Archie Mitchell

[lizann]

Nasty Archie Mitchell stoops to his lowest point yet – by exploiting his premature grand-daughter’s fight for life.

The manipulative dad puts a comforting arm around both fiancée Peggy and daughter Ronnie.

But behind his concern the twisted dad continues to torment his eldest daughter Ronnie.

In dramatic scenes, viewers will see her sister Roxy Mitchell go into labour and give birth early to a little girl.

The baby is taken straight off to intensive care where doctors say she is too delicate to hold.

But as Ronnie visits her tiny niece for the first time her dad can’t resist playing the perfect father, despite viewers knowing he’s really a rotter.

Archie forced Ronnie to give up her own baby for adoption when she was a teenager.

Recently viewers saw him lying that her daughter died at the age of four in the adoptive parents’ bath.

An EastEnders insider said: “When Roxy’s baby daughter arrives into the world early she faces a real fight for life.

“The entire Mitchell family are beside themselves and Ronnie feels it really badly.

“She believes she’s lost a daughter and doesn’t want her sister to experience the same pain. It’s all very close to her own heartache and Archie knows this.

“He really is a nasty piece of work where Ronnie is concerned. But he can’t control her.

“It’s going to be a very interesting time – especially as he’s also been pulling the wool over Peggy’s eyes.”

Fans of the hit BBC1 soap can catch the emotional scenes a week on Tuesday.

[Perdita]

The eagerly-awaited character of Archie Mitchell was introduced to Walford in July this year, but the lead up to his arrival saw various Hollywood names in the frame, including Terence Stamp, Malcolm McDowell and Ray Winstone. The role was finally secured by ever-popular Gavin & Stacey actor Larry Lamb. His arrival in Albert Square rocked many boats, not least his daughter Ronnie's (Samantha Janus) who continues to spurn his efforts to make amends. Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), however, quickly succumbed to his controlling charms and agreed to marry him. Here, Larry chats to DS about his character, Ronnie and Archie's mutual hatred and Christmas week.

Did you like the way they'd built the character of Archie before you'd even arrived?
"Absolutely. I can remember them saying 'look, there's your picture on the computer' and when I looked, there was a silhouette in place of the character's head. All I needed was to fill in that blank and join the dots."

When you first joined, did you feel a certain kind of responsibility to the Mitchells and EastEnders?
"Yeah, it's a huge responsibility joining a show like EastEnders. It's like an institution that's been rocking along for twenty-odd years and it's something that everybody capable of looking at a television knows about."

Is there more to Ronnie and Archie's hatred than him taking her baby away all those years ago?
"I think so. The thing is, we're still exploring it now and there are still things emerging. Archie's somebody who's made a lot of mistakes in his past, wanting everybody to come up to speed and not still deal with him the way they knew him back then. There's an element of misunderstanding with Archie, but Ronnie's obviously been so badly stung by him."

Why does Archie still carry on their animosity?
"Well, I think what he does is that he gets so exasperated that he just gives up for a while. He sometimes thinks that he's flogging a dead horse and can't keep on trying to get Ronnie to like him, so he just carries on trying to get everyone else to like him. He tends to devote himself to Roxy, though there's always the slight possibility lurking in the background that things can change with him."

Moving onto Christmas week, Archie's got Suzy by the short and curlies, hasn't he?
"I think she's got him by the short and curlies! The crux of Christmas week for Archie is that he's woven so many webs that he's becoming terrified that something's going to unravel and he's going to be seriously exposed for what he's been cooking."

But he turns the situation on its head, doesn't he?
"Yeah, Suzy gets the blame. She's walked into Archie's trap, but she blows her way out of it. Archie's hoisted on his own petard."

Do we realise that Archie has a conscience over Christmas?
"The thing with him is, that if he was to be clinically analysed, he'd probably be diagnosed with schizophrenia or something. So it's a case of which conscience are you talking about? The Archie that adores baby Amy and Roxy, or the Archie that's unleashing all kinds of hell on other people? He's a weirdo!"

Why does Archie try to ruin things, even thought he knows his golden child Roxy is involved?
"There are calculated risks for Archie. If he's going in on the attack, there's always going to be some innocents that are injured along the way. His job is to try and keep that to a minimum and clean them up if they are injured. He's a calculating minx."

A lot of people are billing you as the best EastEnders villain since Dirty Den…
"I should be so lucky!"


Bonus Scoop: 'EastEnders' actor Larry Lamb


At the beginning of the month, I caught up with Larry Lamb at EastEnders' Christmas screening on the South Bank in London and I have to say, what a nice guy he is.

My chat with the Gavin & Stacey-turned-Walford star appears here. If you'd like to read more about what's to come for Archie Mitchell, Peggy's select wardrobe and Archie's bar stool, read on...

