her appearance, having a loud dress sense and being the life and soul of any party. She chooses the wrong men to have relationships with, but knows what she wants when it comes to love. She has also been described as "fiesty". While speaking to the Press AssociationPress Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
, Empson said she felt good about bringing humour to EastEnders through her character. The actress explained "I think people want to smile, people want to have a laugh and I love Kim. You get so much theatre with Kim. I'm not actually like her but I love it. I like to party like Kim, but Kim can out-drink me any time."
Empson said of the character and her style: "I like to have a good time but Kim's like ten times more full-on than me. Her outfits—I could only dream about wearing her outfits. The tighter the better for Kim! I like a bit of comfort and to be able to breathe. [...] Kim knows no bounds—she feels no shame. Kim's very feminine and she's all about 'the look' and pampering herself." Jaci Stephen from the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
has described Kim's style as "bling-on-a-budget" and said that if her outfits do not turn heads, then her loud voice will always get attention as her voice is "louder than her taste in clothes".
Reception
Daniel Maier from The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
criticised Kim's B&B, saying, "There's been a [...] futile relaunch afoot in EastEnders, in which the B&B has reopened as Kimberley's Palace. Who stays there? Really, though? Tourists? Escaped convicts? Delegates for Whelk 2011, Europe's leading mollusc expo at Walford International Conference Centre? By the look of it, the place is actually a holding pen for characters who are "between homes" within Albert Square's hermetically sealed biosphere.
Ruth Deller from Lowculture
Lowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
praised Kim on her guest appearance in 2009 saying, "Denise Johnson's sister, Kim, has only been in the show five minutes and has already stolen the limelight big style. Tameka [Empson] is a joy in everything she appears in and she was the only thing that made those terrible wedding episodes worth watching. A new Aunt Sal
Sal Martin
Sally "Sal" Martin, often referred to as Aunt Sal, is a recurring fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Anna Karen. She has appeared sporadically over the years, usually for only one or two episodes at a time...
type recurring character, perhaps? She's a much more interesting prospect than yet another new Mitchell/Branning/Slater/etc, though I'd fear for her if she was made a permanent fixture and had to complete the obligatory 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...
shagging initiation ritual. Some people are just too good for all that nonsense". Deller later praised Kim when she had returned saying, "It's widely acknowledged that EastEnders can't do comedy very well, but that's only because it tries to do comedy the way 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...
or Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
do, which just won't wash in Britain's most miserable postcode. What it can do is provide characters who offer some light relief to the show, whilst still functioning (just about) as believable human beings. Kim Fox is one such character—a big, ballsy, whirlwind, she brings a sense of fabulousness to all her scenes and works well as the kind of character that can sympathise with those going through the usual Walford misery whilst encouraging them to embrace their inner fag/hag. Cherish her before she succumbs to the inevitable marriage to Phil/Ian/Max/Whoever."
Empson received a nomination in the "Best Comedy Performance" category at the 2011 British Soap Awards
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
for her portrayal of Kim. She later won "Funniest Performance" at the 2011 Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
. Of her win, she said "It feels amazing. All those days in the bedroom practising with the hairbrush, now I've finally got my award and it feels great." In October 2011, Empson was nominated for one award, at the Screen Nation Awards which celebrate the best British Black talent. She was nominated for the Favourite Female TV Star.