Mrs Ludlow

Mrs Ludlow made her first appearance on the 9th June 1988. She is the adoptive mother of Kathy Beale's daughter, Donna, whom Kathy gave up as Donna was the result of rape when she was 14.

Storylines
Kathy meets with Mrs Ludlow and her husband. Gerald, at Henry's Wine Bar to discuss Donna after Kathy has made it clear that she wants nothing to do with her, but Donna isn't listening. Kathy apologizes for summoning them, but she was desperate. Mrs Ludlow explains how when her friend and Donna's godmother, June Watkins, visited Kathy, she was told about the visit in confidence. Mrs Ludlow was relieved that Kathy made the decision not to see Donna as she felt no good would come from Donna contacting her. Kathy believed June's visit would be the end of it all, however Mrs and Mr Ludlow knew nothing about what Donna was up to until she wrote. Mrs Ludlow says that Donna tells lies, such as when she was a child, Donna told her teachers that Mrs Ludlow was dying of an incurable disease and when Mr Ludlow thinks it's just insecurity, Mrs Ludlow asks him to to defend her as always. When Kathy asks what Donna has told them about her life in Walford, Mrs Ludlow says that Donna has told them she is working in a solicitor's office, but Kathy reveals to Donna's parents that it's a pack of lies as she's working as a barmaid at The Queen Victoria.

Mr and Mrs Ludlow arrange to meet Donna in Osman's. In the cafe, Mrs Ludlow tells Donna that she had no right to do that to Kathy as she made it clear that she didn't want to know her and she should have respected that. When Mr Ludlow asks her to come home, Donna is adamant that she is starting to feel as if she belongs, but Mrs Ludlow spoke with Dot Cotton, who tells her the residents are curious about what she's up to and why she has told them lies. Donna feels that her parents don't care and she doesn't want a safe marriage or job like them and that in Walford, people speak their mind and don't pretend. Mrs Ludlow tells Donna that she is doing the pretending and is being romantic about a world that doesn't involve her. Donna insists that she is a part of Kathy and she is her mother, which no one can take away from her. Kathy later asks how it went and Mrs Ludlow informs Kathy that it did no good as Donna didn't want to know.