Vinnie Monks
Encyclopedia
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. He made his final appearance on 1 December 2008.
after he knocked over Shirley Carter with his car when she was on her way to court. Vinnie offered to take her to hospital but she wanted to be in court for her son, Deano Wicks
. Vinnie went with her and then took Shirley to hospital and later offered a lift home along with Shirley's friend, Heather Trott. When they got home, Vinnie gave his phone number and address to Shirley and told her to telephone him if she needed anything. Shirley pretended to be more injured than she really was, telling Heather, "where there's blame, there's a claim".
He went on to work her shift at The Queen Victoria
so she could get her normal wages even though she was unable to work due to a neck injury, but he withheld her wages unless she agreed to go on a date with him. Shirley refused, but Vinnie gave her the money anyway along with his phone number. He later turned up a few weeks later when Heather phoned him and, although Shirley wasn't impressed at first, he won her over with a bottle of wine and they went on a date.
It was later revealed that Vinnie has a daughter named Hayley, although Heather thought Vinnie was having an affair when she heard him talking to her on the phone. It was also revealed that the car Vinnie was driving when he knocked Shirley down, was not his. Shirley broke up with Vinnie but they decided to get back together. Vinnie waited for Shirley at the underground station but her watch broke and she turned up late, and he had got on the train before she arrived.
He returned in April 2008 as he realised that he was in love with Shirley. He spent all his money on a deposit on a flat in Walford and begged Shirley to move in with him, forcing her to choose between him and current love interest Phil Mitchell
. When Phil showed no inclination of taking things further, a reluctant Shirley agreed to Vinnie's proposal and they began living together.
Over the next few months, Vinnie got a job as a taxi driver at the firm run by Pat Evans
and helped organise a Best of British day at The Queen Vic when Shirley was left in charge in June 2008 as the landlady Peggy Mitchell
had decided to go on holiday to Portugal
in order to visit her son Grant
and granddaughter Courtney. He ordered a carousel to be delivered to Walford for the day but it caused trouble when the Miller household exploded after May Wright set it alight as it blocked the road, resulting in the fire engine being unable to come to the rescue. This led to Vinnie, along with Ricky Butcher
and Tamwar Masood
, helping out by using the Union Jack flag as a net for Mickey Miller
to fall on.
Despite all this, however, things began to deteriorate in his relationship with Shirley. Over the next few months, Shirley found herself more in love with Phil and less in love with Vinnie. She spent less time with him, constantly going clubbing with Heather, and when Vinnie tried to be romantic by booking them a holiday, Shirley retaliated by taking Heather in his place. After she forgot his birthday, Vinnie finally confronted her, resulting in Shirley revealing her true feelings for Phil. This led to the end of their romance as Vinnie threw Shirley out of the flat, making her homeless. He later relented and gave her the keys to the flat, moving in instead with his mates Garry Hobbs
and Minty Peterson
.
The following month, Vinnie returned from a boys' holiday with Garry and Minty to find that his son Callum Monks had arrived in Walford and was squatting in their flat. During their conversation, it was revealed that Vinnie had lost touch with Callum over the years due to his extramarital affair which caused the breakdown of his marriage to Callum's mother. Father and son put their differences behind them and Vinnie allowed Callum to stay. He soon warned Callum to stay away from Stacey Branning, but upon returning from holiday with his daughter, discovered that they had become a couple.
Vinnie soon began to feel that his life in Walford was pointless, so when an old mate offered him the chance to travel across the world in a vintage car, he immediately took him up on it. Seeing that his ex-girlfriend Shirley was now down on her luck as Phil had a new girlfriend (Suzy Branning
), he invited her to come along with him. The couple rekindled their relationship and made their exit from Walford on 1 December 2008. Prior to them leaving, however, Vinnie handed Callum a watch belonging to Phil so that he could return it to him after they'd gone. It transpired that the night before Phil and Shirley had had a one-night stand
. With this thought weighing him down Vinnie stopped the car just outside Walford and told Shirley to return to Albert Square as by staying with him she'd only be settling for second best. As Shirley made her way back home, Vinnie was last seen driving off alone to catch a ferry to France
.
On 6 March 2009, before departing for good from the Square, his son Callum mentioned he was on his way to visit Vinnie after revealing that his mother had abused him when he was young. It was revealed that Vinnie and Callum are living in Southend.
. The character, described as "a loveable rogue", was brought in as a love interest for the character Shirley Carter (played by Linda Henry
) in October 2007. A BBC source said "Vinnie likes a challenge, and he’ll have a big one on his hands trying to get Shirley to crack a smile. She’s going to find him very irritating […]He’s lived quite a life and drives a flash car, but all is not quite what it seems. It’s not all kosher.”
