Ryan Malloy

For months, EastEnders newcomer Neil McDermott has been named only as 'man' on the credits but his identity has now finally been revealed.

Ladies and gentlemen - as most of the online community have already guessed, Ryan is indeed Whitney's half-brother.

Until now, Whitney - played by Shona McGarty - has believed her male follower to be her knight in shining armour.

We saw Ryan fend off Whitney's potential love interest Todd Taylor (Ashley Kumar) back in February and then at the beginning of last month, he rugby tackled Nick Cotton (John Altman) to the ground before the café exploded.

However, in a fortnight's time, Whtiney's handsome stranger reveals his true identity to his half-sister.

So what do we know about Ryan? Well, he's nine years older than Whitney and they both have the same mother in Debra Dean (Ruth Gemmell). Surprisingly for soap, Ryan has "something of a dark past" and when Whitney starts asking questions about his life, Ryan immediately clams up. He's a closed, moody character and quick-witted kind of a guy, but certainly won't back away from potential trouble.

Ryan has an eye for the ladies, too. Anyone in particular, I hear you cry? Well, Ronnie Mitchell's (Samantha Womack) on the top of his proverbial 'to do' list...

A thief by nature, Ryan apparently doesn't stay in the same place for too long. So will he be hanging around for a while in Walford? He's certainly there for something - and if it's not his sister, then what?

Speaking of his role, McDermott said: "I was really excited when I joined EastEnders and it's great that the viewers will finally learn who Ryan is and what he's all about."

Executive producer Diederick Santer added: "Neil is a charismatic young actor playing an intriguing and complex character. While incognito, he made a big impression on EastEnders viewers. Now they know who he actually is, I'm sure things will get even more exciting."

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a1...-revealed.html

SORRY WRONG LINK LOL, i didnt mean that i just joined lol

Hi Scottshmum, you can edit your posts by clicking the edit button on the bottom right of your posts next to quote.

Why not hop over to the introductions forum and introduce yourself there?

So he is staying in Walford?

yeah looks like it.

Having first walked onto our screens in April, EastEnders' latest recruit, 28-year-old Neil McDermott, has remained mostly anonymous, save for being described as 'man' on the show's credits. At the end of last week, however, his character's identity was finally confirmed - his Walford counterpart's name is Ryan, the half-brother of Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). Next week, Ryan returns to the Square in search of his mother Debra (Ruth Gemmell). What's he looking for? What's his story? And what makes him decide to stick around? We gave Neil a call to find out more.

You've been thrown in at the deep end…
"Yeah, majorly. I had a slow beginning with the odd episode here and there, which was helpful in settling in. Then I had a few weeks off, before coming back to do a few more episodes. Once I get started properly with the storylines, which I think is next week now, it's pretty much full-on. Ryan's storylines are really strong. It's good fun."

How have you settled in?
"I did my first day's work at the end of February and since then, I've been having to not tell anyone who I am and try and keep everything as secret as possible! Everyone here has been really welcoming and supportive. And now I'm meeting more of the cast as Ryan gets around the Square and interacts with more people."

How did the part come about and how was the character described to you?
"I got an audition through for EastEnders and they sent me a character description for Ryan. They didn't tell me at the time who he was at all! I went in and had a meeting with the producers about the character and read for it, which went well. I then got a recall, so I went back and we chatted more and then I was offered a part. As soon as I read the description and spoke to the producers about what they wanted to do with the character, I was very excited. Sometimes you just really want to get a part and for me, this was one of those occasions."

Where's Ryan been? What's his back story?
"They just described him as a bad boy character whose mother had given him away when he was young and didn't care for him. He grew up with an alcoholic father who died when he was about 12 and Ryan then went into foster homes, which he didn't like. He ended living on the streets a lot and got involved with the wrong crowd. He had to make his own way in life, which is why he's a very independent person. Sometimes he acts in dodgy ways to get what he needs, too. That was the general description of him."

They've set you up as the new alpha male of the Square. What's it feel like taking the reigns as EastEnders' new 'hunk'?
"I don't know about that! We'll see what happens… I don't really think about that in all honesty. It's something that scares me a little bit. I try and play the part as best as I can, but I guess I'll find out over the next few weeks if people think of me in that way or not. With the storylines in EastEnders at the moment, though, there are a few guys to follow! We've got Marc Elliott as Syed and Adam Croasell as Dr Al. Maybe it'll get shared around a bit?!"

