Reverend Irene Mills

Reverend Irene Mills made her first appearance on 17 April 2017. She is portrayed by Melanie Kilburn.

Storylines
Irene is a prison chaplain who visits Shirley Carter in her cell because she knows Shirley is not planning to go to the funeral of her mother, Sylvie Carter. Irene tells Shirley she did not go to her own mother's funeral and tells her where the chapel is if she wants to talk. Later, Shirley goes to the chapel and asks why Irene did not go to her mother's funeral, to which she says she hated her, and asks Shirley about her mother. Shirley explains that Sylvie was never a good mother, and Irene wonders if Sylvie needs to mourn for the little girl she used to be. Shirley tells Irene about her childhood, including a time Sylvie allowed her to wear makeup but then said she looked like a tart, and would often leave her alone in the house with no food. Shirley cries to Irene, asking why her mother never loved her.