Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)

Fictional character from EastEnders

Sam Mitchell (also Butcher and Hunter) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to appear on the soap, Sam was introduced as a 15 year old schoolgirl in July 1990, originally played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but Sam reappeared from 1995 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2000. In both stints, Sam was written out earlier than the producers intended due to off screen controversies surrounding Westbrook. In January 2002, Sam was introduced for a fourth time, but the role was recast to Kim Medcalf, who stayed in the role until November 2005. Diederick Santer later decided to reintroduce Sam for a brief stint in 2009 and opted to bring Westbrook back. Westbrook briefly reprised the role once again in 2016 for the funeral of Sam's mother Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor). In January 2022, it was announced that Sam would be returning to the show, this time played by Medcalf again. Medcalf’s return scenes aired on 18 April 2022. Medcalf took an extended break from the show in 2023, with Sam departing on 13 April 2023 and returning seven months later on 21 November 2023. On 18 January 2024, Sam made an unannounced departure from the show following Medcalf's decision to leave indefinitely. Sam was initially portrayed as a young, naïve girl who had initially relied less upon her mother Peggy than her older brothers Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), although she gradually evolved into becoming more flirty, headstrong, and charismatic, with a penchant for dating the wrong men and a determination to be taken more seriously. As a teenager, Sam falls in love and elopes with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) to marry him. Her stint between 2002–2005 focused on Sam becoming a stronger character and taking control of the Mitchell empire, leading to a feud with the Watts family. She feuds with Den Watts' (Leslie Grantham) wife Chrissie (Tracy Ann Oberman) after she incriminates both Sam and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) for Den's murder. As a result, Sam suffers a mental breakdown and subsequently flees Walford to escape punishment for perverting the course of justice. Amongst various feuds with many characters, other storylines have seen her become involved in love triangles with Ricky and Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Steve Owen (Martin Kemp) and his wife Mel (Tamzin Outhwaite), being conned out of all the Mitchell businesses by family lawyer Marcus Christie (Stephen Churchett) and Den Watts, key involvement in Den's and her uncle Archie's (Larry Lamb) murders, an affair with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), as well as struggling to cope with motherhood after giving birth to Jack's son Ricky Branning (Henri Charles/Frankie Day). Sam's return in 2022 saw her clash with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), and Denise Fox (Diane Parish), her struggle to be taken more seriously by her family causing her to scheme with Phil's nemesis Jonah Tyler (Mark Mooney) in taking over Phil's assets, discovering that her son Ricky is becoming a father at twelve years old, a failed reunion with Ricky Butcher, and publicly revealing Phil’s one night stand with Lola Pearce’s (Danielle Harold) mother, Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit), which leads to her departure from the show.

Sam is the youngest child and only daughter of Peggy (Jo Warne/Barbara Windsor/Jaime Winstone) and Eric Mitchell (George Russo). Eric spoiled Sam and treated her like a princess, whilst Sam idolised her brothers Phil (Steve McFadden/Daniel Delaney) and Grant (Ross Kemp/Teddy Jay). By the time Eric died when Sam was ten, she was subsequently on the receiving end of her two older brothers' heavy handed paternalism.

Fifteen year old Sam follows her brothers to Walford, unhappy at home because she dislikes their mother's boyfriend, Kevin Masters (Colin McCormack). She becomes friends with Hattie Tavernier (Michelle Gayle) and dates Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen). Sam's family disapproves of the relationship, so Ricky and Sam decide to elope to Gretna Green; they marry despite the Mitchells trying to stop the nuptials. Peggy admits defeat and attends their more formal blessing in Walford a month later. Sam fails to earn schooling qualifications and starts to believe that she can have a career in modelling, but when she attempts to get a portfolio done by a professional photographer, he persuades her to do a topless shoot and the photos are then published in a pornographic magazine. This causes problems in Ricky and Sam's relationship, and after just a year of marriage, Sam grows bored and begins lusting after a playboy named Clive (Sean Gallagher) whom she meets at a New Year's Eve party with her friend Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton). After having a brief affair, Sam thinks she has fallen in love with Clive, but he makes it clear that he is only interested in sex when he tries to coax her into having a threesome. Realising that her marriage with Ricky is over, Sam leaves her husband and Walford. Sam returns after her brothers, on a boy's holiday in Spain, catch her in bed with David Wicks (Michael French), and force her to return. Fearful of being alone, Sam tries to come between Ricky and his girlfriend, Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer). Initially, Ricky thinks he still has feelings for Sam and delays divorcing her, but eventually realises he is better off with Bianca. Soon after, she meets a Spanish man named Guillermo (Robert Reina), who is holidaying in England. When he invites her to join him in the Spanish costas she leaves Walford again. Sam returns for a fleeting visit but decides that she wants to settle down in Walford once more. During this time, she embarks on a relationship with Beppe di Marco (Michael Greco). However, Sam takes things more seriously than Beppe does. After he ends the relationship, Sam looks for comfort elsewhere, turning to local club owner and Phil's adversary Steve Owen (Martin Kemp) for support. They have a one night stand, but he is only using her to make his fling Mel Beale (Tamzin Outhwaite) jealous. When Beppe also makes it clear that he is not interested in taking her back, a hurt Sam leaves Walford once again.