There's already been a parallel drawn between yourself and Rob Kazinksy's character Sean Slater - what's your take on that?
"I can understand that. Sean was the older brother of Stacey and Ryan's the older brother of Whitney. In that case, the scenario's very similar, as is the relationship. Ryan has an eye for the ladies, too, and he has an aggression problem, which is similar. I'm not trying to copy what Rob's done, though, I'm just playing the part in the way I think he should be played. Sean was a very successful character, though, so it's not bad to be compared to someone who had such a good impact on the show.

"The way I look at Ryan is that he's someone who has a really big heart but because of the life he's led, he's just built up so many barriers around him that he's scared of showing any emotion at all. That's where his aggression comes from - he doesn't want to get hurt. Sometimes I think that angry people are those that care most about things because they're sensitive to situations. So when someone hurts them, they react in a big way and become really irate. All Ryan needs is a good woman, some sort of mother or father figure, and a good psychiatrist and he'll be alright!"

Why is Ryan looking for his mum Debra (Ruth Gemmell)?
"Ryan was involved in a gang and he got himself in a lot of trouble and became a wanted man. They came to find him and he got into a ruck with one of the guys and he ended up in a situation where he had to defend himself. Ryan only attacked the other guy in self-defence, though. He was really scared and in a moment of panic ran to him mum - of all people - and asked her to hide the knife before he disappeared back into the night. Now he wants to get rid of the knife once and for all but she's been using it against him to get what she wanted."

Does Ryan struggle with the fact that he has a sister in Whitney that cares about him?
"He's never had unconditional love in his life. His mother doesn't love him and his dad didn't care for him, so he doesn't understand the concept. Whitney's offering that to him as his sister when she doesn't even know him. She's reaching out to him and he's taken aback a little. He starts to warm to it, though, and as the story progresses, they build this great brother-sister relationship."

What's it like working with Shona?
"It's great - Shona's fantastic and she's such a good little actress. We hit it off straight away. We've worked quite closely building up this sibling relationship on screen, so much so that I can't help but be like her brother off set, too! She's lovely and a very, very talented actress."

Ryan has quite an air of mystery about him, doesn't he?
"Yeah, he's very mysterious and he has lots of secrets that unfold as we go along. It's great for me to play as while we're going along, there's always something going on."

Have you had any moment where you've had to pinch your self to check that it's real and that you are working on EastEnders?
"Most people say that the first time you see June Brown as Dot walking towards you through the Square, you get a bit scared! A lot of the guys here have been doing it so long and I've grown up watching them on TV. I loved the Mitchell brothers when I was growing up, so it's really strange talking to Steve [McFadden] as an actor, rather than seeing him as Phil!"

More from Neil McDermott on Ryan's arrival

The question on everyone's lips over the last few months has been 'Who's the man following Whitney around in EastEnders?' Well, the wait is nearly over and next week's reveal episodes are ones not to be missed.

Some already knew his name, some had already guessed his true identity. But only last week, however, was the truth about his connection to Whitney (Shona McGarty) finally revealed. Yep, Ryan - played by 28-year-old Neil McDermott - is Whitney's half-brother. He turns up in Walford in search of their mother Debra (Ruth Gemmell) because she has something he's looking for. A knife to be exact...

Yesterday, I caught up with the man himself to find out more about the character, his first week of episodes and what's to come from Ryan over the next few weeks. Click here to read the main part of the interview. Read on, though, for the bonus bits!

You have quite an intense first few scenes with Whitney and Debra…
"He's got a lot on his mind, as has Debra and Whitney's going through a lot at the time, too. It makes for some passionate drama."

There's one scene where Ryan and Debra are constantly talking over each other - how many times did it take to film that?
"We had to do quite a few takes with that one! Ruth [Gemmell] - who plays Debra - is absolutely brilliant. We just worked really hard at that scene. We decided that Ryan and Debra were characters who wouldn't listen to each other very much and could therefore continue their own stream of consciousness without letting the other person interrupt them. That's what we went for anyway."

Why didn't Ryan just tell Whitney who he was?
"At the very beginning, he'd only just learned from Debra that he has a half-sister. He didn't know about her until that point, so he's turned up in Walford to find her. Obviously he's looking for Debra and he thinks that his mum's going to turn up to see Whitney. So in a way, he's using Whitney to get to their mother."