The role was given to Bobby Davro
, known to the British
audience as a 1980s comic, impressionist, and a 1990s children's TV presenter. Davro has revealed that he auditioned for the role on the advice of actress Barbara Windsor
, who plays landlady Peggy Mitchell
: "It’s through her really that I got this chance." Bobby Davro was said to be "chuffed" when he got the part. He has commented: "EastEnders is a high-profile show, but I'm already used to the attention which being on telly brings […] I love the part and I’m learning. I’m still trying not to look straight at the camera, that’s the entertainer in me! Everyone has just been fantastic […] This is so exciting for me. I want to go in and really work hard and see myself get better […] I’ve never really acted before…I’m enjoying learning the trade."
Davro is one of several comedians or comic actors to be given a role in EastEnders, a tradition that goes back to 1987, when comedian Mike Reid
was cast as Frank Butcher
. The casting of a comedian in a dramatic role was highly controversial at the time, but over the years the wisdom of that decision was proved, as Frank became one of the show's most popular and iconic characters. Other comic actors featured in EastEnders include Barbara Windsor (known for her roles in Carry On films) as Peggy Mitchell, and entertainer Shane Richie
, who played Alfie Moon
. Vinnie has been described as a "chip off the old block" from former characters such as Frank and Alfie, with reports even claiming that he is being used as Alfie's replacement. Davro has commented on the comparison between his character and Shane Richie's character, Alfie: "Shane and I are big pals, we go back 20 years. We have the same sort of background and that’s probably why comparisons are being made. I don’t like that idea because Shane was such a good asset to the show. It puts a lot of pressure on me […] If [Vinnie] could be half as successful as Alfie Moon then I’d be well chuffed […] [Shane Richie] gave me some great advice…he told me to listen to the other actors and to learn your lines properly. That has helped so far…"
."
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 comedian Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
. 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. He made his final appearance on 1 December 2008.
Storylines
Vinnie was first seen in 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...
after he knocked over Shirley Carter with his car when she was on her way to court. Vinnie offered to take her to hospital but she wanted to be in court for her son, Deano Wicks
Deano Wicks
Dean "Deano" Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Matt Di Angelo. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters of Deano and his sister Carly were being axed by executive producer Diederick Santer...
. Vinnie went with her and then took Shirley to hospital and later offered a lift home along with Shirley's friend, Heather Trott. When they got home, Vinnie gave his phone number and address to Shirley and told her to telephone him if she needed anything. Shirley pretended to be more injured than she really was, telling Heather, "where there's blame, there's a claim".
He went on to work her shift at The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
so she could get her normal wages even though she was unable to work due to a neck injury, but he withheld her wages unless she agreed to go on a date with him. Shirley refused, but Vinnie gave her the money anyway along with his phone number. He later turned up a few weeks later when Heather phoned him and, although Shirley wasn't impressed at first, he won her over with a bottle of wine and they went on a date.
It was later revealed that Vinnie has a daughter named Hayley, although Heather thought Vinnie was having an affair when she heard him talking to her on the phone. It was also revealed that the car Vinnie was driving when he knocked Shirley down, was not his. Shirley broke up with Vinnie but they decided to get back together. Vinnie waited for Shirley at the underground station but her watch broke and she turned up late, and he had got on the train before she arrived.
He returned in April 2008 as he realised that he was in love with Shirley. He spent all his money on a deposit on a flat in Walford and begged Shirley to move in with him, forcing her to choose between him and current love interest Phil Mitchell
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...
. When Phil showed no inclination of taking things further, a reluctant Shirley agreed to Vinnie's proposal and they began living together.
Over the next few months, Vinnie got a job as a taxi driver at the firm run by 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...
and helped organise a Best of British day at The Queen Vic when Shirley was left in charge in June 2008 as the landlady Peggy Mitchell
Peggy 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...
had decided to go on holiday to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in order to visit her son 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...
and granddaughter Courtney. He ordered a carousel to be delivered to Walford for the day but it caused trouble when the Miller household exploded after May Wright set it alight as it blocked the road, resulting in the fire engine being unable to come to the rescue. This led to Vinnie, along with 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...
and Tamwar Masood
Tamwar Masood
Tamwar Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Himesh Patel. He made his first appearance on 1 October 2007.- Storylines :...
, helping out by using the Union Jack flag as a net for Mickey Miller
Mickey Miller
Michael "Mickey" Miller is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Joe Swash. He made his first appearance on 15 April 2003. Introduced as a guest character, Mickey proved popular and was turned into a regular by executive producer Louise Berridge. The character is...
to fall on.
Despite all this, however, things began to deteriorate in his relationship with Shirley. Over the next few months, Shirley found herself more in love with Phil and less in love with Vinnie. She spent less time with him, constantly going clubbing with Heather, and when Vinnie tried to be romantic by booking them a holiday, Shirley retaliated by taking Heather in his place. After she forgot his birthday, Vinnie finally confronted her, resulting in Shirley revealing her true feelings for Phil. This led to the end of their romance as Vinnie threw Shirley out of the flat, making her homeless. He later relented and gave her the keys to the flat, moving in instead with his mates Garry Hobbs
Garry Hobbs
Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000...
and Minty Peterson
Minty Peterson
Richard "Rick" Peterson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Cliff Parisi. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2002. His nickname was given to him because he was always late for work, turning up "after eight" when he was an apprentice mechanic...
