Vanessa Gold
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Gold is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
. She is portrayed by Zöe Lucker
, and has appeared in EastEnders since 4 June 2010. A "dynamic and assured" businesswoman, Vanessa was created by series consultant Simon Ashdown
to be "a Zöe Lucker-type". Lucker accepted the role on a seven-episode contract, which was extended after she impressed the series producers with her performance. She departed on 6 October 2011.
EastEnders focusses on working class
life in the fictional London borough of Walford
. Vanessa was introduced as a love-interest for local car salesman Max Branning
(Jake Wood
), intended to facilitate a reunion between Max and his former wife Tanya
(Jo Joyner
). Concurrent to their romance, which was extended to span Lucker's increased tenure, Vanessa separates from her controlling husband Harry (Linal Haft
), and reveals that he is not the father of her teenage daughter Jodie
(Kylie Babbington
). Lucker describes Vanessa as a glamorous risk-taker, who does not fit in to the soap's Albert Square
setting. She received critical praise for her comic timing in the role, and was nominated Most Popular Newcomer at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards
.
(Jake Wood
). When she returns to sign her paperwork, the two kiss. Max's employee and lodger Darren Miller
(Charlie G. Hawkins
) begins dating Vanessa's daughter Jodie, unaware of the connection between them. Upon realising that they are mother and daughter, he and Max toss a coin to decide which one of them will terminate their new relationship. Max loses, but continues to see Vanessa regardless. Suspicious that Max may still be in love with his estranged wife Tanya
(Jo Joyner
), Vanessa returns to her controlling husband Harry
(Linal Haft
) in Chigwell
. The two later reconcile, and Vanessa moves in with Max when Harry discovers the affair and breaks up with her. Jodie disowns her mother over her infidelity, but recants after they narrowly escape a fire in the local pub
. Jodie plans to separate from Darren, as she feels uncomfortable spending time in his and Max's home while her father is alone in Chigwell. Instead, Vanessa sacrifices her relationship with Max, and moves back in with Harry.
The following week, Vanessa meets and gets on well with Tanya. On Vanessa's birthday, Tanya interrupts her celebration dinner to tell her Max misses her and that she should go back to him. Jodie agrees, having realised that her father treats her mother badly. Vanessa returns to Max, and Harry serves her with divorce papers. His claim that Jodie has always been a "daddy's girl" prompts Vanessa to reveal he is not her father. Harry begins a series of escalating attacks against Vanessa. Having learned that Harry is not her father, Jodie briefly disowns Vanessa again, before forgiving her. Vanessa tells Jodie that her real father is a Portuguese fisherman, whose name she did not know. Harry's attacks continue: he throws a brick through their window, slashes the tyres at Max's car lot and all of Vanessa's clothes, and kills Jodie's cat. Max and his brother Jack
(Scott Maslen
) threaten Harry, who retaliates by having Jack locked in the boot of his car on the night of his wedding.
Unbeknownst to Vanessa, Max's feelings for Tanya resurface. Although she remarries, he kisses her on her wedding day and continues to harbour hope that they will reconcile. Max's one year anniversary with Vanessa passes, and Max upsets her with his disinterest. She soon realises that he is still not over Tanya, and when she comforts him, Max makes a spur of the moment marriage proposal, which Vanessa accepts. However, Max and Tanya continue to have an affair, secretly meeting in a bedsit. Vanessa later finds perfume that she knows is not hers or Jodie's, and tells Tanya she knows Max is cheating. Tanya says it is her perfume that Lauren borrowed, and tells Vanessa that Max is not cheating. Vanessa takes off her engagement ring to clean the house and she panics when she cannot find it, though it is revealed that Max has it.