Archie's character biog says that he has a 'chequered past'. Are there more skeletons in his closet yet to be discovered?
"I think there might be. It's interesting that Archie's background is all tied up in making money in different sorts of places and different ways. The one thing he's admitted to is that he bought and sold some clubs and bars and we've always figured that somewhere in his background there are some other property deals. It'd be interesting to see what goes on with the current financial situation. It may well be that it affects him. You never know what they're going to unleash on you here!"

And can you give any teasers as to when we'll be hearing wedding bells for Archie and Peggy?
"Yeah, wedding bells are very definitely in line for the New Year. He's called it off though, and at the moment, they're friendly but they're living under a flag of truce with an element of mystery lurking."

What about Peggy's frumpy frocks? They're hideous aren't they?
"I rather like them! I think they've figured out what Archie likes a women wearing!"

What's it like working with Sam, Rita and Barbara?
"Fabulous. The ability of some people to put together a cast of people who not only look right together but play right together is quite extraordinary. Some people just have that talent and Diederick [Santer] is just somebody who knows how to put together a stew. He knows what he wants."

Is there a reason why Archie just sits at the bar on the same stool all the time?
"If you go around to pubs and bars around the country, or as they used to be, at times in the day when there's not a rush, you'll always see the boss or the boss's wife in their spot. You won't see them there at seven at night, but you'll see them there in the day with a cup of tea, doing the crossword chatting to punters and watching. Archie's not into booze, either, so he's going to do that - it's his vantage point."

[Dutchgirl]

Is there a reason why Archie just sits at the bar on the same stool all the time?
"If you go around to pubs and bars around the country, or as they used to be, at times in the day when there's not a rush, you'll always see the boss or the boss's wife in their spot. You won't see them there at seven at night, but you'll see them there in the day with a cup of tea, doing the crossword chatting to punters and watching. Archie's not into booze, either, so he's going to do that - it's his vantage point."

I was wondering the same. He always sits there scrutinizing the people in the bar and especially the Mitchel family.

i thought he had a successful business.

[walsh2509]

For me its time up for Archie , does nothing. What a chance the programmers had at the Christmas Vic dinner, as Suzy is bowing out it should have been she lets rip with the DNA test in front of everyone and then says to roxy it was your dad that put me up to it and paid me £10,000 from the safe to do it.

Peggy after him , Phil after him Sean and both girls .. it would have been a classic. It was good but for me if it had went down that way it would have been even better.

[Red08]

Is this bloke ever gona get found out - I can't stand the character he plays - can't wait for him to loose Roxy when she finds out what he's really like!

[Siobhan]

Is this bloke ever gona get found out - I can't stand the character he plays - can't wait for him to loose Roxy when she finds out what he's really like!

I am sure he will be found out when Danielle tells Ronnie who she is.. after all Archie said she went to her funeral.. I hope they find out soon.. besides, aren't Peggy and himself suppose to get married in March???? I might come out then

[sindydoll]

Is this bloke ever gona get found out - I can't stand the character he plays - can't wait for him to loose Roxy when she finds out what he's really like!

I am sure he will be found out when Danielle tells Ronnie who she is.. after all Archie said she went to her funeral.. I hope they find out soon.. besides, aren't Peggy and himself suppose to get married in March???? I might come out then

when does she tell her?

[Perdita]

LOOK out, Archie * Peggy wants you dead! And when she gets her tough-guy son Phil involved, it looks like she might get her wish!
After the revelations at last week's wedding reception from hell, Peggy is determined not to take her lying husband back.

She orders Phil to get rid of every trace of the celebrations from The Vic.

And it's not just the presents Peggy wants gone * she tells Phil to murder Archie!

"After the wedding, Archie thinks he can sweet-talk Peggy round," says Larry Lamb, who plays him. "He doesn't believe that she would ever hurt him." First, Peggy calls Archie and asks him to come over *then flings a bin bag holding every piece of clothing he's ever bought for her at him!

Later in the week, a van pulls up beside Archie and a masked man hauls him in.

Terrified Archie ends up at the Arches, blindfolded and with his hands bound * by Phil! First, Phil pretends he is holding a gun to Archie's head * then he threatens him with a blowtorch.

"Archie begs for his life," adds Larry. "He offers Phil all his savings to spare him." But Phil orders Archie into the garage pit and says he's going to fill it with concrete.

"This will be the first time we see Archie scared and vulnerable," explains Larry. "He realises everything is out of his control." Sobbing, Archie promises never to return to Walford if Phil lets him out, but Phil starts the cement mixer.

Will he carry out his mum's wish and bury Archie alive?

From The Sun

[Chloe O'brien]

No he won't Phil will set him free and Archie will kick is sorry butt.

[di marco]

phil doesnt go through with it which really annoys peggy