Lucas Johnson
Encyclopedia
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 Chelsea's mother, Denise. Gilet has described Lucas as having "Jekyll and Hyde" aspects to his character. Despite his religious convictions, Lucas leaves his ex-wife Trina to die, murders Denise's ex-husband Owen
, drowns his son's dog, and strangles Denise and locks her in a basement while allowing her family to believe she has killed herself, killing another woman to use as Denise's supposed body. This multi-faceted personality was further explored in the BBC Three
special "EastEnders: The Two Faces of Lucas". The character also appears in the spin-off series EastEnders: E20
. He departed from EastEnders on 30 July 2010 at the conclusion of his storyline.
(Tiana Benjamin
), introduced to EastEnders when she tracks him down and discovers that he is a preacher. Lucas explains that he was seventeen when Chelsea was born, and abandoned her and her mother Denise (Diane Parish
) as he could not cope with fatherhood. He became a drug addict, but overcame his addiction and joined the church. Chelsea reluctantly agrees to give Lucas a chance, but is unhappy to learn he has a teenage son, Jordan (Michael-Joel David Stuart
). Lucas comes to Chelsea's aid when she develops a drug habit, but Denise is furious to see him and tells him to stay away. Denise eventually forgives Lucas and they rekindle their relationship, becoming engaged.
Jordan reveals that Lucas is still married to his mother, Trina (Sharon Duncan Brewster
), though Lucas explains they are separated as she abandoned Jordan after he was born premature and addicted to heroin. Trina repeatedly tries to come between Lucas and Denise. She eventually agrees to a divorce, planning to move to Walford to be with Jordan. Lucas and Trina have sex, and during an argument, Lucas pushes her away and unintentionally causes her throat to be impaled on a rake. He leaves her to die, making it appear that she died in an accident while taking drugs. The coroner subsequently gives a verdict of accidental death.
Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner
(Lee Ross
) becomes suspicious of Lucas's involvement in Trina's death, and confronts him on his wedding day. When Owen threatens to go to the police, Lucas strangles him to death. He marries Denise, then buries Owen's body in Albert Square, under a tree planted in Trina's name. When Jordan's dog Sugar starts sniffing around the tree, Lucas disposes of her at a nearby canal, telling his family that she ran away. Jordan is later hospitalised after being attacked by Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones
) and Lucas blames himself, leading to him suffering a breakdown. He meets a woman named Jade (Niamh Webb) in a bar and takes her to a secluded area, where he forces her to kneel and pray. Denise becomes suspicious after finding deep scratch marks on his neck, so Lucas takes her to visit Jade, who reveals that Lucas baptised her and washed away her sins. She says it will help her give up her alcohol dependence and get her daughter back. Denise tells Lucas that she is proud of what he has done.
Owen's body is discovered when Trina's tree is accidentally broken. Lucas confesses to Denise, claiming he killed him in self defence. Denise is horrified, but urges Lucas not to tell the police. He later admits that he could have saved Trina's life but chose not to, claiming that he will go to the police and tell them everything. Instead, he takes Denise to a canal, intending to baptise her. When Denise refuses to submit to God, he strangles her and fakes her suicide. Lucas murders a prostitute, Gemma (Rita Balogun), who resembles Denise, and places her body in the canal. He implicates Denise in Trina and Owen's murders, while keeping her prisoner in the basement of the empty house next door. Lucas gradually comes to the realisation that his actions were wrong, and allows Denise to escape. He attempts to take his family hostage, but they escape and Lucas is arrested. In his jail cell, he scratches religious messages on the wall with his finger nails, causing them to bleed. He writes "sorry" in his blood, and hands his bible to an officer, saying he will not need it where he is going. Lucas is sentenced in February 2011 to life imprisonment.
in a Christian church.