Peggy finds Sam, working in a lap dancing club in Spain; ashamed and penniless, Sam returns to Walford with her mother. Sam has another brief relationship with Steve Owen, however, he is using her again as a final act of revenge against Phil. Following Steve's untimely death, Phil then humiliates Sam by revealing the affair in front of Steve's widow Mel and Phil's ex girlfriend Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin). Sam then proceeds to have flings with Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns) and Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), respectively – as well as briefly having a relationship with her ex lover Beppe. Sam moves in with Ricky and she redevelops feelings for him. When he ends his relationship with Natalie Evans (Lucy Speed), they have sex. She is left embarrassed when her feelings are not reciprocated by Ricky, who returns to Natalie. Sam begins a fling with Dennis' father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) but is left humiliated after he sacks her from her job at his family's club. When her brother Phil goes on the run after escaping prison for an armed robbery, for which he has been set up for by Den, Sam avenges him by attempting to outbuy his former wife Kate Mitchell (Jill Halfpenny) out of her business in an attempt to leave her penniless. She hires Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) to smash up the salon as revenge on Kate for giving up Phil's daughter Louise (Rachel Cox) to her unstable mother Lisa, and later persuades Billy to torch Phil's snooker club in an insurance scam, an act that results in Den's nightclub burning down and his daughter Vicki Fowler (Scarlett Alice Johnson) nearly perishing in the fire. She clashes with Den's adoptive daughter Sharon (Letitia Dean) over the insurance of the nightclub and Dennis vows revenge, and he is only warned off when his friend Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs), Walford's gangland kingpin, begins a relationship with Sam. She falls in love with Andy and he manages to turn her against her allies. Sam is unaware of Andy's true colours and she disowns her cousin Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) when he tries to warn her about Andy's devious intentions and his affair with Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace). They marry, and soon after the wedding, Sam's world crumbles when she discovers that Paul Trueman (Gary Beadle) has been secretly selling drugs for Andy. Sam also finds out that Andy had beaten up Minty for trying to stop their wedding. Despite this, she takes him back when he promises to change. Andy later fools Sam into signing over control of Phil's house, and she is then conned out of all the Mitchell businesses by family lawyer Marcus Christie (Stephen Churchett) and Den. Andy, realising Sam is no use to him, throws her out of their house – leaving her penniless. A destitute Sam is later taken in by Minty. Whilst trying to move on from her marriage with Andy, she has a brief relationship with Andy's rival Danny Moon (Jake Maskall). Sam becomes determined to get revenge on Den; she teams up with his wife Chrissie (Tracy Ann Oberman) and Kat's daughter Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) who herself had become a victim of Den as a result of her relationship with Dennis to carry out their vengeful plot against Den. On the night of Den's wedding anniversary to his late wife Angie (Anita Dobson), the three women confront him at The Queen Victoria public house shortly after he closes up. Zoe strikes Den over the head with Pauline Fowler's (Wendy Richard) iron doorstop and this is thought to have killed him; however, when Zoe and Sam leave the room, Den grabs Chrissie's ankle and she responds by hitting him on the head a second time – finally killing him. In the moment where Chrissie kills Den, however, Sam secretly witnesses this, and she later grows appalled when Chrissie allows Zoe to believe that her blow killed Den. As Chrissie has possession of The Queen Vic following Den's death, Sam blackmails her – threatening to unveil Chrissie as Den's killer unless she gives her money and later the pub. Chrissie and Sam, both complicit in Den's murder, decide to call a truce to avoid going to prison. They decide to co run The Queen Vic, but this lasts briefly as Sam cannot trust Chrissie, leading to her being sacked. On the day after Den's murder, to which the Square is unaware of yet, Sam is surprised to learn that Andy had died on the same night; Andy was murdered by his gangland rival Johnny Allen (Billy Murray). In the events of Andy's funeral, Sam smugly attends his will meeting; she is shocked to learn that he has left his and Sam's money to a dog's trust. She is further horrified when he leaves her nothing but a wedding ring. As she