Vanessa is led to believe that Max is fully on-board with the idea of a double wedding with Darren and Jodie, so cooks a candle-lit dinner for Max, unaware that he is meeting up with Tanya again because they are preparing to inform their partners of their affair. However, Tanya breaks up with Max and he returns home deflated. He tells Vanessa that he no longer loves her and breaks up with her. Vanessa is furious and heartbroken, accusing another woman of being involved. When Max's daughter Lauren Branning
(Jacqueline Jossa
) overhears this, she informs Vanessa, along with the rest of the family, that Tanya is the other woman. Vanessa confronts Tanya and reveals the affair to Tanya's husband Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
). Max leaves Walford but Vanessa believes he will come back to her. Vanessa discovers the bedsit and is stunned when Tanya tells her she broke up with Max and she does not know where he is, saying that if he has left Vanessa, it is because he no longer loves her. Vanessa returns home and completely loses control, smashing up the house. Max's sister Carol Jackson
(Lindsey Coulson
) and Jack agree to throw Vanessa out so Tanya and her family can live there, but find her smashing Max's photos, so Carol throws her out onto the street. Michael and his father Eddie Moon
(David Essex
) witness this and go to help. Vanessa tells Michael that Eddie is a good dad. However, Michael, who is plotting revenge against his father, informs Vanessa that Eddie destroyed his mother's life, before offering Vanessa cash to do the same to Eddie. Vanessa reluctantly agrees, desperate for money to fund Jodie's upcoming wedding. Vanessa gets back in touch with Harry after several months without contact, and asks if he will help pay for the wedding. Harry agrees as long as Vanessa will not attend, but Jodie learns of this and tells Harry not to come.
Vanessa confesses her true feelings for Eddie, but he rejects her, however they later sleep together. Eddie and Vanessa's relationship continues, and eventually she moves in with him and his family, to Michael's despair. Michael attempts to pay Vanessa to leave, and she takes the money, but does not leave Eddie. Eddie then plans to move to Spain, and asks Vanessa to steal Michael's money, which she does. However, she panics as she is caught on CCTV, and tells Jodie what she has done. She says goodbye to Jodie, thinking she will go to prison, and then meets Eddie, thinking he is taking her with him to Spain. After she hands the cash to Eddie, he leaves her stranded on the street, telling her that the police are looking for her.
, who wanted a "Zöe Lucker-type" character in the show. Lucker was approached and agreed to take on the role, initially on a seven-episode contract. The character was intended to help her love-interest Max realise that he was still in love with his ex-wife Tanya. Her impending arrival was announced by media entertainment website Digital Spy
on 20 March 2010, at which point Lucker deemed herself a "huge fan" of the series, eagerly anticipated working alongside Wood. She later told the website that accepting the role "just felt so right, especially at this stage in [her] life."
Lucker was the third signing of new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
, following the reintroduction of Kat
(Jessie Wallace
) and Alfie Moon
(Shane Richie
). Kirkwood described Vanessa as "a strong confident force of nature who will play Max at his own game", while a spokesperson for the series said, "[Max and Vanessa] are both volatile and explosive characters and their meeting will be like putting a lit match next to a barrel [of] gunpowder." Pleased by the "absolutely perfect" casting, Kirkwood also anticipated Lucker and Wood's screen partnership. After filming began, Wood called Lucker a "fantastic addition" to the show, "fabulous" in the role and "a joy" to work with.
Vanessa's first appearance was in Kirkwood's first episode as executive producer. Originally scheduled for 7 June 2010, it actually aired on 4 June. Many of Lucker's first scenes involved driving a five-and-a-half litre Mercedes, which caused her some concern as she had only passed her driving test four weeks previously. Four days after her arrival, it was announced that Lucker's performance had so impressed the series producers that she had signed a new contract to appear more permanently.
and Zara. Dan Menhinnitt from The Sun called Vanessa a "white-suited vixen". During an interview on Loose Women
, Lucker said Vannessa has "big" hair, which takes 45 minutes to style. A full set of heated rollers is used, then it is then backcombed and Lucker grooms it herself afterwards. She said that people often think she wears a wig to play Vanessa but it is her real hair. Although Lucker is from the north of England and EastEnders is set in London, Lucker uses her own accent.
