Tiffany Dean
Encyclopedia
Tiffany Butcher is a fictional character
from the BBC One
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Maisie Smith
. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson
(Patsy Palmer
) and Ricky Butcher
(Sid Owen
), though originally she was believed to be Bianca's daughter with a man named Nathan Dean. Although not referenced in storylines, Tiffany's surname was changed in the show's credits from Dean to Butcher.
between Ricky Butcher
(Sid Owen
) and Bianca Jackson
(Patsy Palmer
), which was shown on their spin-off
show Ricky & Bianca set in Manchester
in 2002. Shortly after leaving their son Liam
with Ricky, Bianca began a relationship with trucker Nathan Dean before discovering that she was pregnant. Nathan died in a road accident when Bianca was heavily pregnant and took on responsibility of Nathan's daughter Whitney
(Shona McGarty
). She gave birth to Tiffany, whom she named after her deceased best friend Tiffany Mitchell
(Martine McCutcheon
), and raised her as Nathan's daughter and half-sister to Whitney, although Bianca still remained uncertain about Tiffany's true paternity. Tiffany grew up believing Nathan was her father.
where Bianca has moved in with her grandmother, Pat Evans
(Pam St. Clement
).
A mischievous child, Tiffany causes havoc by stealing a top from Stacey Slater
's (Lacey Turner
) stall for Whitney to wear for a family party and defacing the pavement outside Zainab Masood
's (Nina Wadia
) house before ruining her primrose
s by pouring soapy water over them. As a result, Tiffany unwittingly instigates feuds between her mother, Stacey and Zainab. However, she takes to her mother's cousins Bradley
(Charlie Clements
) and Abi
(Lorna Fitzgerald
), sharing a common interest in animals.
Tiffany's love of animals leads to Whitney begging Vinnie Monks
(Bobby Davro
) to give them Wellard
, formerly the Jackson family dog that had been sold to Vinnie after his previous owner Gus Smith
(Mohammed George
) left Walford. Vinnie gives Tiffany Wellard on the condition that Whitney and Liam wash his car every day until he says otherwise. However, tragedy strikes when Wellard has to be euthanised
. Tiffany is devastated, and after overhearing a phone conversation, she is convinced that her great-uncle Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
) is behind Wellard's demise. However a post-mortem leads to the discovery that Bianca was responsible for Wellard's death because she gave him chocolate. Tiffany eventually forgives her mother after Bianca convinces Pat to give them her dog Terrence. However Tiffany is once again left devastated when her aunt Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
) spitefully reclaims Terrence, who was originally her dog.
Tiffany takes to her mother's ex-husband Ricky Butcher, who is also living at Pat's house. Ricky grows fond of Tiffany and, on seeing how close they are becoming, Bianca tries to write Ricky a letter explaining that he could be Tiffany's father, which gets stuck to a picture that Tiffany has drawn to give to Ricky. When Ricky reads the letter he asks for a DNA test and a week later they discover that Tiffany is his daughter. They decide not to tell the family so as not to upset Whitney, who now has no biological family left.
After Tiffany is left in Janine's care, Janine ropes her into one of her schemes when a rich single father wants to buy her sports car. Janine pretends that Tiffany is her daughter and arranges a play-date, only for Bianca to see Tiffany get into the car alone with the stranger. Ricky is furious with Janine and when she questions his loyalty towards Bianca and her children, he tells her the truth. Janine is sworn to secrecy, and begins to bond with her niece.
Janine enters Tiffany in a children's talent contest, telling her to think of Wellard's death to make herself cry and gain sympathy from the judges. Tiffany hears Ricky singing The Prodigy
's "Firestarter
" and he teaches her the song, which she performs in the contests, which she goes on to win.
Tiffany is bullied by Bobby Beale. Whitney advises her to bully him back, but this only makes things worse. Whitney shouts at Ricky and Bianca for not protecting her and tells Ricky that Tiffany is her sister. This makes Ricky angry and he is fed up of lying about Tiffany's true paternity. He tells Bianca that once Tony King
's (Chris Coghill
) trial is over, he will come clean about Tiffany's paternity. When Tiffany breaks Whitney's phone and shouts at her, Ricky and Whitney get into an argument. Whitney tells Ricky to leave her and Tiffany alone as she is nothing to do with him, but he reveals that Tiffany is his daughter. Whitney begins to ignore Tiffany so Bianca and Ricky tell her the truth and she is happy. After Whitney gives evidence at Tony's trial, she says she is still Whitney's sister and they hug. On Christmas Eve, Tiffany reads out a letter to Santa, wishing him to bring happiness to Whitney. Bianca later sees the letter, seeing that Tiffany wishes her mother and father to get married. Bianca and Ricky get engaged to Tiffany's delight.
