EastEnders confirms Doctor Who and I, Claudius actress as part of returning serial killer storyline

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A well-known actor is joining EastEnders, just before the reappearance of a particularly nasty character from the show’s history.

Next week, actress Sheila Ruskin will join the cast of Walford as Gray Atkins’ grandmother.

Last month, TopMob announced that a former character responsible for the deaths of three people would be returning to the show. Although Gray was imprisoned in 2022 after admitting his guilt, his return will only be for a brief period.

With a history as Chelsea Fox’s ex-husband and father to Jordan – who just had critical spinal surgery after a car accident – expect plenty of emotional storylines to unfold.

In upcoming episodes, Chelsea will reveal that she’s been receiving uncashed checks from Sheila meant for Jordan. Seeing how this money could benefit Jordan’s recovery, Chelsea’s sister, Libby Fox, decides to reach out to Sheila in secret.

That night, Chelsea sees a text message that causes a fight with Libby. But after talking with Eve about wanting what’s best for their children, Chelsea apologizes and decides to support Libby’s decisions.

With encouragement from Libby, Chelsea finally met with Sheila and was happy to learn that Sheila had cut off all contact with Gray.

Sheila kindly offers to give Jordan some money. Chelsea first agrees to accept it, but later feels bad and decides to give the money back.

Billie Whitelaw, known professionally as Ruskin, has enjoyed a long and varied career, first appearing on television in 1969. She began with roles in classic adaptations like Canterbury Tales and the police procedural, Special Branch.

She appeared in popular television shows like Miss Marple and The Sweeney, and had roles in two episodes of the historical drama I, Claudius in 1976. In 1981, she played Kassia in all four parts of the Doctor Who story, The Keeper of Traken, alongside Tom Baker.

The actress came back to the world of Doctor Who in 2017, providing the voice for the character Flague in Big Finish’s Fourth Doctor Adventures and playing Cora in The War Doctor series.

Viewers who enjoy soap operas might remember her previous appearance on EastEnders – she played a judge in three episodes back in 2001. She’s also made guest appearances in other popular medical and police dramas like Casualty, Doctors, The Bill, and Holby City.

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Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, keeping fans up-to-date with all the latest news and spoilers from popular British soap operas like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even gained on-set experience with both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2026-06-09 12:11