In May 2011, it was reported that Max would cheat on Vanessa with Tanya. Lucker predicted that if Vanessa found out about the affair, it would be "very, very explosive". She said that Vanessa would fight to keep Max if she had to, and when asked if Vanesa would take revenge, she said, "We haven't seen that side to Vanessa, but I think she's pretty tough and if pushed, who knows how far she'd actually go? [...] Vanessa is trying hard to make Max realise that she is the right woman for him. What lengths will she go to in order to keep her man?" Kirkwood commented on the storyline, saying, "People had better duck for cover when Vanessa finds out that she's been betrayed again. She stood by her ex-husband Harry for years and in no time at all, she finds herself in the very same situation with Max. The end of that relationship doesn't mean the end of Vanessa, though. She's got a really exciting storyline still in store. It kicks off over the summer and there's a big change of direction for the character that will really give Vanessa some momentum for the time she's got left in Albert Square." Lucker said that viewers would see a more vulnerable side to Vanessa as she realises Max still loves Tanya.
: "Zöe was brought into EastEnders for a storyline playing Max's love interest and will go out with a bang. Zöe has done a fabulous job of bringing the character of Vanessa to life and the door has been left wide open for her return." An EastEnders insider said "Vanessa has proved to be a popular character and although her exit storyline will be explosive, there is every belief that she may return to the Square in the future." Lucker and Kirkwood both promised that Vanessa's exit storyline would be "exciting", and said that viewers had not seen the "full force" of Vanessa, explaining that there is much more to come before her departure.
for her portrayal of Vanessa but lost out to her EastEnders co-star, Ricky Norwood
(Fatboy
). Jaci Stephen of the Daily Mail
said she liked Lucker as Vanessa and that she and Jake Wood have "brilliant comic timing", which makes them one of her favourite couples. Stephen added that she pitied Vanessa for having Darren as a potential son-in-law. With the announcement of Lucker's departure, Buzz magazine hoped she would return in the future as "We love V and her white trouser suits. Who else does the washing up while looking like they're going to a christening?" The Guardian
gave Vanessa an "Individual style award" in their "alternative soap awards", saying "There's more diversity of colour at a Ku Klux Klan
Grand Wizards' Congress than in Vanessa's wardrobe. Drawing her inspiration in equal parts from whipped cream and Logan's Run
, Vanessa's retro-futuristic look revolves around her signature white trouser suit, evidently versatile and stain-resistant enough for shopping, cooking, cleaning and servicing Max on the car lot desk."
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...
. She is portrayed by Zöe Lucker
Zöe Lucker
Zöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress best known for playing the roles of Tanya Turner on ITV's Footballers' Wives and Vanessa Gold in EastEnders.-Career:...
, and has appeared in EastEnders since 4 June 2010. A "dynamic and assured" businesswoman, Vanessa was created by series consultant Simon Ashdown
Simon Ashdown
Simon Ashdown is a British television writer, best known as being a BAFTA award-nominated EastEnders writer.Ashdown is currently series consultant and lead writer on EastEnders. He was involved in the creation of the Slater family, and along with other writers, developed the characters around the...
to be "a Zöe Lucker-type". Lucker accepted the role on a seven-episode contract, which was extended after she impressed the series producers with her performance. She departed on 6 October 2011.
EastEnders focusses on working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
life in the fictional London borough of Walford
Walford
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...
. Vanessa was introduced as a love-interest for local car salesman Max Branning
Max Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
(Jake Wood
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
), intended to facilitate a reunion between Max and his former wife Tanya
Tanya Branning
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
(Jo Joyner
Jo Joyner
Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress who is best known for her role as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in which she has appeared since June 2006.-Career:...
