On Eastenders, Alan Ford will portray Billy Mitchell’s estranged father

On Eastenders, renowned actor Alan Ford has been chosen to play Billy Mitchell’s father-in-law.

Ford, who starred in films including Exorcist: The Beginning, Snatch, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, was rumoured to have attended Aunt Sal’s funeral in Albert Square last month. Peggy Mitchell’s sister is Aunt Sal.

Billy’s father, Stevie Mitchell, has an official casting for the actor; however, it’s unclear exactly what the part would involve.

It had been nearly twenty-five years since Billy last saw his father off-screen. When Billy was eleven years old, Stevie was given sole custody of his brother Charlie, and Billy was raised in foster care.

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Stevie is expected in Walford at the same time that the Mitchell family is preparing to say goodbye to their cherished Aunt Sal. He soon discovers, however, that the family does not think highly of him.

“I feel very excited to be playing a character close to my own age in this incredibly popular television drama series,” Ford stated in a press release.

“We are honoured to have the incredibly gifted Alan Ford join the cast of EastEnders as he plays Stevie Mitchell,” the BBC daily soap opera’s executive producer, Chris Clenshaw, stated.

“While Billy has been a stalwart in the show for over 25 years, viewers know very little about his complicated childhood and the events that led him to grow up in care.”

Ford will be making his second trip to Walford; he made a brief appearance there in 1986 while posing as con artist Sam Sangers. Pauline Fowler intervened to stop Sam from stealing Debbie Wilkins’ belongings from her deceased boyfriend.