In February 2009, it was announced that Sharon Duncan Brewster
had been cast as Lucas's estranged wife Trina. Entertainment website Digital Spy
reported: "Trina arrives and surprises Lucas and she makes it very clear she wants to give things another go. Lucas tries to get rid of her but his secret is out when Patrick
(Rudolph Walker
) sees what's going on. Just how willing will Trina be to let her husband walk into the arms of another woman? And more importantly, will she divorce him to enable him to marry again?" Despite his connection with the church, in September 2009 Lucas attempts to cover up his involvement in Trina's death. Gilet told Soaplife
magazine, "When he first appeared someone wrote in saying he was a good character, but somewhere down the line something was going to come unstuck. We've always known there was more to this do-gooder than meets the eye. Things are going to get a lot darker in the build-up to Christmas. [...] It's going to get very dark and I hope I can pull it off." Lucas went on to kill Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner
(Lee Ross
) when he came close to discovering how Lucas was involved in Trina's death. Gilet explained that although Lucas does not want people dead and has no malice in his heart, he sees killing as a way to stop things from happening. When the show's executive producer Diederick Santer
was asked by Digital Spy what was lined up for Lucas in 2010, he said "He's got right on his side, hasn't he? Is the world a better place without Trina? Probably, yes. Is the world a better place without Owen? Well, I don't know about that, but he's not a particularly nice person... Lucas is doing the Lord's work and who knows what that's doing to his head maybe he'll kill again. Lucas's story is 'poised' and we're just trying to work out the exact timing of the long-term story. There's brilliant stuff in the pipeline — it's one for a slow burn really. We have Lucas who's a murderer. Will he murder again? Who's the next person to cross him? He's one dangerous man."
Gilet described Lucas as having "Jekyll and Hyde" aspects to his character, and tries to hide the darker side of his personality from Denise. Gilet commented: "Every actor enjoys playing a character who's flawed – but how long can Lucas continue to hide the dark side of himself before the cracks start to show? I think a lot of people reckon the clock might be ticking. This story has shocked some people! I was getting fan mail where people were saying what a nice guy he was – and, of course, now they know he's not." Gilet has called Lucas "a very good character to play because of his complexity", explaining: "I think that's partly because he's a guy who always strives to do the right thing but his path for doing that gets warped as time goes on. I think his heart started off in the right place but - partly because of his drug-addled years - he has a slightly warped outlook on life." Asked whether he felt Lucas was truly bad, Gilet replied:
Gilet has characterised Lucas as having a "carnal side" with which he is "constantly at odds", explaining: "There are times when that human and carnal side to him, the side that gives in to temptation, is going to come through. As time goes on, that strong moral side to him starts to chip away and this chink of darkness starts to show and unravel. It's a Pandora's box
, in a way." Discussing Lucas's relationship with Denise, Gilet refuted the suggestion that Denise was a "token wife" deeming her more reliable than Trina and expanding: "He's found a woman who's strong-willed, strong-minded, a good mother to their shared child and to Libby
(Belinda Owusu
) and Jordan. It's kind of ideal and he's worked so hard for it. Nothing, but nothing, should stop that - he deserves to have this. It's one of these situations where he likes the idea that he's earned this relationship. That seems to be more of a priority than the pure love he has for her. He loves what he's earned and he's now this respectable person who wants to hold on to what he has by any means necessary." After Owen's body is discovered, Lucas confesses to Denise, and goes on to strangle her while quoting a line from the Bible. Complaints were received from viewers that Lucas's storyline was offensive to Christians. The BBC responded with a statement saying: "Lucas is certainly not intended to be representative of Christians. He is a very damaged and dangerous individual who has created a twisted version of the Christian 'faith' in his mind to hide behind and to convince himself that his actions are acceptable. As the story unfolds, we will see other characters questioning Lucas's claim to be a Christian. As Lucas has become increasingly unhinged, his obsession and reliance on the Bible and the scriptures has become increasingly frantic and desperate. This represents this character's emotional breakdown, and it is very clear that this is absolutely not normal behaviour. In episodes yet to broadcast, we will see the characters Grace [Olubunmi], Mercy [Olubunmi
] and Dot [Branning
] – all three of whom are Christians – question and discuss Lucas's frame of mind." It was confirmed that Gilet would depart from the show at the end of the storyline.
In June 2010, a decision was made to reshoot scenes planned months in advance involving Lucas picking up a prostitute named Jade (Niamh Webb) who he seemingly strangles after forcing her to pray for God's forgiveness. The decision to drop the prostitute link was made following the charging of Stephen Griffiths with the murder of three prostitutes in Bradford
.