). Concurrent to their romance, which was extended to span Lucker's increased tenure, Vanessa separates from her controlling husband Harry (Linal Haft
Linal Haft
Linal Haft, sometimes known as Lionel Haft, is a British actor.- Biography :Haft made his acting debut in an episode of Homicide as Harry Bruce in 1968. He went on to play his second role later the same year, as Adams in an episode of Contrabandits...
), and reveals that he is not the father of her teenage daughter Jodie
Jodie Gold
Jodie Gold is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kylie Babbington. She first appeared on screen on 7 June 2010. On 24 October 2011, it was announced Babbington's contract would not be renewed and Jodie departed on 14 November 2011, along with Poppy Meadow...
(Kylie Babbington
Kylie Babbington
Kylie Jane Babbington is a British actress.Babbington was born in Havering, London in 1987. She studied acting and musical theatre at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and appeared in productions of Assassins, Elergies, Essex Girls and Odin.In 2010 she was cast in the BBC soap opera...
). Lucker describes Vanessa as a glamorous risk-taker, who does not fit in to the soap's Albert Square
Albert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
setting. She received critical praise for her comic timing in the role, and was nominated Most Popular Newcomer at the 2010 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...
.
Storylines
Vanessa arrives in Albert Square to purchase a car from salesman Max BranningMax Branning
Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006.-Backstory:Max is the fifth child and second son of Jim and Reenie Branning...
(Jake Wood
Jake Wood
Jake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
). When she returns to sign her paperwork, the two kiss. Max's employee and lodger Darren Miller
Darren Miller
Darren Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie G. Hawkins. He made his first appearance on 6 September 2004 and departed in the episode broadcast on 20 September 2011.-Storylines:...
(Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie G. Hawkins
Charlie George Hawkins is an English actor. He was raised in Islington where he has lived since birth.His most notable role is Darren Miller in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has starred in since 2004, although he has had other roles in films, dramas, documentaries and advertisements...
) begins dating Vanessa's daughter Jodie, unaware of the connection between them. Upon realising that they are mother and daughter, he and Max toss a coin to decide which one of them will terminate their new relationship. Max loses, but continues to see Vanessa regardless. Suspicious that Max may still be in love with his estranged wife Tanya
Tanya Branning
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
(Jo Joyner
Jo Joyner
Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress who is best known for her role as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in which she has appeared since June 2006.-Career:...
), Vanessa returns to her controlling husband Harry
Harry Gold
Harry Gold was a laboratory chemist who was convicted of being the “courier” for a number of Soviet spy rings during the Manhattan Project.-Early life:Gold was born in Switzerland to poor Russian Jewish immigrants...
(Linal Haft
Linal Haft
Linal Haft, sometimes known as Lionel Haft, is a British actor.- Biography :Haft made his acting debut in an episode of Homicide as Harry Bruce in 1968. He went on to play his second role later the same year, as Adams in an episode of Contrabandits...
) in Chigwell
Chigwell
Chigwell is a civil parish and town in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located 11.6 miles north east of Charing Cross. It is served by two London Underground stations and has a London area code.-Etymology:According to P. H...
. The two later reconcile, and Vanessa moves in with Max when Harry discovers the affair and breaks up with her. Jodie disowns her mother over her infidelity, but recants after they narrowly escape a fire in the local pub
Queen Vic Fire Week
"Queen Vic Fire Week" is a group of four episodes of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, broadcast between 6 and 10 September 2010 on BBC One. The episodes included a fire at The Queen Victoria public house, also known as The Queen Vic or The Vic, and the departure of the character Peggy Mitchell,...
. Jodie plans to separate from Darren, as she feels uncomfortable spending time in his and Max's home while her father is alone in Chigwell. Instead, Vanessa sacrifices her relationship with Max, and moves back in with Harry.