When Dotty Cotton
has a birthday party, Tiffany refuses to go, asking Ricky to lie for her. The next day, Tiffany tells Dotty she is not invited to her birthday party, but Bianca later invites her. On Tiffany's birthday, she stays at home without her parents knowing with Dotty. After an argument, Dotty runs off with Tiffany's bridesmaid's dress and throws her MP3 player into a bin. When Tiffany cannot reach to get it out, Dotty pushes her in and flees. Tiffany's uncle Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson
) saves her from being crushed by the dustbin lorry. The day before Ricky and Bianca's wedding, Bianca's mother Carol
(Lindsey Coulson
) arrives looking for Billie. Bianca and Carol do not get on so Carol decides not to stay, even though Tiffany and Liam want her to. Tiffany's uncle Robbie
(Dean Gaffney
) also attends the wedding and looks forward to seeing Wellard but is unaware that Wellard is dead until Tiffany tells him. After the wedding Carol and Bianca make up and Carol later moves in. Tiffany is very upset when Billie dies. In December 2010, Bianca explains that they cannot afford a lot for Christmas. Tiffany and Liam see their mother using money-making schemes in the café, so they steal perfume from the market, ultimately leading to Bianca being arrested for assaulting a police officer. When Tiffany drops off a card she made for Carol, she sees her kissing Connor Stanley (Arinze Kene
) through the letter box. The next day she acts strangely and crosses Carol out of a family photograph with a pen. Bianca worries about her behaviour, so gets Liam to ask her what is wrong. Tiffany tells Liam of what she saw. Although she wants to tell Bianca, Liam says not to tell anyone as it may cause an argument and they may end up in care homes. However, Tiffany witnesses Connor and Whitney embracing and has trouble controlling herself, finally snapping at Carol and calling her a bad person for doing things with "Whitney's boyfriend", prompting Carol to try and persuade her to keep her quiet.
Tiffany gets into a fight at school and tells her teacher that she saw Carol die under a bus. She is suspended for two days. She refuses to speak to Bianca, and Bianca suspects she is being abused. Carol is then forced to reveal the truth and Bianca realises Carol was silencing Tiffany. The events lead to Bianca attacking Connor and going to prison.
In March 2011, following Whitney
's disappearance, her family are left puzzled from where she could be. Tiffany tries to get their attention, as she knows where Whitney is. But they ignore her. Eventually, little Tiff gets heard, and she opens her diary which holds the secret to where Whitney is. Tiffany tells them that Whitney has gone to live with a man named Rob who owns a club in a rough part of London. This new evidence finally tracks Whitney down, and she later returns home. On 29 April 2011, based on the celebrations on the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
, Tiffany dresses up as a Princess and tells everyone she is getting married to a Prince. She later ropes in Fatboy
to be her 'Prince'. They have a pretend wedding, with Dot Branning
as the vicar.
Tiffany, Liam and Morgan are left devastated when Ricky leaves for a job in Dubai. Tiffany and her friends tease Janine when she is forced to clean Ian Beale
's chip shop floor on her hands and knees. Janine buys presents for Liam and Morgan and upsets Tiffany by leaving her out because of the incident in the chip shop. Tiffany is devastated when Ricky leaves again for six months in Dubai. When Janine later buys her some presents, Tiffany rejects them. Tiffany makes friends with Shenice Quinn (Lily Harvey) and is delighted when Shenice is enrolled at her school.
would be reprising her role as Bianca Jackson
in EastEnders. A popular character who originally appeared in the serial between 1993 and 1999, Bianca was reintroduced in April 2008. Along with Bianca came four children, three of whom had not been seen in the serial before. They included Whitney Dean
(Shona McGarty
), the sixteen-year-old daughter of Bianca's deceased partner; Liam Butcher
(James Forde
), Bianca and Ricky
's son who previously appeared in the serial; Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith
), Bianca's five-year-old daughter, named after her friend Tiffany Mitchell
; and Morgan Jackson-King (Devon Higgs), Bianca's two-year-old son, "the most [spoilt] out of all of the kids".
