Sal Martin
Encyclopedia
Sally "Sal" Martin, often referred to as Aunt Sal, is a recurring fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Anna Karen
. She has appeared sporadically over the years, usually for only one or two episodes at a time. As of April 2011, Sal has collectively featured in 41 episodes of the show since she first appeared in 1996.
(Barbara Windsor
) and usually appears at Mitchell family occasions or when she's had a row with her husband. Sal is a heavy smoker and when visiting her sister, enjoys parking herself at the end of the bar with her cigarette (that is, until the smoking ban, when she would just go upstairs). Peggy also goes to stay with her when she needs somewhere to rest. She is married to downtrodden Harold, and mentioned a son in January 1997 and a daughter to Peggy at Grant and Tiffany's wedding blessing ceremony. She also mentioned in 1997 that she ran a pub.
Her first appearance was at Peggy's 54th birthday party in 1996. This also coincided with the birth of Sal's great nephew, Ben (Matthew Silver). She appeared again in January 1997 to support Peggy through her breast cancer
, and then again at Grant
(Ross Kemp
) and Tiffany Mitchell
's ( Martine McCutcheon) blessing where she stood in for Peggy in August 1997. Sal came to stay with the Mitchell family for Christmas 1997. During her visit she took baby Courtney Mitchell for a walk and left her outside the café in her pram. Whilst Sal was inside, Courtney was taken, causing everyone to panic. She was later found being looked after by Bianca Butcher (Patsy Palmer
), Tiffany's best friend. Other appearances included Peggy and Harry Slater's (Michael Elphick
) engagement party in 2001, Louise Fowler's naming party in October 2002, Jamie Mitchell
's (Jack Ryder
) funeral in January 2003, and Sam Mitchell
's (Kim Medcalf
) wedding in September 2004.
She returned in July 2007 for Phil
's (Steve McFadden
) wedding to Stella Crawford
(Sophie Thompson
) and portentously noted that Stella would never be a Mitchell. She also returned when Peggy threw her a birthday party on 17 December 2007 and again on Christmas Day 2007 when she drunkenly infuriated Phil. On July 8, 2008 she returned again to keep an eye on Billy
(Perry Fenwick
) and Honey
(Emma Barton
) whilst they looked after The Queen Vic as Peggy was away.
She made another appearance on August 14, 2008 for Peggy and Archie
's (Larry Lamb
) engagement party. Sal straight away spoke her mind about Archie, not knowing that he was next to her. She spent Christmas Eve 2008 with Peggy, complaining about the price of her taxi and joking about Jean Slater
's (Gillian Wright
) health condition. She was next seen on March 2, 2009 when Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
) invited her to dinner. Janine got her drunk before extracting information about Peggy's past, so she could use something to humiliate Peggy. Sal revealed to Janine that she and her sister, Peggy were involved in pole dancing for the gangland in the sixties. Janine couriered a huge photo of Peggy pole-dancing to ruin her political campaign. Peggy was humiliated and everyone found out about Peggy's past. The Walford Gazette found out about and took pictures. However, even though Archie was pleased about this Peggy grew proud about her controversial past and said that it was a change in the culture of Walford
.
Sal attended Peggy's Hen Night later that month and following Peggy's wedding to Archie in April 2009 and the startling revelations that followed, Sal took Peggy back to her home with her to escape Archie. Peggy returned home the following week but after feeling let down by Phil who wouldn't kill Archie, she went away on holiday with Sal to the Bahamas.
She returned again in June and attended a meal at Ronnie
's (Samantha Womack) with Peggy. They snooped around and found an engagement ring.
On 17 December 2009, she turned up at The Queen Victoria as it was her 70th birthday. Everyone forgot but they told her of a special lunch in her honour in the community centre, which was actually a Christmas lunch event to try to raise money for the debt-stricken Mitchells. She complained about the food and told another diner she hopes there will be entertainment. She guessed that Ronnie is pregnant and Roxy told her about the Mitchells' debt problems. When the diners demand entertainment, she helped out by performing her fire eating routine. She later let slip that Ronnie is pregnant. Peggy invited Sal to a family dinner in August 2010, but Sal insulted all of Peggy's children and grandchildren, leading them to argue and so Peggy threw her sister out. On 11 November, she turned up uninvited for Ronnie and Jack Branning
's (Scott Maslen
) wedding.