The character was nominated in the "Smooth Criminal" and "Killer Secret" categories at the 2010 All About Soap Bubble Awards
. In January 2011, Gilet was nominated for Serial Drama Performance at the 2011 National Television Awards
for his portrayal of Lucas but did not make it through to the shortlist. He was also nominated at the British Soap Awards 2010 and 2011 for 'Villain of the Year'.
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 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:...
. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 April 2008. Lucas is introduced as a preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and estranged father of established character 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...
. He has a son, Jordan, and goes on to marry Chelsea's mother, Denise. Gilet has described Lucas as having "Jekyll and Hyde" aspects to his character. Despite his religious convictions, Lucas leaves his ex-wife Trina to die, murders Denise's ex-husband Owen
Owen Turner
Owen Turner is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lee Ross. He originally appeared in the show in 2006, and then returned in 2009. His character left in 2009 after being murdered by Lucas Johnson.-Storylines:...
, drowns his son's dog, and strangles Denise and locks her in a basement while allowing her family to believe she has killed herself, killing another woman to use as Denise's supposed body. This multi-faceted personality was further explored in the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
special "EastEnders: The Two Faces of Lucas". The character also appears in the spin-off series EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
. He departed from EastEnders on 30 July 2010 at the conclusion of his storyline.
Storylines
Lucas is the estranged father of Chelsea FoxChelsea 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....
), introduced to EastEnders when she tracks him down and discovers that he is a preacher. Lucas explains that he was seventeen when Chelsea was born, and abandoned her and her mother Denise (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:...
) as he could not cope with fatherhood. He became a drug addict, but overcame his addiction and joined the church. Chelsea reluctantly agrees to give Lucas a chance, but is unhappy to learn he has a teenage son, Jordan (Michael-Joel David Stuart
Michael-Joel David Stuart
Michael-Joel David Stuart is a young British actor.Michael-Joel made his television debut in the BBC's award-winning drama production . He also performed as young Sunny in the West-End musical Daddy Cool and as young Simba in the West-End musical The Lion King. In 2007 he played Buckwheat in the...
). Lucas comes to Chelsea's aid when she develops a drug habit, but Denise is furious to see him and tells him to stay away. Denise eventually forgives Lucas and they rekindle their relationship, becoming engaged.
Jordan reveals that Lucas is still married to his mother, Trina (Sharon Duncan Brewster
Sharon Duncan Brewster
Sharon Duncan-Brewster, more commonly known as Sharon Duncan Brewster, is a Black British actress...
), though Lucas explains they are separated as she abandoned Jordan after he was born premature and addicted to heroin. Trina repeatedly tries to come between Lucas and Denise. She eventually agrees to a divorce, planning to move to Walford to be with Jordan. Lucas and Trina have sex, and during an argument, Lucas pushes her away and unintentionally causes her throat to be impaled on a rake. He leaves her to die, making it appear that she died in an accident while taking drugs. The coroner subsequently gives a verdict of accidental death.
Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner
Owen Turner
Owen Turner is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lee Ross. He originally appeared in the show in 2006, and then returned in 2009. His character left in 2009 after being murdered by Lucas Johnson.-Storylines:...
(Lee Ross
Lee Ross (actor)
Lee Ross is an English professional actor best known for his role as Dodger in Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest. He has also starred in, Press Gang, Secrets & Lies, The Catherine Tate Show and most recently as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:His first acting role was as Fat Sam in...
) becomes suspicious of Lucas's involvement in Trina's death, and confronts him on his wedding day. When Owen threatens to go to the police, Lucas strangles him to death. He marries Denise, then buries Owen's body in Albert Square, under a tree planted in Trina's name. When Jordan's dog Sugar starts sniffing around the tree, Lucas disposes of her at a nearby canal, telling his family that she ran away. Jordan is later hospitalised after being attacked by Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones
Charlie Jones (actor)
Charlie George Jones is a young English actor. Jones has been a student in the Anna Fiorentini theater and drama school.He is probably best known for his portrayal of Ben Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he played for four years from 2006 to 2010. According to the Internet Movie...
) and Lucas blames himself, leading to him suffering a breakdown. He meets a woman named Jade (Niamh Webb) in a bar and takes her to a secluded area, where he forces her to kneel and pray. Denise becomes suspicious after finding deep scratch marks on his neck, so Lucas takes her to visit Jade, who reveals that Lucas baptised her and washed away her sins. She says it will help her give up her alcohol dependence and get her daughter back. Denise tells Lucas that she is proud of what he has done.