What's happened in Ryan's past for him to have become involved in gangs?
"I know that from a young age he just got involved with the wrong crowd. Ryan's not a really aggressive or violent man, but he's a thief. He ended up moving away from that, though. He'd love to live a normal life, but he's never had the opportunity to."

Ryan reveals that his father's dead. Do you think he's really dead?
"I think you have to take everything Ryan says with a punch of salt because he says what needs to be said at any time, so who knows… At the moment, I don't know anything more - as far as I'm concerned, his father's dead."

Ryan mentions towards the end of his first week that he doesn't want his life being complicated with woman - do you think he's had a bad experience in his past?
"Yeah, when we were discussing the backstory for Ryan, he said that he was once involved in a relationship with a girl and it ended up getting him in trouble."

He's all ready to leave towards the end of the week, isn't he? Is it Ronnie that stops him?
"I don't know if it's purely Ronnie. With Ryan, he starts to warm to Whitney throughout the week. At first, he wants to sort out the situation and get out because he actually thinks that he's a bad influence for Whitney and she should stay with what she already has. Whitney, however, actually wants him to be around and he starts to realise that. As he's walking out of Walford, he clocks eyes on Ronnie and there's an instant attraction. I don't know if he wants a relationship with her, but he certainly wants to speak to her."

Didn't take the storyliners long to get you half-naked in a scene, did it?!
"Have you seen that?! No, it didn't take them long at all! I opened up a script after not being here very long and I just thought 'ah ok… I need to get down to the gym', Everyone's a bit vain when they've got to take their clothes off on screen!"

Will Ryan be involved in the trial?
"I'm not sure, but if it happens I suspect so. Ryan doesn't actually know what's happened, but when he learns more about it, I can't imagine him not wanting to be involved, knowing the way he is."

Will we be seeing Debra again?
"I'd love to see Ruth [Gemmell] again. There was talk when she was around that she might come back, but that's a decision [for the powers that be]. I hope she comes back, though, she's fantastic."

Where does the spark with Ronnie lead?
"It's definitely lust at the beginning. Obviously Ronnie has a lot of her own issues that Ryan doesn't know anything about. So he's trying to get to know her a little bit but she has ulterior motives, shall we say…"

You're put behind the bar at The Vic, too - you must be quite privileged to be behind the bar of one of Britain's most famous pubs!
"Yeah, he gets a job at The Vic, which is how he gets to know Ronnie. He needs a job as he has no money and he wants to stay around, so after Whitney finds him a place to stay, he see the pub and tries to get a job. When he sees Ronnie's working there, he tries to kill two birds with one stone!"

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a1...astenders.html

about time we had a bit of totty :wub:

I'd like him to have some scenes with Phil. Maybe a two hander episode further down the line set in the Vic. Phil is back on the bottle and Ryan tries to make him see sense as it brings back memories of his alcoholic dad. It would be a perfect opportunity to explore a bit more of his past and his experiences with his father.

I am really liking his scenes with Whitney at the moment and he does remind me a bit of Sean.

He reminds me of Liam from Corrie

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Originally Posted by tammyy2j

He reminds me of Liam from Corrie

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he's fit too :wub:

he is hot :wub:

Don't you just love him? His character definetely has potential. All the stuff with Janine and Whitney, its been really good at the moment. He reminds me a lot of Dennis, he's had a difficult past, and always got stuff on his mind that he cant talk about, but then he meets Whitney and develops this bond with her, like the way Dennis did with Vicky and Sharon.

I'm sure there's a load of things from his past that will come out. You get the feeling that a lot of stuff has happened to him. He's strong, but yet quite sensitive to things.

Plus he's major good looking lol.

Yeah, I really like him too and think he's got loads of potential to be a classic EE character. He's got a dark side but is sensitive, always a good mix. He's a better actor than Nigel Harman, too.

And, yes, he is very cute :)

Spoiler:

wonder if he will be involved with the stacey pregnancy storyline. Maybe when Bradley leaves she could pick on Ryan as being the father, and revert back to her manipulative self, trying to get money out of him etc.

Spoiler:

Yeah, he is very likely to be Stacey's baby's father, although how would she know with the amount of men she's supposed to have slept with whilst ill?

He deserves a big storyline of his own soon.