The following week, Vanessa meets and gets on well with Tanya. On Vanessa's birthday, Tanya interrupts her celebration dinner to tell her Max misses her and that she should go back to him. Jodie agrees, having realised that her father treats her mother badly. Vanessa returns to Max, and Harry serves her with divorce papers. His claim that Jodie has always been a "daddy's girl" prompts Vanessa to reveal he is not her father. Harry begins a series of escalating attacks against Vanessa. Having learned that Harry is not her father, Jodie briefly disowns Vanessa again, before forgiving her. Vanessa tells Jodie that her real father is a Portuguese fisherman, whose name she did not know. Harry's attacks continue: he throws a brick through their window, slashes the tyres at Max's car lot and all of Vanessa's clothes, and kills Jodie's cat. Max and his brother Jack
Jack Branning
Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning, Carol Jackson, Derek Branning, Suzy Branning and Max Branning...
(Scott Maslen
Scott Maslen
Scott Alexander Maslen is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's The Bill and now Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders.-Early and personal life:...
) threaten Harry, who retaliates by having Jack locked in the boot of his car on the night of his wedding.
Unbeknownst to Vanessa, Max's feelings for Tanya resurface. Although she remarries, he kisses her on her wedding day and continues to harbour hope that they will reconcile. Max's one year anniversary with Vanessa passes, and Max upsets her with his disinterest. She soon realises that he is still not over Tanya, and when she comforts him, Max makes a spur of the moment marriage proposal, which Vanessa accepts. However, Max and Tanya continue to have an affair, secretly meeting in a bedsit. Vanessa later finds perfume that she knows is not hers or Jodie's, and tells Tanya she knows Max is cheating. Tanya says it is her perfume that Lauren borrowed, and tells Vanessa that Max is not cheating. Vanessa takes off her engagement ring to clean the house and she panics when she cannot find it, though it is revealed that Max has it.
Vanessa is led to believe that Max is fully on-board with the idea of a double wedding with Darren and Jodie, so cooks a candle-lit dinner for Max, unaware that he is meeting up with Tanya again because they are preparing to inform their partners of their affair. However, Tanya breaks up with Max and he returns home deflated. He tells Vanessa that he no longer loves her and breaks up with her. Vanessa is furious and heartbroken, accusing another woman of being involved. When Max's daughter Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006 played by Madeline Duggan, was absent from 23 June to 27 September 2010, and returned as played by Jacqueline Jossa.-Storylines:...
(Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Mary Jossa is an English actress from Bexley, London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lauren Branning.Jossa was born in the London Borough of Bexley...
) overhears this, she informs Vanessa, along with the rest of the family, that Tanya is the other woman. Vanessa confronts Tanya and reveals the affair to Tanya's husband Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth is an English actor and singer currently starring in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Greg Jessop. He left the series in August 2011 and will return to the show.-Background:...
). Max leaves Walford but Vanessa believes he will come back to her. Vanessa discovers the bedsit and is stunned when Tanya tells her she broke up with Max and she does not know where he is, saying that if he has left Vanessa, it is because he no longer loves her. Vanessa returns home and completely loses control, smashing up the house. Max's sister Carol Jackson
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 :...
) and Jack agree to throw Vanessa out so Tanya and her family can live there, but find her smashing Max's photos, so Carol throws her out onto the street. Michael and his father Eddie Moon
Eddie Moon
Edward "Eddie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by David Essex. Eddie is the father of Michael Moon , Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon . Along with his children, Eddie was introduced to bring a "new generation" of the Moon family to the programme...
(David Essex
David Essex
David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...
) witness this and go to help. Vanessa tells Michael that Eddie is a good dad. However, Michael, who is plotting revenge against his father, informs Vanessa that Eddie destroyed his mother's life, before offering Vanessa cash to do the same to Eddie. Vanessa reluctantly agrees, desperate for money to fund Jodie's upcoming wedding. Vanessa gets back in touch with Harry after several months without contact, and asks if he will help pay for the wedding. Harry agrees as long as Vanessa will not attend, but Jodie learns of this and tells Harry not to come.