Owen's body is discovered when Trina's tree is accidentally broken. Lucas confesses to Denise, claiming he killed him in self defence. Denise is horrified, but urges Lucas not to tell the police. He later admits that he could have saved Trina's life but chose not to, claiming that he will go to the police and tell them everything. Instead, he takes Denise to a canal, intending to baptise her. When Denise refuses to submit to God, he strangles her and fakes her suicide. Lucas murders a prostitute, Gemma (Rita Balogun), who resembles Denise, and places her body in the canal. He implicates Denise in Trina and Owen's murders, while keeping her prisoner in the basement of the empty house next door. Lucas gradually comes to the realisation that his actions were wrong, and allows Denise to escape. He attempts to take his family hostage, but they escape and Lucas is arrested. In his jail cell, he scratches religious messages on the wall with his finger nails, causing them to bleed. He writes "sorry" in his blood, and hands his bible to an officer, saying he will not need it where he is going. Lucas is sentenced in February 2011 to life imprisonment.
Creation and development
Gilet's casting in the show was announced in January 2008, when the character was described as "attractive, charismatic, strong and forthright" and "just a dodgy geezer with a murky past." His profile on the official EastEnders website describes him as "an upstanding member of the community, a far cry from the youth he once was." Through the show's narrative, it is revealed that Lucas is a former drug addict and has gone on to become a preacherPreacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
in a Christian church.
In February 2009, it was announced that Sharon Duncan Brewster
Sharon Duncan Brewster
Sharon Duncan-Brewster, more commonly known as Sharon Duncan Brewster, is a Black British actress...
had been cast as Lucas's estranged wife Trina. 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....
reported: "Trina arrives and surprises Lucas and she makes it very clear she wants to give things another go. Lucas tries to get rid of her but his secret is out when Patrick
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
(Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker, OBE is a British character actor. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Walker came to the United Kingdom in 1960....
) sees what's going on. Just how willing will Trina be to let her husband walk into the arms of another woman? And more importantly, will she divorce him to enable him to marry again?" Despite his connection with the church, in September 2009 Lucas attempts to cover up his involvement in Trina's death. Gilet told Soaplife
Soaplife
Soaplife is a fortnightly UK magazine, released on Tuesday. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia....
magazine, "When he first appeared someone wrote in saying he was a good character, but somewhere down the line something was going to come unstuck. We've always known there was more to this do-gooder than meets the eye. Things are going to get a lot darker in the build-up to Christmas. [...] It's going to get very dark and I hope I can pull it off." Lucas went on to kill Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner
Owen Turner
Owen Turner is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lee Ross. He originally appeared in the show in 2006, and then returned in 2009. His character left in 2009 after being murdered by Lucas Johnson.-Storylines:...
(Lee Ross
Lee Ross (actor)
Lee Ross is an English professional actor best known for his role as Dodger in Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest. He has also starred in, Press Gang, Secrets & Lies, The Catherine Tate Show and most recently as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:His first acting role was as Fat Sam in...
) when he came close to discovering how Lucas was involved in Trina's death. Gilet explained that although Lucas does not want people dead and has no malice in his heart, he sees killing as a way to stop things from happening. When 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...
was asked by Digital Spy what was lined up for Lucas in 2010, he said "He's got right on his side, hasn't he? Is the world a better place without Trina? Probably, yes. Is the world a better place without Owen? Well, I don't know about that, but he's not a particularly nice person... Lucas is doing the Lord's work and who knows what that's doing to his head maybe he'll kill again. Lucas's story is 'poised' and we're just trying to work out the exact timing of the long-term story. There's brilliant stuff in the pipeline — it's one for a slow burn really. We have Lucas who's a murderer. Will he murder again? Who's the next person to cross him? He's one dangerous man."