Spoiler:

I don't think she will know its Ryans baby, but I think she could try and convince him that its his. He's been very keen about taking on his responsiblities of late. He might be good for Stacey. And I think they could make a good couple.

Spoiler:

Yeah, I think they would make a good couple after Bradley leaves :crying: , and conning him into thinking the baby is definitely his is something the naughty Stacey of old would have done. She may well revert back to her bad old ways once Bradley leaves.

Spoiler:

Yeh sad about Bradley, but the thought of Ryan and Stacey together actually sounds like a plan. I think it would be wicked. If Bradley goes back to Syd after all this I will not be happy, and apparently she's in the live episode, I dont even want to think about it.

Oh no! I thought Syd was gone for good now :thumbsdow

I think it might be just a rumour, but we'll see.

moved to spoilers as this is all is seems to contain

I like Ryan with Janine

Its going to be messy and bitchy when Janine finds out Ryan is Stacey's baby daddy but i think Stacey can handle her own with Janine. I cant wait to see their feud. Bring on the catfights.

I agree that Jainine is not going to like it but I think she might stand by Ryan. It depends on how much she changes really. xx

Janine will probably find the letter and not give it to Ryan and tell Stacey that Ryan dont want anything to do with her and the baby

Ive read that Stacey manages to get the letter back before anybody sees it. Yeh this storyline is going to be good. We've never seen Stacey and Janine having a storyline together before, its a good pairing. And I love Ryan, I think Ryan and Stacey would be a good match. Its fun to see how Janine and Ryan will pan out, but inevitably it seems that Janine would never be able to accept the Stacey situation, its far to much hard work for her. And Ryan would want to be a good dad.

I agree that Janine will def find it hard to accept Ryan is the father of staceys baby. I would like to see Janine and Ryan stay together but I cant see it lasting very long. I dont think that stacey and Ryan would suit each other. At the moment I cant really see anyone that stacey would be good with. x x

I'd like to see Janine and Ryan stay together too.

EastEnders star Neil McDermott has said that his character Ryan Malloy is slowly realising he is falling in love with Janine Butcher.

Speaking to Digital Spy on the red carpet at this year's British Soap Awards, the 29-year-old mused: "They're as close as they can get right now. Janine's really fallen for Ryan at the moment and Ryan is coming to terms with the fact that he possibly does love Janine... He's doing his best."

Of his new boss Bryan Kirkwood and his long-term future with the show, he continued: "I went up and met him probably about three or four weeks ago and we had a little chat about the future for Ryan and it looks pretty good for me. I'm quite happy and I've got some big storylines coming up which will be screening [within the next few months] around the World Cup!"

He added: "I think September-time I have a big story and then Christmas, so it's great."

I'm glad Ryan's staying put.

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He added: "I think September-time I have a big story and then Christmas, so it's great."

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Stacey's baby arriving I'm guessing

is he returning? was that the name on Whitney's phone tonight?

EastEnders star Shona McGarty has said that she would love to see Ryan Malloy make a return to the soap.

Viewers know that Ryan is the brother of McGarty's character Whitney Dean. Recent episodes have seen Whitney make contact with Ryan due to the return of his young daughter, Lily Branning.

Speaking to Inside Soap, McGarty said: "I would love Ryan to come back!

"Neil McDermott is a brilliant actor and a really good friend. It would be nice for Whit to have her brother around again."

McGarty also revealed that there are better times ahead for Whitney due to her new romance with Lee Carter (Danny-Boy Hatchard).

She said: "There are much happier times ahead for Whitney. However, at one point she gets a present from Lee and is very disappointed - which is a bit of a selfish reaction. But I think that is all part of her getting her feistiness back.

"Lee doesn't know the full story about her past, yet he seems to understand where she is coming from."

EastEnders actor Neil McDermott made a surprise return tonight as Ryan Malloy.

Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) had arranged to meet Ryan in the episode, but believed he had not shown up.

Ryan is still on the run, but has he made a wise decision by risking everything to see Whitney, Stacey and Lily? pic.twitter.com/9zfM5GB51N

— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) September 2, 2014

However, viewers saw Ryan watching from afar as he made an appearance in Albert Square.

The 33-year-old actor's appearance follows shock returns by Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey) and Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks).

Taking to Twitter after the episode, McDermott referenced Cilla Black's programme Surprise Surprise as he messaged EastEnders producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

@dominictc is giving Cilla a run for her money with his surprises! And will keep them coming. Keep watching! Off to gym - that's unrelated.