Vanessa confesses her true feelings for Eddie, but he rejects her, however they later sleep together. Eddie and Vanessa's relationship continues, and eventually she moves in with him and his family, to Michael's despair. Michael attempts to pay Vanessa to leave, and she takes the money, but does not leave Eddie. Eddie then plans to move to Spain, and asks Vanessa to steal Michael's money, which she does. However, she panics as she is caught on CCTV, and tells Jodie what she has done. She says goodbye to Jodie, thinking she will go to prison, and then meets Eddie, thinking he is taking her with him to Spain. After she hands the cash to Eddie, he leaves her stranded on the street, telling her that the police are looking for her.
Conception and introduction
Vanessa was created by EastEnders series consultant Simon AshdownSimon Ashdown
Simon Ashdown is a British television writer, best known as being a BAFTA award-nominated EastEnders writer.Ashdown is currently series consultant and lead writer on EastEnders. He was involved in the creation of the Slater family, and along with other writers, developed the characters around the...
, who wanted a "Zöe Lucker-type" character in the show. Lucker was approached and agreed to take on the role, initially on a seven-episode contract. The character was intended to help her love-interest Max realise that he was still in love with his ex-wife Tanya. Her impending arrival was announced by media 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....
on 20 March 2010, at which point Lucker deemed herself a "huge fan" of the series, eagerly anticipated working alongside Wood. She later told the website that accepting the role "just felt so right, especially at this stage in [her] life."
Lucker was the third signing 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 :...
, following the reintroduction of Kat
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:...
) and Alfie Moon
Alfie Moon
Alfred William "Alfie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005...
(Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
). Kirkwood described Vanessa as "a strong confident force of nature who will play Max at his own game", while a spokesperson for the series said, "[Max and Vanessa] are both volatile and explosive characters and their meeting will be like putting a lit match next to a barrel [of] gunpowder." Pleased by the "absolutely perfect" casting, Kirkwood also anticipated Lucker and Wood's screen partnership. After filming began, Wood called Lucker a "fantastic addition" to the show, "fabulous" in the role and "a joy" to work with.
Vanessa's first appearance was in Kirkwood's first episode as executive producer. Originally scheduled for 7 June 2010, it actually aired on 4 June. Many of Lucker's first scenes involved driving a five-and-a-half litre Mercedes, which caused her some concern as she had only passed her driving test four weeks previously. Four days after her arrival, it was announced that Lucker's performance had so impressed the series producers that she had signed a new contract to appear more permanently.
Characterisation
Vanessa is a businesswoman who is described as "dynamic and assured". In an interview with Digital Spy, Kirkwood said Vanessa was strong-minded and quite positive, and they wanted a female character with a different energy to the many "strong, feisty, shouty" women in the show. He added: "She knows that she's likely to rub women up the wrong way and she knows what she wants. But she doesn't intimidate or use bullyboy tactics. She's clever, interesting and she might just have a secret." Lucker described Vanessa as savvy, strong, stylish, glamourous, a risk-taker who gets bored very easily, complicated, hard-working, laid-back, a doting mother, and opined that she looks out of place in Albert Square. Lucker went shopping with the costume department and it was decided that Vanessa would wear light-coloured clothing. Lucker said Vanessa's style is "very smart; power dressing really". Some of her clothes come from ReissReiss (brand)
Reiss is a UK-based fashion brand owned and run by founder, David Reiss. The brand produces men's and women's clothing. It has 65 stores, located primarily in the UK, but with stores in the USA, Ireland, UAE, China and Malaysia. One store is located in Multrees Walk in Edinburgh, another in Marina...
and Zara. Dan Menhinnitt from The Sun called Vanessa a "white-suited vixen". During an interview on Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, Lucker said Vannessa has "big" hair, which takes 45 minutes to style. A full set of heated rollers is used, then it is then backcombed and Lucker grooms it herself afterwards. She said that people often think she wears a wig to play Vanessa but it is her real hair. Although Lucker is from the north of England and EastEnders is set in London, Lucker uses her own accent.
