Della Alexander

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Della Alexander is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Joseph 1994–1995. Della was Walford's first lesbian resident, but she wasn't always happy expressing her sexuality in public.

Character creation and development
Della and her girlfriend Binnie Roberts were the first lesbian couple to be featured in EastEnders. Their inclusion was an attempt to portray positive examples of homosexual characters.[1] Their lesbian kiss accounted for some 45 percent of viewer complaints to the BBC regarding EastEnders in 1994; provoking more complaints than any other television programme that year (according to research published by the Broadcasting Standards Council in 1995).

In 2005 their lesbian kiss was featured in E4's X Rated: Top 20 Most Controversial TV Moments; a documentary examining British TV's most talked about on-screen moments. It was placed at number 11 in the chart and, according to the poll, received an estimated 486 viewer complaints and 180 column inches in the British press.

In 1995, bisexual actress Pam St. Cleme n t, who plays Pat Evans, was asked if EastEnders' first lesbian storyline suffered from "seeming to follow the pack rather than lead it". She commented, "I think they realised there was something missing, but having given themselves that brief they didn't know what the fuck to do with it. I think Michael Cashman made Colin Russell so successful because he is a gay man. I'd never argue for somebody having to be a part to do it - you don't have to be a murderer to play Othello - and I think the two young girls [who played Della and Binnie] did what they could, but they couldn't really give the programme any help."

Storylines
Della arrived in Walford in March 1994 as a new assistant to the market trader, Sanjay Kapoor. Della was a former hairdresser, who had gone to the same school as the barman Steve Elliot. Realising that Della had a talent that could be a potential money spinner, Steve decided that it would be a good idea to go into business with her. He and Della made plans to open a hairdressing salon in George Street. The salon, Kool for Kutz, opened in April that year.

After some problems at home, Della came to live with Steve at The Queen Victoria, and Steve soon began seeing her as more than just his business partner. He actively pursued her, which she seemed to encourage. However, Della was only leading Steve on in order to mask the fact that she was a lesbian, and days later he caught her in bed with her girlfriend Binnie. Steve threw Della out as a result, which prompted a feud between him and Binnie. Della was mortified that her sexuality had been uncovered and her shame was often a major source of concern for her girlfriend, who was far more open about things. Steve was eventually forced to come to terms with Della's homosexuality, although he harboured feelings for her for a long time after, and made several attempts to convert her into a heterosexual.