— Neil McDermott (@NeilMcDermott07) September 2, 2014

But what can we expect from Ryan’s comeback?

An insider told us exclusively: “Ryan makes a brief return to the Square but it’s not plain sailing.

“He’s going to find himself in some difficult situations and it’s going to cause a lot of drama for Whitney!

“She reached out to him for the sake of Lily and didn’t really think about the consequences.”

http://www.closeronline.co.uk/2016/0...ret-ryan-twist

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The surprise returns just keep on coming in EastEnders, as Ryan Malloy made a shocking appearance in Friday night's episode (January 22).

The instalment saw Neil McDermott reprise his role as Ryan, in an unexpected twist that had been kept under wraps until transmission.

Ryan appeared in the final moments of the episode, turning up at The Vic and being greeted by his sister Whitney Dean.

Ryan is the father of Stacey Branning's daughter Lily, but he hasn't seen her since she was a baby. Whitney decided to call on her brother for help after becoming concerned for the welfare of her niece, who was confused about Stacey's illness.

Arriving at the pub, Ryan promised a sleeping Lily that 'daddy's here now', after Whitney told him that no child should have to see their mum in that state.

The big question now is how Stacey will feel about the latest development, although she does currently have more pressing things to deal with after she was sectioned in highly emotional scenes.

Doctors admitted Stacey against her will, and later informed her partner Martin Fowler that she is likely to be suffering from postpartum psychosis.

With Martin and Stacey facing a very uncertain future, Ryan is clearly keen to play a more prominent part in his daughter's life. However, fans will have to tune in next week to see where the story goes from here as Ryan appears in more episodes.

http://youtu.be/RBWFDnD50qg

Ryan has a history of unexpected returns, having made another surprise appearance back in 2014 when he watched Lily from afar.

Prior to that, McDermott played the role from 2009 to 2011 and was involved in a number of dramatic storylines, including marrying Janine Butcher and becoming a suspect in Archie Mitchell's murder.

Tonight's twist is the latest in a long line of EastEnders surprises, with both Peggy Mitchell and Jack Branning making unexpected appearances over the last month.

No prison walls can keep this bad boy from making a comeback.

It has been revealed that hunky Neil McDermott will be returning to EastEnders in September to steam up our screens as Ryan Malloy once again.

Though Ryan is behind bars for the accidental killing of pimp Rob Grayson, he's set to have a torrid reunion with his half-sister Whitney Dean.

A source told The Sun that McDermott spent three hours filming top-secret scenes at BBC's Elstree studios in London last Wednesday.


Ryan's contentious comeback – which, it's understood, will only be for a brief stint – is likely to bring a tornado of drama to Albert Square.

His timing means he'll be on hand to support Whitney, who is heading directly for heartache after discovering her fiancée Lee Carter cheated on her.

Making it worse, Lee did the deed with her friend Abi Branning, who is the former sister-in-law of Stacey Branning, the estranged mother of Ryan's daughter Lily.

Further adding to her troubles, Whitney will find out that she has contracted chlamydia as Abi had picked up the STI from ex-boyfriend Ben Mitchell before her liaison with Lee.

Sounds messy if you ask us.

Digital Spy

Hope Babe's involvement in the affair is exposed and as the Coker's blackmailer.

out of jail already

He has a habit of turning up when we least expect, but we can reveal that EastEnders' Ryan Malloy will be returning to Walford next week.

Ryan (Neil McDermott) will surprise his sister Whitney Dean on her wedding day by arriving unexpectedly early in the Square, as opposed to muchlater on in the church.

Whitney will prepare to marry long-term boyfriend Lee Carter next week, but don't expect their wedding day to run smoothly as it's riddled with problems.

Not only does everything go wrong for Whitney in the lead-up to her big moment, but Lee is harbouring a secret as he prepares to take his vows.

The pair have also had a very difficult few weeks after Whitney miscarried their baby in devastating scenes.

But with Ryan's return sure to put a smile on her face, will Whitney get the wedding day of her dreams? Or could Lee's secrets throw a serious spanner in the works?
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Lee Carter and Whitney Dean's wedding day arrives in EastEnders
© BBC

EastEnders airs these scenes on Friday, November 4 at 8pm on BBC One.

Digital Spy