Louise Mitchell

[maidmarian]

What age would Louise be now?

Doesnt give an exact date of birth.
But says her mother married Mark
Fowler in 2002 so that Phil would
think Mark was her father.
So.approx 13.

Ben.was some years older and didn't
seem very nice to her-from what I
remember!

[Dazzle]

Ben.was some years older and didn't
seem very nice to her-from what I
remember!

Coincidentally, Phil actually mentioned the incident where Ben burnt Louise with a scalding hot spoon in the last episode.

[Perdita]

EastEnders will reintroduce the character of Louise Mitchell next year - and she's bound to cause a stir in Walford.

Newcomer Tilly Keeper has taken over the part of Phil's 14-year old daughter, who made her last appearance in Albert Square in 2010.

Long-term EastEnders fans will know that Phil has a turbulent history with his youngest child, and she was last seen being returned to her mother Lisa Fowler when Peggy feared her son wasn't fit to look after her.

Bosses are currently staying tight-lipped on why Louise will be returning to the Mitchell fold, but with Phil struggling to control his drinking, her return promises to make a big impact.

Billed as feisty and fearless, Louise has developed a fraught relationship with her mum over the years and is determined to become a true Mitchell. But how will a troubled Phil react when he comes face to face with his daughter again?

Speaking about her new role, 18-year-old Keeper commented: "I am so thrilled to be joining the cast of EastEnders, especially to be joining the Mitchell clan!

"It's a dream come true and I can't wait to get stuck into the role and see what lies in store for Louise."

EastEnders will air Louise's return early next year.

[sarah c]

Lucy mark II anyone?

[lizann]

herself and shakhy are gonna get very close so much for best matey bex

[lizann]

she gets with shakhy new mate travis of course before ultimately getting with shakhy

[Perdita]

It's been a rollercoaster year for EastEnders teen Louise Mitchell, as she's dealt with everything from love triangles to her dad Phil's tragic struggle with alcoholism.

Now 2017 is getting off to an equally dramatic start, with newcomer Keegan causing trouble and a big Albert Square disaster on the way.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Tilly Keeper, who plays Louise, to reflect on the past 12 months and get an insight into what might be next.

First things first – what can you tell us about this shock disaster hitting Albert Square next week?

"Absolutely nothing! (Laughs.) I think it's definitely, definitely one to watch. I would certainly keep your eyes on those episodes. Filming them was hard work but really fun. I can't say anything else, though!"

Do you think it's better when EastEnders keeps these big storylines so secret?

"Oh, definitely. I think it's great when you're watching the episodes and all of a sudden, something big happens. Even for us when we're reading the scripts and we see that a big secret is coming out, you stop and you don't turn the page anymore because you just go: 'What the hell?!'

"It's brilliant for the audience to get the same experience when they're watching the show."

It's been a year since you joined EastEnders now. How's it all gone for you?

"It's really flown by. I was speaking to Shona McGarty (Whitney) the other day and she was talking about one of the buildings here, saying: 'Remember that?' I was like: 'No, because I wasn't here, I've only been here for a year'. She was really surprised and thought I'd been here for years!

"It's been the best year of my life and I've made some really good friends. I feel very, very blessed to be here."

What's the one big thing about EastEnders that nobody tells you before you join?

"Probably how much everyone will mean to you. I never expected to make such good friends on the show. I was really nervous about coming in and being a wallflower. I was worried that I'd just go in, go to the dressing room, go to the set and then just go home.

"But there's such a lovely family unit here. It's such a cliché to say that, but it really is and I really didn't expect that. I'm close to all of the young cast members. Jazz [Armfield, who plays Bex] and Shaheen [Jafargholi, who plays Shakil] are my best friends.

"I'm also close to Jamie [Borthwick] and Harry [Reid] who play my brothers. I've also known Jacqueline Jossa [Lauren] for a while, so it was lovely when I joined the show and then she came back."

How do your friends feel about you being part of the show? Do they just treat you the same way?

"Oh yeah! All my friends are at university so I don't get to see them as much as I'd like to, but often they'll FaceTime me and they'll have the EastEnders theme tune playing in the background! But they just treat me exactly the same."

Do you think viewers have warmed to Louise over the past year? She hasn't always been easy to like...

"I hope so. She came in and she was really bratty, feisty and a bit malicious. Then as the year has gone on, we've seen a much more caring side to her, particularly in the story with Phil's liver failure and alcoholism.

"I think that's made the audience realise that Louise isn't all bad and that she is quite vulnerable. Even if they don't like her, I think she's one of the characters who you like to hate. You can still find her funny in that respect because she's such a cow."

Which side of her do you prefer?

"I do love it when she's a bitch because it's fun to play. But then I also love the vulnerable scenes, because they're often with Steve [McFadden, who plays Phil] and Tish [Dean, who plays Sharon], who I love to work with. It is nice to have both, but the bitchy side is always a lot of fun."

Did you always know that EastEnders weren't really killing off Phil Mitchell?

"We were thinking: 'You can't kill him off!' But then there was a point where I thought: 'Oh my God, they could kill him off!' We had no clue. They never tell us anything, especially if it's not our personal storyline.

"We don't have meetings about other people's storylines. So it was a lovely surprise on Christmas Day when he got the transplant."

How was it to see Samantha Womack and Rita Simons bow out as Ronnie and Roxy?

"Oh, I loved Ronnie and Roxy's characters. Filming their last episode was so much fun. It was probably the most fun I've had here, because it was a location shoot as well.

"Obviously it was sad to see them go, but it was a great and really beautiful episode. Nobody knew how it was going to play out, either. We had no clue – again, because we never know about other people's storylines.

"I'm also really enjoying the aftermath at the minute. Scott Maslen's doing an amazing job playing the grieving husband."

Looking forward, can we expect the new guy Keegan to cause trouble for the teens?

"I think so. He didn't make a very good first impression on Louise in his first episode, did he? Keegan is a bit of a troublemaker and he doesn't seem like he's got a good bone in his body at the moment. He's definitely going to be an interesting character to follow."

How does it feel to now be up for Best Newcomer at the National Television Awards?

"I feel very honoured to be nominated. It was a really lovely surprise. I'm just excited and it's nice that I've been put up for it because it hopefully shows that I've made some kind of impression. I was so surprised to be nominated that I can't even think about the actual night, to be honest."

Do you think EastEnders could grab the Best Soap prize?

"I hope so. We are doing really well and the stories that we've produced this year have been really exciting drama, but there's always really healthy competition between the soaps. It'd be great if we won."

How did you get into acting in the first place?

"I did the typical route that every girl probably does – I started out doing dance lessons. Then someone in the family recommended a dance school and I got my agent from that. I always had auditions, but it was something I wanted to do myself and I was never pushed into doing it.

"When I left sixth form, I got the EastEnders role the next month. That was my first high-profile, full-on job. So I've had a real blessing here. I haven't had that struggle that actors go through of going months without getting anything."

What's your dream storyline for Louise's future?

"Obviously Louise is still young at the minute, but when she's older, maybe she could have a little business on the Square. I loved Ronnie Mitchell, so I'd like to see her develop that Mitchell power and attitude, particularly within the Square. And just become a family girl."

Digital Spy

[tammyy2j]

I like Tilly and her portrayal of Louise just wish her mother Lisa got a mention like does she keep in touch

[lizann]

shakhy is her hero he saved her so predicatbly she will be in love with him

[indigodance]

I wish someone would give her a smack !!! what she did to Bex was awful .... yet she still trys to be friends .... jealous spoilt brat.