struggles to move on from Andy and their turbulent marriage, Sam learns that Chrissie is attempting to sell the pub and leave Walford. She soon begins drinking heavily and, determined to expose Chrissie as Den's killer, smashes up Den's resting place in The Queen Vic cellar and tries to dig him up. The plan backfires; all evidence points to Sam when Zoe's relative Stacey (Lacey Turner) gives Chrissie and Zoe a false alibi; telling the police that they were both with her the night Den was killed. Sam is then charged with murder, and when Peggy returns to the Square and learns about Sam's recent troubles, she visits her and Sam tells Peggy that Chrissie was the one who killed Den. Believing Sam, an outraged Peggy vows to prove her innocence. The Mitchells pay a visit to the Slaters and desperately try to pressure Stacey into dropping her story for Chrissie so that Sam can be released, but to no avail, due to interference from Kat, who is trying to protect Zoe. Eventually, with help from Sharon and Dennis – who end up learning the truth about their father's murder – the Mitchells are finally able to prevent Johnny from destroying a secret videotape of Chrissie confessing Den's murder to her boyfriend and Danny's brother, Jake (Joel Beckett). The police are given the tape and they trace Chrissie to the airport, where they arrest her for Den's murder. Sam is later released from custody but still faces a charge of perverting the course of justice and a prison sentence of up to four years. This prospect is too daunting for Sam, and with the help of Phil, she decides to flee the country while on bail. After an emotional farewell with her family, Sam leaves for Brazil.

Phil sends Ricky to Brazil on an errand where he meets Sam, and she returns with him to London, using a fake passport. She immediately causes a stir by drawing attention to herself and reignites her old feud with Bianca. The Mitchells try to keep her hidden, but Bianca, jealous of Ricky's renewed feelings for Sam, calls the police and informs them that Sam is back in the country. Sam is eventually arrested while trying to flee but is later released on bail when her cousin Ronnie (Samantha Janus) pays the surety. Sam and Ricky get engaged, but Sam has an affair with Ronnie's fiancée Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Her uncle Archie (Larry Lamb) tells Bianca about Sam and Jack's affair, who tells Ricky, and after a showdown, Ricky ends the engagement. With Jack also deserting her, Sam takes Archie's money and flees, causing the Mitchells to lose the pub. She returns to Walford on Christmas Day, hoping to make amends. On that same day, Archie is murdered and Sam becomes one of the suspects after a confrontation with Archie prior to his death. Phil, Peggy and Ronnie also have motives, and in order to stop the police from framing them, they decide Sam should take the blame and leave the country. Sam overhears their plan and in a rage turns herself in, implicating Peggy for Archie's murder as revenge. Sam is then arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison for her role in Den's murder, five years earlier. When Peggy attempts to visit, Sam is hostile and rejects her mother, as well as dismissing the Mitchell name. Seven months later, Peggy visits Sam in prison and discovers she is heavily pregnant. Sam does not know if Ricky or Jack is the father and she refuses to reconcile with Peggy; however, when she is hospitalised and goes into labour, she reconsiders, requesting Peggy's help. Sam gives birth to a boy, Richard, but announces that she is giving him up for adoption. She only reconsiders as a means to reconcile with Ricky; she returns to Walford, having been released from prison early, but struggles with motherhood after Peggy decides to move away from the square. Ricky and Jack pester Sam to get a paternity test, and she lies about the results, claiming Ricky is the father; however, Bianca discovers the truth and Sam confesses that she had lied because Ronnie asked her to. Ronnie does not want Sam or Richard near Jack and manipulates her into leaving Walford and offers Sam money to do so. Sam decides to leave but, fearful of bringing up her baby alone, she seduces Minty into leaving with her. He soon realises Sam is using him and turns her down. Sam departs with Richard, alone, moving to Portugal to live with Grant. Almost six years later, Sam briefly returns to Walford alongside Richard, now nicknamed Ricky (Henri Charles), to attend Peggy's funeral. Jack decides that he wants to meet Ricky, so Sam allows this to happen. She then reveals to her cousin Roxy (Rita Simons) that she has been struggling to look after Ricky in Portugal and that he is better off with Jack. Sam secretly abandons Ricky at Jack and Ronnie's house and leaves in the back of a taxi, returning to Portugal.

