Binnie Roberts
Encyclopedia
Binnie Roberts is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Sophie Langham
.
Binnie was an out and proud lesbian
, which was in stark contrast to her shy and retiring girlfriend.
in June 1994. She was the secret girlfriend of hairdresser Della Alexander
. Whilst Della preferred to keep her sexuality hidden, Binne was out and proud and wanted everyone to know. She refused to put up with anyone's bigotry and defended her choice of lifestyle to anyone that dared to pass judgement.
Della had been in Walford
for a few months before Binnie's arrival, and in this time she'd sparked up a close, flirtatious relationship with the barman, Steve Elliot
. Steve had become a partner in Della's hair salon and had begun to think that he and Della would soon be more than just friends. Binnie was adamant that Della should tell Steve about her sexuality, but Della found the prospect of 'coming out' extremely daunting. Several days later, the situation was brought to a head prematurely, when Steve accidentally walked in on Della and Binnie in bed together. Steve was furious, as he felt Della had been leading him on. He threw her out of his home, prompting several arguments between him and Binnie. Steve and Binnie were sworn enemies thereafter, although they did manage to put aside their differences later in the year.
Binnie and Della soon moved into a bedsit on the Square and Binnie got a job working as a barmaid in The Queen Vic alongside Steve. She and Steve would bicker constantly, mainly because Steve refused to accept that Della was gay and regularly tried it on with her, leaving Binnie fuming with jealousy. More problems arose when Natalie Price heard a rumour that Binnie and Della were lesbians. She started telling anyone who cared to listen about how disgusting and unnatural the pair were. This reaction only sought to increase Della's trepidation about living as a lesbian and she started denying the rumours; claiming that she'd never slept with a woman before in her life. Infuriated by Della's shame, Binnie threatened to leave the Square, which forced Della to prioritise. In order to convince Binnie to stay, Della kissed her in the middle of Bridge Street, which really gave the gossips something to talk about.
Binnie spent most of her time on the Square trying to force Della to conform to her lesbian ideals. She regularly pressurised her to 'come out' to her mother and generally bossed her around making demands, which often caused blazing rows between them. Despite this, Binnie usually had Della's best interests at heart and the two genuinely loved each other.
In 1995 Binnie and Della decided that they'd had enough of Walford and they decided to make a new start of things in Ibiza
. They both departed in May 1995.
were the first lesbian couple to be featured in EastEnders. Their inclusion was an attempt to portray positive examples of characters who just happen to be homosexual. Their lesbian kiss accounted for some 45 percent of viewer complaints to the BBC regarding EastEnders in 1994; provoking more complaints than any other television programme that year (according to research published by the Broadcasting Standards Council in 1995).
In 2005 their lesbian kiss was featured in E4's X Rated: Top 20 Most Controversial TV Moments; a documentary examining British TV's most talked about on-screen moments. It was placed at number 11 in the chart and, according to the poll, received an estimated 486 viewer complaints and 180 column inches in the British press.
In 1995, lesbian actress Pam St. Clement
, who plays Pat Evans
, was asked if EastEnders first lesbian storyline suffered from "seeming to follow the pack rather than lead it". She commented, "I think they realised there was something missing, but having given themselves that brief they didn't know what the fuck to do with it. I think Michael Cashman
made Colin Russell so successful because he is a gay man. I'd never argue for somebody having to be a part to do it - you don't have to be a murderer to play Othello
- and I think the two young girls [who played Della and Binnie] did what they could, but they couldn't really give the programme any help."
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 Sophie Langham
Sophie Langham
Sophie Langham is an English actress.She is most famous for playing one half of Walford's first lesbian couple, in the popular BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Her character, Binnie Roberts, made her first appearance in 1994 and left in 1995...
.
Binnie was an out and proud lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, which was in stark contrast to her shy and retiring girlfriend.
Storylines
Binnie arrived in Albert SquareAlbert 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...
in June 1994. She was the secret girlfriend of hairdresser Della Alexander
Della Alexander
Della Alexander is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Joseph 1994–1995. Della is the first lesbian character to be featured on the show.-Storylines:...
. Whilst Della preferred to keep her sexuality hidden, Binne was out and proud and wanted everyone to know. She refused to put up with anyone's bigotry and defended her choice of lifestyle to anyone that dared to pass judgement.
Della had been in 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...
for a few months before Binnie's arrival, and in this time she'd sparked up a close, flirtatious relationship with the barman, Steve Elliot
Steve Elliot
Steve Elliot is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mark Monero between 1991 and 1996.- Storylines :Steve is first seen in Albert Square in October 1991 as an old school friend of Hattie Tavernier and Sam Mitchell...
. Steve had become a partner in Della's hair salon and had begun to think that he and Della would soon be more than just friends. Binnie was adamant that Della should tell Steve about her sexuality, but Della found the prospect of 'coming out' extremely daunting. Several days later, the situation was brought to a head prematurely, when Steve accidentally walked in on Della and Binnie in bed together. Steve was furious, as he felt Della had been leading him on. He threw her out of his home, prompting several arguments between him and Binnie. Steve and Binnie were sworn enemies thereafter, although they did manage to put aside their differences later in the year.
Binnie spent most of her time on the Square trying to force Della to conform to her lesbian ideals. She regularly pressurised her to 'come out' to her mother and generally bossed her around making demands, which often caused blazing rows between them. Despite this, Binnie usually had Della's best interests at heart and the two genuinely loved each other.
In 1995 Binnie and Della decided that they'd had enough of Walford and they decided to make a new start of things in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
. They both departed in May 1995.
Character creation and development
Binnie and her girlfriend Della AlexanderDella Alexander
Della Alexander is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Joseph 1994–1995. Della is the first lesbian character to be featured on the show.-Storylines:...
were the first lesbian couple to be featured in EastEnders. Their inclusion was an attempt to portray positive examples of characters who just happen to be homosexual. Their lesbian kiss accounted for some 45 percent of viewer complaints to the BBC regarding EastEnders in 1994; provoking more complaints than any other television programme that year (according to research published by the Broadcasting Standards Council in 1995).
In 2005 their lesbian kiss was featured in E4's X Rated: Top 20 Most Controversial TV Moments; a documentary examining British TV's most talked about on-screen moments. It was placed at number 11 in the chart and, according to the poll, received an estimated 486 viewer complaints and 180 column inches in the British press.
In 1995, lesbian actress 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...
, who plays 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...
, was asked if EastEnders first lesbian storyline suffered from "seeming to follow the pack rather than lead it". She commented, "I think they realised there was something missing, but having given themselves that brief they didn't know what the fuck to do with it. I think Michael Cashman
Michael Cashman
Michael Maurice Cashman is a British former actor, now a Labour politician. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands constituency since 1999.- Acting :...
made Colin Russell so successful because he is a gay man. I'd never argue for somebody having to be a part to do it - you don't have to be a murderer to play Othello
Othello (character)
Othello is a character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's origin is traced to the tale, "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio. There, he is simply referred to as the Moor....
- and I think the two young girls [who played Della and Binnie] did what they could, but they couldn't really give the programme any help."