.
The following month, Vinnie returned from a boys' holiday with Garry and Minty to find that his son Callum Monks had arrived in Walford and was squatting in their flat. During their conversation, it was revealed that Vinnie had lost touch with Callum over the years due to his extramarital affair which caused the breakdown of his marriage to Callum's mother. Father and son put their differences behind them and Vinnie allowed Callum to stay. He soon warned Callum to stay away from Stacey Branning, but upon returning from holiday with his daughter, discovered that they had become a couple.
Vinnie soon began to feel that his life in Walford was pointless, so when an old mate offered him the chance to travel across the world in a vintage car, he immediately took him up on it. Seeing that his ex-girlfriend Shirley was now down on her luck as Phil had a new girlfriend (Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning
Suzy Branning is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Maggie O'Neill, but was played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in 1996. O'Neill began filming in May 2008, and she made her first on-screen appearance on 8 July 2008....
), he invited her to come along with him. The couple rekindled their relationship and made their exit from Walford on 1 December 2008. Prior to them leaving, however, Vinnie handed Callum a watch belonging to Phil so that he could return it to him after they'd gone. It transpired that the night before Phil and Shirley had had a one-night stand
One-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...
. With this thought weighing him down Vinnie stopped the car just outside Walford and told Shirley to return to Albert Square as by staying with him she'd only be settling for second best. As Shirley made her way back home, Vinnie was last seen driving off alone to catch a ferry to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
On 6 March 2009, before departing for good from the Square, his son Callum mentioned he was on his way to visit Vinnie after revealing that his mother had abused him when he was young. It was revealed that Vinnie and Callum are living in Southend.
Background and casting
Vinnie Monks was introduced by the executive producer of EastEnders, Diederick SanterDiederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
. The character, described as "a loveable rogue", was brought in as a love interest for the character Shirley Carter (played by Linda Henry
Linda Henry
Linda Henry is an English actress, best known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV television drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.- Early life :...
) in October 2007. A BBC source said "Vinnie likes a challenge, and he’ll have a big one on his hands trying to get Shirley to crack a smile. She’s going to find him very irritating […]He’s lived quite a life and drives a flash car, but all is not quite what it seems. It’s not all kosher.”
The role was given to Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
, known to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
audience as a 1980s comic, impressionist, and a 1990s children's TV presenter. Davro has revealed that he auditioned for the role on the advice of actress 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....
, who plays landlady Peggy Mitchell
Peggy 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...
: "It’s through her really that I got this chance." Bobby Davro was said to be "chuffed" when he got the part. He has commented: "EastEnders is a high-profile show, but I'm already used to the attention which being on telly brings […] I love the part and I’m learning. I’m still trying not to look straight at the camera, that’s the entertainer in me! Everyone has just been fantastic […] This is so exciting for me. I want to go in and really work hard and see myself get better […] I’ve never really acted before…I’m enjoying learning the trade."
Davro is one of several comedians or comic actors to be given a role in EastEnders, a tradition that goes back to 1987, when comedian Mike Reid
Mike Reid (entertainer)
Michael Reid was an English comedian, actor, author and occasional television presenter from Hackney in east London, who is best remembered for playing the role of Frank Butcher in EastEnders and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround...
was cast as Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
. The casting of a comedian in a dramatic role was highly controversial at the time, but over the years the wisdom of that decision was proved, as Frank became one of the show's most popular and iconic characters. Other comic actors featured in EastEnders include Barbara Windsor (known for her roles in Carry On films) as Peggy Mitchell, and entertainer 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:...
, who played 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...
. Vinnie has been described as a "chip off the old block" from former characters such as Frank and Alfie, with reports even claiming that he is being used as Alfie's replacement. Davro has commented on the comparison between his character and Shane Richie's character, Alfie: "Shane and I are big pals, we go back 20 years. We have the same sort of background and that’s probably why comparisons are being made. I don’t like that idea because Shane was such a good asset to the show. It puts a lot of pressure on me […] If [Vinnie] could be half as successful as Alfie Moon then I’d be well chuffed […] [Shane Richie] gave me some great advice…he told me to listen to the other actors and to learn your lines properly. That has helped so far…"
Personality
Vinnie has been described as "a cheeky chap", a charmer, with a lot of old-fashioned values; the sort of person who would not do anyone an injustice. Davro has said "he’s a very sensitive bloke is Vinnie, He’s a bit scared of commitment, scared of getting hurt [...] I model him on a friend of mine, David, and also on Vince from [the BBC sitcom] Just Good FriendsJust Good Friends
Just Good Friends was a British sitcom written by the late John Sullivan. It starred Paul Nicholas and Jan Francis as former lovers Vincent Pinner and Penny Warrender, who meet in a pub five years after he jilted her at the altar....
."