Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty)

[Siobhan]

SIOBHAN
yes i do watch it and know the story,
my point is, perhaps not quite so long winded,
that there are other teens who are not stroppy and are missed, but the worry is, showing YOU CAN ALWAYS RUN AWAY is not the answer.
awareness is needed big time long before they become pains in the butt,

They kept it that long as it had to coincide with RND.. yes I agreed about the running away is not always the answer.. but that is what a lot of teens feel or there would be such a focus on this.
As for awareness, Janine did her part in this.. Ricky was always aware and did want her back home.. 1st time is was Carol who stopped it when Ricky got through to her and 2nd time was Janine telling her that she was not wanted... As a teen, if you feel you are not wanted at home, where do you go to??
Parents need to be aware and perhaps this is also part of this storyline.. Parents, by watching this, might be come more aware of how their teens are behaving and try talk to them about this..
In a sense Whitney didn't really run away.. she went of for a weekend with Rob and he manipulated her to stay and do what she is doing.. It is not like she just packed a bag and was picked up off the street.

[owenlee4me]

ah well guess as long as the message is getting through to vunerable people then it's been worth it

[Siobhan]

ah well guess as long as the message is getting through to vunerable people then it's been worth it

Yeah.. that is the point of this.. if it can save even just one person (like the Tony abuse storyline did) then it was worth doing

[amzzio]

i think its making teenagers more aware of what situation they could get themselves into. that something that sounds too good to be true probably is. i think its a great storyline highlighting the dangers out there and therefore opening your eyes and making you more aware of the evils that can fall on you at any moment.i just hate that stuff like this goes on around us. itll certainly open my eyes to realise that these things really happen.

[Dutchgirl]

Well the mind is such a weird thing. maybe you know it is to good to be true. Maybe you sense something is not quite right. But still one can get into situations which are unavoidable.
Thugs like Rob can smell troubled teens miles away and know how to play them. It is so nasty.

I work at a Special Needs Primary school and always hope girls do not end up in bad situations.

[tammyy2j]

[Siobhan]

thank Tammy.. I got to see it last night on BBC 3.. it was very dark and scary.. Glad she got out.. Rob is evil!!

[alan45]

DESPERATE Ricky Butcher shows a young hooker a snap of his vulnerable step-daughter Whitney - and lands in trouble with police.
EastEnders' dozy mechanic, played by Sid Owen, heads into a red-light district hoping to find wayward Whitney (Shona McGarty) and take her safely home to Albert Square.

But police mistake him for a kerb crawler and he has to beg them not to throw the book at him in the episode to be aired next Tuesday.

(c) THe Sun

[Perdita]

Jody Latham has revealed that he is keen to reprise his role as EastEnders villain Rob Grayson.

The actor's sinister character appeared on the BBC soap in February and March, playing a key role in Whitney Dean's sexual exploitation storyline as he used her for his own financial gain.

In an interview with OK magazine, Latham spoke of how much he enjoyed his time in Walford and the experience of playing a bad guy.

He explained: "I always say it's better to play the bad guy - everyone remembers the bad guy. They get the best endings.

"I had an absolutely great time on EastEnders. It was a breath of fresh air. Everyone was laid back and everybody gets on so well. It's very friendly."

Discussing the possibility of a future comeback for Rob, he added: "Judging from the way it was left, the door is wide open, so you never know. I would love to come back and cause some trouble."

Latham recently admitted that he shed tears after meeting real-life prostitutes to research Whitney and Rob's dark plotline.

DS

[Perdita]

Jody Latham is returning to EastEnders as evil pimp Rob Grayson, it has been confirmed.

The actor will rejoin the BBC One soap over the coming weeks to film the conclusion of Whitney Dean's sex exploitation storyline.

A source told the Daily Star Sunday: "Whitney will not be going back on the streets but the writers felt the storyline needed to be tied up so Jody is coming back for a couple of episodes. Whitney is currently having to come to terms with everything that she did while under Rob's spell and she's not coping very well.

"She's trying to move on but, with everyone knowing that she worked as a prostitute, she's finding it all very *difficult. The writers decided it would be good for her to come face to face with Rob again once she's strong enough to do so.

"They've written the conclusion to her storyline and Jody will be back to film the dramatic ending in a couple of weeks time. Rob is set to finally get his comeuppance."

A spokesman said: "Jody Latham will be returning to EastEnders to conclude Whitney's *storyline."

Latham recently admitted that he wanted to reprise his role as Rob, saying "everyone remembers the bad guy".


DS