Sam, now living in Spain, returns to visit Phil in prison after he summons her back to the UK on business. When Sam arrives back in Walford, Sharon, and Kat are unhappy to see her, and she reveals that Phil has left her in charge of his assets again, whilst he is in prison. Sam is then reunited with her son Ricky (now played by Frankie Day), much to the consternation of Jack and his civil partner Denise Fox (Diane Parish). Phil asks Sam to attend a business meeting with his money laundering associate Jonah Tyler (Mark Mooney). Sam agrees but fails to negotiate a deal with Jonah due to interference from Sharon, and in retaliation, Jonah threatens to launch a rivalry against Phil's businesses if she cannot fund protection. Feeling defeated, Sam prepares to go back to Spain, but when she sees how close Jack is with Ricky, she lies by threatening to take Ricky with her unless Jack helps her find incriminating information on Jonah. Jack accompanies Sam to meet with Jonah and she uses Jack's position as a Detective Inspector to blackmail Jonah into ending his threats and doing exactly what she wants; by accepting her offer of a higher markup percent on their business deal. Sam discovers that Jonah is planning on buying Ruby Allen's (Louisa Lytton) nightclub, and she convinces Phil that they should buy the club and run it together. However, Jonah ends up buying the club after Sam misses a meeting with Ruby's solicitors. Sam then proceeds to blackmail Denise by threatening to tell the police that Denise knew the truth about Vincent Hubbard's (Richard Blackwood) death, if she does not give Sam back the money that Phil had paid for her to open her salon, "Fox & Hair". After receiving the money, Sam succeeds in outbuying Jonah and decides to turn the club into a wine bar renaming it "Peggy's". She sacks staff members Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero) and Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) in the process, leading to Phil replacing Sam with Sharon as bar manager. Sam is unimpressed by Phil's decision to demote her, and after a failed attempt to reason with him, she attempts to blackmail Sharon by threatening to tell Kat about her secret prison visits with Phil, if she does not reinstate her back as bar manager. Sharon reminds her of the consequences of crossing Phil, so Sam begrudgingly backs down. She later sleeps with Sharon's younger half brother Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who is cheating on his girlfriend Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill). Just before the opening of Peggy's, Sam, Kat, Sharon, and Nancy's grandmother Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) are all held hostage by robbers who attempt to rob the bar, under the presumption that they have been sent by Jonah. The incident results in Sam getting shot, as a result of saving Kat, though it is later revealed that Sam had orchestrated the siege as revenge on Sharon and Kat for her downfall in the Mitchell empire. Shirley later discovers what Sam has been up to, and blackmails her for a share of the bar. Sam continues to disturb Sharon and Kat with threats under the disguise of Jonah, and she plans to manipulate Kat into signing control of Peggy's to Jonah, though Kat is unaware that she will be signing it over to Sam instead. It is later revealed that Sam is secretly working with Jonah to fleece her family, but her plans are stalled when Phil is released early from prison. She is forced to repay Jonah by allowing his men to sell drugs in the bar, however, this goes wrong when Zack unknowingly reports one of Jonah's men to the police for dealing drugs in the club. Sam confides in Zack and tells him everything about Jonah blackmailing her and making threats. Sam's nephew Ben (Max Bowden) purchases drugs from Jonah's dealers and almost dies from an overdose. Phil discovers that Sam had allowed this to happen, and disowns her. Sam tries to make it up to Phil and teams up with Zack to kidnap Ben's rapist Lewis Butler (Aidan O'Callaghan), so Phil can get revenge on Lewis for raping Ben. Sam drives with Phil to an abandoned warehouse, in a rented car with Lewis tied up in the boot. Just as they proceed to untie Lewis, an argument between Phil and Sam results in Phil unknowingly leaving the boot open, enabling Lewis to secretly escape. Lewis then lures them into the warehouse and manages to steal Phil's gun and holds both Phil and Sam at gunpoint in the warehouse, until Phil attacks him, grabs the gun and almost shoots him, but he is stopped by Ben. After months of blackmail from Shirley, she finally threatens to tell Phil everything unless Sam pays her more money, but Sam rebuffs Shirley's threats. Just as Shirley plans to go to Phil's house to expose Sam, Jonah shows up and also demands money from Sam. Phil sees Jonah confronting Sam and attacks him. Just before Jonah leaves, Phil is suspicious when he calls Sam a "snake", and Shirley eventually reveals that Sam had been secretly scheming with Jonah against him. Phil then throws Sam out of his house and she also faces the wrath of both Sharon and Kat when they find out that Sam had been responsible for the threats and the siege. Jack finds out about Sam's homelessness and he lets her stay in one of his flats so that she can remain close to Ricky. Sam continues her fling with Zack in the aftermath of Nancy's departure, however, her ex boyfriend Don (Nick Nevern) arrives from Spain and tries to win her back by proposing. Sam turns him down and lies that she is pregnant with Zack's child so Don will back down and leave Walford. Sam realises that she wants a serious relationship with Zack but he rejects her. Whilst trying to spend more time with Ricky, Sam