Tiffany is described as having a "cute, butter-wouldn’t-melt exterior", which "masks her somewhat mature understanding of adult matters. She sees all, hears all and knows all, and even at five years old has blackmailed her elder sister." She is also described as "a troublesome and cheeky lass" with a "feisty, red-head personality, which she no doubt inherits from Bianca". Actress Maisie Smith, aged 6 at the time of her casting, began filming for EastEnders four days a week from January 2008 and, according to her mother, shares traits with the character she plays: "The role is an exaggeration of her own personality, she's a little madam. A lively character both on and off screen. The difference is, she's told to pronounce her t's at home!"
To promote the family's introduction, the BBC began airing trailers across the BBC network in March 2008. One trailer saw Bianca singing The Jackson 5
hit "I Want You Back
" and performing a dance routine along with her four children. The promo uses the tag line "Introducing The Jackson 5". Within three days of being posted on the video sharing website YouTube
, the promo had been viewed 52,000 times.
's Kris Green has said Maisie Smith is "brilliant" and "one...to watch", comparing her to Ellis Hollins
, the award-winning child actor who plays Tom Cunningham
in the Channel 4
teen soap opera Hollyoaks
. She has also been praised by stage school teacher Sandra Singer, who said: "Maisie has the most incredible memory and when it comes to script work she is fantastic. It is often very difficult for a six-year-old to act, but she handles it really well and adores it." In May 2009 Smith won 'Best Dramatic Performance from a young actor or actress' at the British Soap Awards. She was nominated again in 2011 for 'Best Young Performance'.
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 One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
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 Maisie Smith
Maisie Smith
Maisie Lily Smith is an English actress. She has appeared in the feature film The Other Boleyn Girl and has played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2008.- Career :...
. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson
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...
) and 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...
), though originally she was believed to be Bianca's daughter with a man named Nathan Dean. Although not referenced in storylines, Tiffany's surname was changed in the show's credits from Dean to Butcher.
Backstory
Tiffany is the product of a one-night standOne-night stand
Originally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
between 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...
) and Bianca Jackson
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...
), which was shown on their spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
show Ricky & Bianca set in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 2002. Shortly after leaving their son Liam
Liam Butcher
Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by twins Jack and Tom Godolphin in 1998 and 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and by Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to 2004...
with Ricky, Bianca began a relationship with trucker Nathan Dean before discovering that she was pregnant. Nathan died in a road accident when Bianca was heavily pregnant and took on responsibility of Nathan's daughter Whitney
Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Shona McGarty. The character is the adoptive daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson , and was introduced in April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six year absence...
(Shona McGarty
Shona McGarty
Shona Bernadette McGarty is an English actress from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Whitney Dean.-Career:...
). She gave birth to Tiffany, whom she named after her deceased best friend Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Dawn Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan...
(Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
), and raised her as Nathan's daughter and half-sister to Whitney, although Bianca still remained uncertain about Tiffany's true paternity. Tiffany grew up believing Nathan was her father.
2008—
Tiffany is first seen when she, her mother and siblings Whitney, Liam and Morgan are being evicted from their flat for not paying rent. After spending the night in a bus shelter, Tiffany and her half-siblings are taken into care after Bianca assaults an enquiring police officer. They spend a week in care before being sent to 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...
where Bianca has moved in with her grandmother, Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...
(Pam St. Clement
Pam St. Clement
Pamela Ann Clement , known by the stage name Pam St. Clement, is an English actress. She has played Pat Evans in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 1986, and is now one of the programme's longest-serving cast members. St. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011 and will...
).
A mischievous child, Tiffany causes havoc by stealing a top from Stacey Slater
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...
's (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...
) stall for Whitney to wear for a family party and defacing the pavement outside Zainab Masood
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:...
's (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...
) house before ruining her primrose
Primula
Primula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...
s by pouring soapy water over them. As a result, Tiffany unwittingly instigates feuds between her mother, Stacey and Zainab. However, she takes to her mother's cousins Bradley
Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal....
(Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements is an English actor, best known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance.-Biography:...
) and Abi
Abi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...
(Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Fitzgerald
Lorna Katie Fitzgerald is a British actress from Northampton. She lives in Hunsbury. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the British soap opera EastEnders.- Personal life :...
), sharing a common interest in animals.
Tiffany's love of animals leads to Whitney begging Vinnie Monks
Vinnie Monks
Vince "Vinnie" Monks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by comedian Bobby Davro. He made his first appearance on 8 October 2007. It was announced on 19 July 2008 that Davro quit the show to do other projects...
(Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
) to give them Wellard
Wellard
Wellard is a fictional Belgian Tervuren dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female...
, formerly the Jackson family dog that had been sold to Vinnie after his previous owner Gus Smith
Gus Smith
Augustus "Gus" Smith is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mohammed George. He made his first appearance on 28 May 2002. It was announced on 18 January 2008 that Gus would leave the show later in 2008...
(Mohammed George
Mohammed George
Mohammed "Mo" George is an actor who played Gus Smith on the soap opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2008. Before appearing in EastEnders, George made guest appearances in Holby City, Bottom and The Last Detective...
) left Walford. Vinnie gives Tiffany Wellard on the condition that Whitney and Liam wash his car every day until he says otherwise. However, tragedy strikes when Wellard has to be euthanised
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
. Tiffany is devastated, and after overhearing a phone conversation, she is convinced that her great-uncle Ian Beale
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...
) is behind Wellard's demise. However a post-mortem leads to the discovery that Bianca was responsible for Wellard's death because she gave him chocolate. Tiffany eventually forgives her mother after Bianca convinces Pat to give them her dog Terrence. However Tiffany is once again left devastated when her aunt Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
Charlie Brooks
Charlene "Charlie" Brooks is a Welsh actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
) spitefully reclaims Terrence, who was originally her dog.
Tiffany takes to her mother's ex-husband Ricky Butcher, who is also living at Pat's house. Ricky grows fond of Tiffany and, on seeing how close they are becoming, Bianca tries to write Ricky a letter explaining that he could be Tiffany's father, which gets stuck to a picture that Tiffany has drawn to give to Ricky. When Ricky reads the letter he asks for a DNA test and a week later they discover that Tiffany is his daughter. They decide not to tell the family so as not to upset Whitney, who now has no biological family left.
After Tiffany is left in Janine's care, Janine ropes her into one of her schemes when a rich single father wants to buy her sports car. Janine pretends that Tiffany is her daughter and arranges a play-date, only for Bianca to see Tiffany get into the car alone with the stranger. Ricky is furious with Janine and when she questions his loyalty towards Bianca and her children, he tells her the truth. Janine is sworn to secrecy, and begins to bond with her niece.
Janine enters Tiffany in a children's talent contest, telling her to think of Wellard's death to make herself cry and gain sympathy from the judges. Tiffany hears Ricky singing The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
's "Firestarter
Firestarter (song)
"Firestarter" is a song by the English band The Prodigy, released on 18 March 1996. It was the first single from their third album The Fat of the Land, and their tenth single. It was also the group's first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, staying on top for three weeks...
" and he teaches her the song, which she performs in the contests, which she goes on to win.
Tiffany is bullied by Bobby Beale. Whitney advises her to bully him back, but this only makes things worse. Whitney shouts at Ricky and Bianca for not protecting her and tells Ricky that Tiffany is her sister. This makes Ricky angry and he is fed up of lying about Tiffany's true paternity. He tells Bianca that once Tony King
Tony King
Tony King is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Chris Coghill. He was the partner of established character Bianca Jackson , and a father-figure to her four children...
's (Chris Coghill
Chris Coghill
Christopher "Chris" Coghill is an actor and writer from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, England. Coghill is best known for his deep voice and has a history of portraying criminals.-Career:...
) trial is over, he will come clean about Tiffany's paternity. When Tiffany breaks Whitney's phone and shouts at her, Ricky and Whitney get into an argument. Whitney tells Ricky to leave her and Tiffany alone as she is nothing to do with him, but he reveals that Tiffany is his daughter. Whitney begins to ignore Tiffany so Bianca and Ricky tell her the truth and she is happy. After Whitney gives evidence at Tony's trial, she says she is still Whitney's sister and they hug. On Christmas Eve, Tiffany reads out a letter to Santa, wishing him to bring happiness to Whitney. Bianca later sees the letter, seeing that Tiffany wishes her mother and father to get married. Bianca and Ricky get engaged to Tiffany's delight.
