Victor Hampton

Victor Hampton made his first appearance on 29 September 1988. He is portrayed by Michael Brogan.

Storylines
Victor is an inmate at Dickens Hill Prison. He is imprisoned on remand for the theft of antique furniture. Vic is married to a woman named Gillie, but the marriage has come under strain due to Vic's continuous infidelities. Gillie visits and expresses her concerns about Vic's promiscuity. She asks him to get tested for any STDs that he may have picked up.

When the prison officers find out about Vic's concerns he is quarantined in isolation, as they fear he could spread diseases to the other prisoners. Vic is tested and is told by the prison chaplain that he is HIV positive. He becomes severely depressed and berates himself for giving the virus to his wife. He talks of the humiliation he feels, having the entire prison know about his condition, being segregated from the other prisoners and treated like a leper. He talks about the dreams he had for the future, which will now have to be forgotten. Gillie is supportive and Vic is relieved to discover that she has actually tested negative. She promises to stay with him no matter what.

Victor is the first character in EastEnders to be diagnosed as HIV positive, paving the way for the controversial virus to feature in a storyline surrounding a much higher profile character - Mark Fowler - a couple of years later.