sneaks into Jack's house to bribe her cousin and Ricky's half sister Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) into inviting her to her birthday party so that she can be with Ricky. She accidentally walks in on Amy self harming. Amy agrees to invite her if she promises not to tell her father, Jack, although Sam later does, resulting in Amy resenting her. Sam is reunited with her ex husband, Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), who has returned to Walford to visit his sister Janine (Charlie Brooks). Sam rejects Ricky after he re develops feelings for her, but Janine's fiancé Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) persuades her to go on a date with him. Sam later agrees to be Ricky's plus one at Mick and Janine's wedding. When Phil's nemesis Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) returns to Walford, Sam is initially hostile towards him. It is later revealed that they previously had a fling whilst in Spain together. Sam is suspicious of Keanu's reasons for coming back and investigates his behaviour. She follows him to a car park and catches him meeting with Phil's other nemesis DCI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman). She reports this to Phil and reveals that Keanu is an informer, but when Phil refuses to take action, Sam lures Keanu to Peggy's and attempts to seduce him to gain a confession. Sam goes on another date with Ricky on New Year's Eve. He then asks her to move to Germany with him once he secures sole custody of his niece Scarlett (Tabitha Byron), but she does not respond immediately. Sam then abandons Ricky when she receives a text from Phil, inviting her to join him and the rest of the family in Peggy's bar to welcome in the New Year, and to make amends. Soon afterwards she agrees to move to Germany with Ricky. However, it is revealed that twelve year old resident Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) has fallen pregnant and she names Sam's son Ricky as the father following a one night stand. As Sam tells Ricky Jnr that she is moving to Germany, he reveals to Sam that he has impregnated Lily and could face police questioning. Sam tells Jack and Denise, making Ricky Jnr furious. He later confides in Sam about becoming a father and asks her to remain in Walford and not move away with Ricky Butcher. Sam breaks the news to Ricky that she cannot leave her son again, and he leaves for Germany with Scarlett. Sam later tells the Brannings that she has decided to stay in Walford and vows to support her son. Lily chooses to keep her baby and Jack intervenes by trying to manipulate Lily into changing her mind, but upon Lily's mother Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) finding out, she bans the Brannings and Mitchells from having anything to do with Lily's baby. An upset Ricky Jnr decides to move in with Sam. Soon after, Sam receives a text from the Sexual Health Clinic, informing her that a previous partner has tested positive for an STI. She makes an appointment at the clinic and it is confirmed that she is negative. Sam then discovers that the text was about Zack and he opens up to her about his HIV diagnosis. In April 2023, Sam receives a call from Don, offering her the opportunity to manage his luxurious new bar in a hotel in Spain. Sam is tempted by the offer but is unsure whether to take it because she does not want to leave Ricky once again. Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) encourages Sam to take the job temporarily so she can financially support Ricky when his baby is born. Sam promises Ricky that she will be back to support him and that she is not abandoning him again. She then bids an emotional goodbye to Ricky, Jack and Honey before departing for Spain once again. One month later, Jack receives a call from Sam and she tells him the hotel staff are inundated and they need her to stay on for at least the summer. Several months later, Sam returns to the square when she is thrown out of a white van by a henchman whose boss she owes money to; she tells Phil that she has 24 hours to come up with £100,000 after she became involved in drug dealing whilst in Spain. Sam later meets up with the kingpin Camillo (Marco Zingaro) and he threatens to kill her if she does not pay him. Kat sees him trying to bundle Sam into his car and immediately tells Phil and Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), who rush to Sam’s aid. Phil later agrees to pay Camillo the £100,000 and tells Sam she can pay him back by working in Peggy’s for free until the debt is cleared. Sam once again throws herself into the middle of proving herself to her family, but Phil does not show her any respect or affection. In January 2024, the Mitchells find out that their Aunt Sal (Anna Karen) has passed away. At her wake, Sam discovers that Sal left her £33,000 in her will and is furious when Phil refuses to give her the money. Unfortunately for Phil, Sam finds out from Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) that Phil had slept with Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit), the mother of their dead relative Lola Pearce Brown (Danielle Harold), days before marrying Kat. Sam uses this information to blackmail Phil into giving her the money, otherwise she will tell Kat. Phil eventually gives her the money but belittles her in the process, and tells her to leave Walford. Sam then reveals everything to a packed pub, which is celebrating Kat and Phil's joint birthday. Kat declares that she is leaving Phil, while Phil disowns Sam once again and threatens her to leave the Square. Having been ousted by her family, Sam steals money from Phil’s safe and leaves it in an envelope for Ricky and then departs Walford for Canada.