In April 2011, Ronnie goes missing after she becomes depressed. Sal rings Roxy to let her know that Ronnie is with her. Sal appears when Roxy and Jack come to talk to Ronnie and take her home.
's sister Sal. Anna Karen and the actress who plays Peggy, Barbara Windsor
, are "best friends" in reality and Windsor has expressed how happy she was to have Karen on the cast of EastEnders.
Producers decided to hire Karen after Michael French, who played "romeo" David Wicks
decided to quit. They reportedly failed to lure back June Brown
, who played Dot Cotton
between 1985 and 1993 (although they were successful in doing so a year later). They asked Karen to audition and decided she "was just the ticket".
Commenting on her casting, Karen said, "It's great to be back on the box and a real treat to be working alongside my old mate [Barbara Windsor]."
Kate Lock brands Sal as "Peggy's blabbermouth sister" and "She has a hide thicker than Peggy's, a penchant for interfering and a tendency to become loud and hideously embarrassing after a couple of drinks".
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 Anna Karen
Anna Karen
Anna Karen is a South African-born British film, television and theatre actress.-Career:Early in her career, Karen worked as a striptease dancer at London's Panama Club. During her acting career she has starred in many films and television programmes, including the BBC sitcom Wild, Wild Women,...
. She has appeared sporadically over the years, usually for only one or two episodes at a time. As of April 2011, Sal has collectively featured in 41 episodes of the show since she first appeared in 1996.
Storylines
Sal is the older sister of Peggy MitchellPeggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by...
(Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
) and usually appears at Mitchell family occasions or when she's had a row with her husband. Sal is a heavy smoker and when visiting her sister, enjoys parking herself at the end of the bar with her cigarette (that is, until the smoking ban, when she would just go upstairs). Peggy also goes to stay with her when she needs somewhere to rest. She is married to downtrodden Harold, and mentioned a son in January 1997 and a daughter to Peggy at Grant and Tiffany's wedding blessing ceremony. She also mentioned in 1997 that she ran a pub.
Her first appearance was at Peggy's 54th birthday party in 1996. This also coincided with the birth of Sal's great nephew, Ben (Matthew Silver). She appeared again in January 1997 to support Peggy through her breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, and then again at Grant
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
) and 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...
's ( Martine McCutcheon) blessing where she stood in for Peggy in August 1997. Sal came to stay with the Mitchell family for Christmas 1997. During her visit she took baby Courtney Mitchell for a walk and left her outside the café in her pram. Whilst Sal was inside, Courtney was taken, causing everyone to panic. She was later found being looked after by Bianca Butcher (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...
), Tiffany's best friend. Other appearances included Peggy and Harry Slater's (Michael Elphick
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
) engagement party in 2001, Louise Fowler's naming party in October 2002, Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jack Ryder, who made his first appearance on 9 November 1998. Ryder decided to leave in 2002, and his final episode aired Christmas Day 2002, when Jamie was killed off....
's (Jack Ryder
Jack Ryder (actor)
Jack Seigfried Ryder is an English actor, best known for playing Jamie Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1998 to 2002.-Biography:...
) funeral in January 2003, and Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)
Samantha Margaret Priscilla "Sam" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to be introduced, Sam entered as a 15-year-old school girl in July 1990, played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but was reintroduced...
's (Kim Medcalf
Kim Medcalf
Kim Louise Medcalf is an English actress and occasional singer.She has made occasional appearances as a singer and is best known for playing the character Sam Mitchell in the long running BBC Soap Opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2005....
) wedding in September 2004.
She returned in July 2007 for Phil
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
's (Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
) wedding to Stella Crawford
Stella Crawford
Stella Crawford is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Thompson. She left the show on 20 July 2007.-Storylines:...
(Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson is an award-winning English actress, best known for playing Stella Crawford in EastEnders.-Early life:...
) and portentously noted that Stella would never be a Mitchell. She also returned when Peggy threw her a birthday party on 17 December 2007 and again on Christmas Day 2007 when she drunkenly infuriated Phil. On July 8, 2008 she returned again to keep an eye on Billy
Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)
William "Billy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Perry Fenwick, who made his first appearance on 2 November 1998. Billy was seen when Phil went to visit his godson Jamie. However, he didn't arrive in the Square until 2 August 1999, almost a year after...
(Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick is an English film and television actor. He has one sister, Tracey, and two brothers, Faron and Lee. He is, also, the second cousin of Georgina Hagen, who played Lauren Waters in the series of Britannia High....
) and Honey
Honey Mitchell
Susan "Honey" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emma Barton. She made her first appearance in the show on 22 November 2005. It was reported on 19 April 2008 that she had been axed from EastEnders, and her last appearance was on 2 September 2008...
(Emma Barton
Emma Barton
Emma Louise Barton is an English actress. She played Honey Mitchell in EastEnders from November 2005 to September 2008....
) whilst they looked after The Queen Vic as Peggy was away.
She made another appearance on August 14, 2008 for Peggy and Archie
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb.The character of Archie is the father of already established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell , and a member of the Mitchell family, who have appeared in the soap since 1990...
's (Larry Lamb
Larry Lamb (actor)
Lawrence Douglas "Larry" Lamb is an English actor who has worked frequently in television. He is best known for playing one of the greatest villains of British soap Archie Mitchell in the BBC television soap EastEnders, Michael Shipman in the BBC television show Gavin & Stacey and Mischievous...
) engagement party. Sal straight away spoke her mind about Archie, not knowing that he was next to her. She spent Christmas Eve 2008 with Peggy, complaining about the price of her taxi and joking about Jean Slater
Jean Slater
Jean Elaine Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006...
's (Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright, is an English actress who is best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
) health condition. She was next seen on March 2, 2009 when 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:...
) invited her to dinner. Janine got her drunk before extracting information about Peggy's past, so she could use something to humiliate Peggy. Sal revealed to Janine that she and her sister, Peggy were involved in pole dancing for the gangland in the sixties. Janine couriered a huge photo of Peggy pole-dancing to ruin her political campaign. Peggy was humiliated and everyone found out about Peggy's past. The Walford Gazette found out about and took pictures. However, even though Archie was pleased about this Peggy grew proud about her controversial past and said that it was a change in the culture 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...
.
Sal attended Peggy's Hen Night later that month and following Peggy's wedding to Archie in April 2009 and the startling revelations that followed, Sal took Peggy back to her home with her to escape Archie. Peggy returned home the following week but after feeling let down by Phil who wouldn't kill Archie, she went away on holiday with Sal to the Bahamas.
She returned again in June and attended a meal at Ronnie
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
's (Samantha Womack) with Peggy. They snooped around and found an engagement ring.
On 17 December 2009, she turned up at The Queen Victoria as it was her 70th birthday. Everyone forgot but they told her of a special lunch in her honour in the community centre, which was actually a Christmas lunch event to try to raise money for the debt-stricken Mitchells. She complained about the food and told another diner she hopes there will be entertainment. She guessed that Ronnie is pregnant and Roxy told her about the Mitchells' debt problems. When the diners demand entertainment, she helped out by performing her fire eating routine. She later let slip that Ronnie is pregnant. Peggy invited Sal to a family dinner in August 2010, but Sal insulted all of Peggy's children and grandchildren, leading them to argue and so Peggy threw her sister out. On 11 November, she turned up uninvited for Ronnie and Jack Branning
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...
's (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:...
) wedding.
In April 2011, Ronnie goes missing after she becomes depressed. Sal rings Roxy to let her know that Ronnie is with her. Sal appears when Roxy and Jack come to talk to Ronnie and take her home.
Creation and development
In February 1996, it was announced that comedy actress Anna Karen would be joining the cast of EastEnders as Peggy MitchellPeggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by...
's sister Sal. Anna Karen and the actress who plays Peggy, Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
, are "best friends" in reality and Windsor has expressed how happy she was to have Karen on the cast of EastEnders.
Producers decided to hire Karen after Michael French, who played "romeo" David Wicks
David Wicks
David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael French. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996...
decided to quit. They reportedly failed to lure back June Brown
June Brown
June Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
, who played Dot Cotton
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...
between 1985 and 1993 (although they were successful in doing so a year later). They asked Karen to audition and decided she "was just the ticket".
Commenting on her casting, Karen said, "It's great to be back on the box and a real treat to be working alongside my old mate [Barbara Windsor]."
Kate Lock brands Sal as "Peggy's blabbermouth sister" and "She has a hide thicker than Peggy's, a penchant for interfering and a tendency to become loud and hideously embarrassing after a couple of drinks".