When Dotty Cotton
Dotty Cotton
Kirsty "Dotty" Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Molly Conlin. Dotty is the daughter of Nick Cotton and Sandy , and the granddaughter of Dot Cotton . She first appeared on 26 December 2008. Dotty's storylines mainly centred on her and her father's...
has a birthday party, Tiffany refuses to go, asking Ricky to lie for her. The next day, Tiffany tells Dotty she is not invited to her birthday party, but Bianca later invites her. On Tiffany's birthday, she stays at home without her parents knowing with Dotty. After an argument, Dotty runs off with Tiffany's bridesmaid's dress and throws her MP3 player into a bin. When Tiffany cannot reach to get it out, Dotty pushes her in and flees. Tiffany's uncle Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson
Devon Anderson
Devon Carlo Anderson is an English actor who has been acting since an early age and became a CBBC presenter on BBC One and the CBBC Channel...
) saves her from being crushed by the dustbin lorry. The day before Ricky and Bianca's wedding, Bianca's mother Carol
Carol Jackson
Carol Ann Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's...
(Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson is an English actress, best known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.- Career :...
) arrives looking for Billie. Bianca and Carol do not get on so Carol decides not to stay, even though Tiffany and Liam want her to. Tiffany's uncle Robbie
Robbie Jackson
Robert "Robbie" Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Dean Gaffney from 1993 to 2003. The character was axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings.-Backstory:Robbie was the product of a...
(Dean Gaffney
Dean Gaffney
Dean Martin Gaffney is an English actor most notable for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC1 soap opera Eastenders from 1993 to 2003, when his character was axed. He has since made guest appearances in the soap in 2004 and 2010. Gaffney went on to appear in various reality television shows,...
) also attends the wedding and looks forward to seeing Wellard but is unaware that Wellard is dead until Tiffany tells him. After the wedding Carol and Bianca make up and Carol later moves in. Tiffany is very upset when Billie dies. In December 2010, Bianca explains that they cannot afford a lot for Christmas. Tiffany and Liam see their mother using money-making schemes in the café, so they steal perfume from the market, ultimately leading to Bianca being arrested for assaulting a police officer. When Tiffany drops off a card she made for Carol, she sees her kissing Connor Stanley (Arinze Kene
Arinze Kene
-Career:Kene has appeared in stage productions such as playing Simba in The Lion King, Daddy Cool, and in June 2009 played strutting lothario Raymond LeGrendre in the musical Been So Long, based on Ché Walker's 1998 play, which opened at the Young Vic...
) through the letter box. The next day she acts strangely and crosses Carol out of a family photograph with a pen. Bianca worries about her behaviour, so gets Liam to ask her what is wrong. Tiffany tells Liam of what she saw. Although she wants to tell Bianca, Liam says not to tell anyone as it may cause an argument and they may end up in care homes. However, Tiffany witnesses Connor and Whitney embracing and has trouble controlling herself, finally snapping at Carol and calling her a bad person for doing things with "Whitney's boyfriend", prompting Carol to try and persuade her to keep her quiet.
Tiffany gets into a fight at school and tells her teacher that she saw Carol die under a bus. She is suspended for two days. She refuses to speak to Bianca, and Bianca suspects she is being abused. Carol is then forced to reveal the truth and Bianca realises Carol was silencing Tiffany. The events lead to Bianca attacking Connor and going to prison.
In March 2011, following Whitney
Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Shona McGarty. The character is the adoptive daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson , and was introduced in April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six year absence...
's disappearance, her family are left puzzled from where she could be. Tiffany tries to get their attention, as she knows where Whitney is. But they ignore her. Eventually, little Tiff gets heard, and she opens her diary which holds the secret to where Whitney is. Tiffany tells them that Whitney has gone to live with a man named Rob who owns a club in a rough part of London. This new evidence finally tracks Whitney down, and she later returns home. On 29 April 2011, based on the celebrations on the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
, Tiffany dresses up as a Princess and tells everyone she is getting married to a Prince. She later ropes in Fatboy
Fatboy (EastEnders)
Arthur "Fatboy" Chubb is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Ricky Norwood. He made his first appearance in EastEnders on 5 January 2010 before appearing in the spin-off...
to be her 'Prince'. They have a pretend wedding, with 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...
as the vicar.