Storyline development
Soon after Vanessa and her daughter Jodie appear, so does Vanessa's husband Harry, who is shown to be very controlling of Vanessa. In September 2010, Lucker said that she and Max's ex-wife Tanya could become friends as they are fairly similar, adding, "I think Vanessa probably really likes Tanya and I'm hoping that Tanya will warm to Vanessa. They've obviously got Max in common, so you never quite know which way that's going to work out". Lucker later said that she hoped Max and Vanessa would stay strong despite Harry's threats for revenge, calling them a "lovely couple".In May 2011, it was reported that Max would cheat on Vanessa with Tanya. Lucker predicted that if Vanessa found out about the affair, it would be "very, very explosive". She said that Vanessa would fight to keep Max if she had to, and when asked if Vanesa would take revenge, she said, "We haven't seen that side to Vanessa, but I think she's pretty tough and if pushed, who knows how far she'd actually go? [...] Vanessa is trying hard to make Max realise that she is the right woman for him. What lengths will she go to in order to keep her man?" Kirkwood commented on the storyline, saying, "People had better duck for cover when Vanessa finds out that she's been betrayed again. She stood by her ex-husband Harry for years and in no time at all, she finds herself in the very same situation with Max. The end of that relationship doesn't mean the end of Vanessa, though. She's got a really exciting storyline still in store. It kicks off over the summer and there's a big change of direction for the character that will really give Vanessa some momentum for the time she's got left in Albert Square." Lucker said that viewers would see a more vulnerable side to Vanessa as she realises Max still loves Tanya.
Departure
It was announced on 30 April 2011 that Lucker was to depart from the series and would have an "explosive" departure. A spokesperson told 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....
: "Zöe was brought into EastEnders for a storyline playing Max's love interest and will go out with a bang. Zöe has done a fabulous job of bringing the character of Vanessa to life and the door has been left wide open for her return." An EastEnders insider said "Vanessa has proved to be a popular character and although her exit storyline will be explosive, there is every belief that she may return to the Square in the future." Lucker and Kirkwood both promised that Vanessa's exit storyline would be "exciting", and said that viewers had not seen the "full force" of Vanessa, explaining that there is much more to come before her departure.
Reception
Lucker was nominated for the "Most Popular Newcomer" award at the 2010 Inside Soap AwardsInside 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...
for her portrayal of Vanessa but lost out to her EastEnders co-star, Ricky Norwood
Ricky Norwood
Richard Colin "Ricky" Norwood is a British actor who plays Fatboy in the soap opera EastEnders and its online spin-off EastEnders: E20. He was born in Tower Hamlets, London, and lives in Forest Gate. From the age of 12 he attended the Theatre Royal Stratford East's Youth Theatre, and he also...
(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...
). Jaci Stephen of 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...
said she liked Lucker as Vanessa and that she and Jake Wood have "brilliant comic timing", which makes them one of her favourite couples. Stephen added that she pitied Vanessa for having Darren as a potential son-in-law. With the announcement of Lucker's departure, Buzz magazine hoped she would return in the future as "We love V and her white trouser suits. Who else does the washing up while looking like they're going to a christening?" The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave Vanessa an "Individual style award" in their "alternative soap awards", saying "There's more diversity of colour at a Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
Grand Wizards' Congress than in Vanessa's wardrobe. Drawing her inspiration in equal parts from whipped cream and Logan's Run
Logan's Run
Logan's Run is a novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, it depicts a dystopic ageist future society in which both population and the consumption of resources are maintained in equilibrium by requiring the death of everyone reaching a particular age...
, Vanessa's retro-futuristic look revolves around her signature white trouser suit, evidently versatile and stain-resistant enough for shopping, cooking, cleaning and servicing Max on the car lot desk."