Gilet described Lucas as having "Jekyll and Hyde" aspects to his character, and tries to hide the darker side of his personality from Denise. Gilet commented: "Every actor enjoys playing a character who's flawed – but how long can Lucas continue to hide the dark side of himself before the cracks start to show? I think a lot of people reckon the clock might be ticking. This story has shocked some people! I was getting fan mail where people were saying what a nice guy he was – and, of course, now they know he's not." Gilet has called Lucas "a very good character to play because of his complexity", explaining: "I think that's partly because he's a guy who always strives to do the right thing but his path for doing that gets warped as time goes on. I think his heart started off in the right place but - partly because of his drug-addled years - he has a slightly warped outlook on life." Asked whether he felt Lucas was truly bad, Gilet replied:
Gilet has characterised Lucas as having a "carnal side" with which he is "constantly at odds", explaining: "There are times when that human and carnal side to him, the side that gives in to temptation, is going to come through. As time goes on, that strong moral side to him starts to chip away and this chink of darkness starts to show and unravel. It's a Pandora's box
Pandora's box
Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology, taken from the myth of Pandora's creation around line 60 of Hesiod's Works and Days. The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora , which contained all the evils of the world. When Pandora opened the jar, all its contents except for one item...
, in a way." Discussing Lucas's relationship with Denise, Gilet refuted the suggestion that Denise was a "token wife" deeming her more reliable than Trina and expanding: "He's found a woman who's strong-willed, strong-minded, a good mother to their shared child and to Libby
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:...
) and Jordan. It's kind of ideal and he's worked so hard for it. Nothing, but nothing, should stop that - he deserves to have this. It's one of these situations where he likes the idea that he's earned this relationship. That seems to be more of a priority than the pure love he has for her. He loves what he's earned and he's now this respectable person who wants to hold on to what he has by any means necessary." After Owen's body is discovered, Lucas confesses to Denise, and goes on to strangle her while quoting a line from the Bible. Complaints were received from viewers that Lucas's storyline was offensive to Christians. The BBC responded with a statement saying: "Lucas is certainly not intended to be representative of Christians. He is a very damaged and dangerous individual who has created a twisted version of the Christian 'faith' in his mind to hide behind and to convince himself that his actions are acceptable. As the story unfolds, we will see other characters questioning Lucas's claim to be a Christian. As Lucas has become increasingly unhinged, his obsession and reliance on the Bible and the scriptures has become increasingly frantic and desperate. This represents this character's emotional breakdown, and it is very clear that this is absolutely not normal behaviour. In episodes yet to broadcast, we will see the characters Grace [Olubunmi], Mercy [Olubunmi
Mercy Olubunmi
Mercy Chubb is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Bunmi Mojekwu. Mercy is one of four main characters in EastEnders: E20, alongside Zsa Zsa Carter , Leon Small and Fatboy...
] and Dot [Branning
Dot Branning
Dorothy "Dot" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by June Brown since 1985. In a special episode entitled EastEnders: Dot's Story a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. Dot first appeared in EastEnders in July 1985 as the mother of...
] – all three of whom are Christians – question and discuss Lucas's frame of mind." It was confirmed that Gilet would depart from the show at the end of the storyline.
In June 2010, a decision was made to reshoot scenes planned months in advance involving Lucas picking up a prostitute named Jade (Niamh Webb) who he seemingly strangles after forcing her to pray for God's forgiveness. The decision to drop the prostitute link was made following the charging of Stephen Griffiths with the murder of three prostitutes in Bradford
Bradford murders
The Bradford murders were three serial killings of female sex workers from the northern English city of Bradford in 2009 and 2010.43-year-old Susan Rushworth disappeared on 22 June 2009, followed by 31-year-old Shelley Armitage on 26 April 2010 and 36-year-old Suzanne Blamires on 21 May of the same...
.
Reception
The BBC received 103 complaints from viewers after it was hinted that Lucas had killed Sugar the dog, compared to "a handful" following his murders of Trina and Owen. The BBC responded saying they do not condone the killing of dogs or people, but iterated that the behaviour was in keeping with the character, adding that "no animals were harmed in the making of this story."The character was nominated in the "Smooth Criminal" and "Killer Secret" categories at the 2010 All About Soap Bubble Awards
All About Soap
All About Soap is a fortnightly UK magazine, released on Tuesday. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia....
. In January 2011, Gilet was nominated for Serial Drama Performance at the 2011 National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
for his portrayal of Lucas but did not make it through to the shortlist. He was also nominated at the British Soap Awards 2010 and 2011 for 'Villain of the Year'.
See also
- List of EastEnders characters (2008)
- List of EastEnders: E20 characters
- List of soap opera villains