Tiffany, Liam and Morgan are left devastated when Ricky leaves for a job in Dubai. Tiffany and her friends tease Janine when she is forced to clean Ian Beale
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...
's chip shop floor on her hands and knees. Janine buys presents for Liam and Morgan and upsets Tiffany by leaving her out because of the incident in the chip shop. Tiffany is devastated when Ricky leaves again for six months in Dubai. When Janine later buys her some presents, Tiffany rejects them. Tiffany makes friends with Shenice Quinn (Lily Harvey) and is delighted when Shenice is enrolled at her school.
Character creation and development
In November 2007, it was announced that Patsy PalmerPatsy 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...
would be reprising her role as Bianca Jackson
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...
in EastEnders. A popular character who originally appeared in the serial between 1993 and 1999, Bianca was reintroduced in April 2008. Along with Bianca came four children, three of whom had not been seen in the serial before. They included Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Shona McGarty. The character is the adoptive daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson , and was introduced in April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six year absence...
(Shona McGarty
Shona McGarty
Shona Bernadette McGarty is an English actress from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Whitney Dean.-Career:...
), the sixteen-year-old daughter of Bianca's deceased partner; Liam Butcher
Liam Butcher
Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by twins Jack and Tom Godolphin in 1998 and 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and by Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to 2004...
(James Forde
James Forde
James Forde is a young British character actor.James Forde is currently starring as Liam Butcher the son of Ricky Butcher and Bianca Jackson in long running soap EastEnders and has been there since April 2008 at the age of ten, taking over the role from Nathaniel Gleed. He is the 6th actor to play...
), Bianca and Ricky
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...
's son who previously appeared in the serial; Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith
Maisie Smith
Maisie Lily Smith is an English actress. She has appeared in the feature film The Other Boleyn Girl and has played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2008.- Career :...
), Bianca's five-year-old daughter, named after her friend Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Dawn Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan...
; and Morgan Jackson-King (Devon Higgs), Bianca's two-year-old son, "the most [spoilt] out of all of the kids".
Tiffany is described as having a "cute, butter-wouldn’t-melt exterior", which "masks her somewhat mature understanding of adult matters. She sees all, hears all and knows all, and even at five years old has blackmailed her elder sister." She is also described as "a troublesome and cheeky lass" with a "feisty, red-head personality, which she no doubt inherits from Bianca". Actress Maisie Smith, aged 6 at the time of her casting, began filming for EastEnders four days a week from January 2008 and, according to her mother, shares traits with the character she plays: "The role is an exaggeration of her own personality, she's a little madam. A lively character both on and off screen. The difference is, she's told to pronounce her t's at home!"
To promote the family's introduction, the BBC began airing trailers across the BBC network in March 2008. One trailer saw Bianca singing The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
hit "I Want You Back
I Want You Back
"I Want You Back" was released in 1969 and in early 1970s became a number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, along with a b-side cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents...
" and performing a dance routine along with her four children. The promo uses the tag line "Introducing The Jackson 5". Within three days of being posted on the video sharing website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, the promo had been viewed 52,000 times.
Reception
Digital SpyDigital 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....
's Kris Green has said Maisie Smith is "brilliant" and "one...to watch", comparing her to Ellis Hollins
Ellis Hollins
Ellis Hollins is a British Soap Award winning child actor. He is most famous for playing the role Tom Cunningham in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, which he has played since 1999...
, the award-winning child actor who plays Tom Cunningham
Tom Cunningham
Thomas "Tom" Cunningham is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Ellis Hollins. Hollins has portrayed the character since his birth in 1999.-Storylines:...
in the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
teen soap opera Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
. She has also been praised by stage school teacher Sandra Singer, who said: "Maisie has the most incredible memory and when it comes to script work she is fantastic. It is often very difficult for a six-year-old to act, but she handles it really well and adores it." In May 2009 Smith won 'Best Dramatic Performance from a young actor or actress' at the British Soap Awards. She was nominated again in 2011 for 'Best Young Performance'.