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William "Billy" Mitchell is the son of Stevie and Val Mitchell, the brother of Charlie Mitchell, the half-brother of Teddy Mitchell, the husband of Honey Mitchell and ex-husband of Little Mo Slater, father of Dan Pearce, Janet and Will Mitchell, grandfather of Lola Pearce-Brown and great-grandfather of Lexi Pearce. He made his first appearance on 2 November 1998 and is portrayed by Perry Fenwick.
Backstory[]
William Mitchell was born on the 3rd May 1959 in London to Stephen Mitchell and Val Mitchell. Billy was the youngest of two sons. He had a brother Charlie Mitchell born in about 1956. Billy's parents left him in a children's home, where the staff physically abused him. When his brother and sister-in-law died, Billy became the guardian of their son Jamie and vented his anger on him. When Billy's distant cousin Phil Mitchell realised what was happening, he took Jamie in.
Storylines[]
1979: Taking part in a robbery[]
1998-2003: Arrival, abusing Jamie and marrying Little Mo[]
Billy moves to Walford, initially getting involved in criminal scams with Phil and Grant Mitchell. His relatives see him as little more than a lackey, and he is frequently told that he is an embarrassment to the Mitchell name. Billy finds an ally in Steve Owen, who uses him as an errand boy in numerous criminal activities including drug-dealing, to oppress the Mitchell brothers. Billy ends up owing money to Steve, and desperate to repay Steve to avoid his wrath, Billy starts harassing Jamie again, this time demanding for money. This eventually culminates in Jamie lashing out over Billy’s years of abuse towards him, beating Billy up in E20 one night when he began to harass and belittle him again. After a while, Billy began seeking for Jamie’s forgiveness over his abuse towards him. Although reluctant, Jamie eventually learns to forgive Billy. Billy later repays his debt to Steve and starts to work at E20, and is given a 1% share of the club for his services, but is often torn between his loyalties to Steve and his family.
Billy fell for Janine Butcher in 2001, but she is only interested in his money, and when that runs out, she leaves him. Nevertheless, Billy helps her get over some psychological problems later that year, leading her to hope for reconciliation; Billy turns her down as he has fallen for Little Mo Morgan, his business partner in a cleaning company. Mo is being abused by her husband, Trevor, and it is not until Mo leaves him that Billy and Mo start a relationship.
In 2002, Billy confronted one of his abusers from the children's home he was placed in as a child, Ernie Johnson, now a pensioner and living in Walford. Billy breaks into Ernie's house to confront him over the abuse, shaming Ernie into moving away.
Billy proposes to Mo by spelling out 'MARRY ME' on her plate with alphabet spaghetti, and they get engaged. When Trevor discovers this, he kidnaps Mo but is killed the same night in a gas explosion. Billy and Mo marry on Christmas Day 2002, the same day that Jamie dies of severe injuries after being knocked down by a car. Eleven months after their wedding, Little Mo is raped by Graham Foster. She later discovers she is pregnant as a result of the assault. Billy pressures her to have an abortion, but Mo refuses.
2004-2009: Marriage to Honey, raising his children and Jase's murder[]
She leaves Walford to clear her head and comes home with baby Freddie in tow, to see Graham convicted of rape. Billy confesses that he cannot love Freddie and thinks of Graham whenever he sees him, so the marriage ends. Billy starts a relationship with newcomer Honey Edwards in November 2005, whom he manages during her spell as a model. Honey falls pregnant in January 2006 and accepts Billy's marriage proposal. Their wedding is postponed when Honey is hospitalised; they re-schedule, but the second ceremony goes awry due to a practical joke played on Billy during his stag night. Billy's aunt, Peggy, then arranged a surprise wedding in September 2006. Billy and Honey complete their vows when Honey goes into labour. She delivers a girl, Janet, but the Mitchell's then discover she has Down's Syndrome. Billy is opposed to this but eventually consents after agonising over the decision. After Janet is taken into foster care, she suffers a health scare and is hospitalised, forcing Honey to acknowledge she loves her baby and Janet is brought home.
Honey falls pregnant again, and William was born in November 2007. His birth is traumatic as Honey goes into labour after being caught up in a violent siege; she is assaulted by a member of a football firm lead by Terry Bates. William seems to be stillborn at first but is resuscitated by medics. In December 2007, Billy and Honey suffered monetary problems; their landlady, Manju Patel, decides to evict them. Billy steals charity money to pay the rent and barricades them into the flat, but they are nevertheless evicted at Christmas.
Desperate for money, Billy takes on a job as a getaway driver for Jase Dyer, believing they are stealing money from Terry Bates, the leader of the firm responsible for hurting Honey. The position is a set-up, and Terry takes Jase's son, Jay Brown, hostage in their absence. With Billy's help, Jay escapes, but Terry kills Jase in the ensuing fight. Billy hides in the bathroom, too afraid to help Jase.
In October 2008, Billy visited Jay at his foster home and agreed to foster him, but problems arise in 2009 when Nick Cotton blackmails Billy, threatening to tell Jay the truth about his cowardice on the night of Jase's death. Terry's gang try to stop Billy testifying at the upcoming trial, but despite threats, Billy vows to result in Terry receiving life imprisonment for murdering Jase. Billy is subsequently redeemed in the eyes of Jay; however, Jay later begins to idolise Phil, to the virtual exclusion of Billy.
2010-2015: Meeting Lola, obsession with Lucy and friendship with the Coker's[]
When Billy stops a man from pestering Jean Slater at a club, she brands him a hero, and they sleep together. Embarrassed by the fling, Billy insults Jean the following day, ending her hopes for romance. Billy later begins a more serious relationship with Julie Perkins, a fellow resident at the children's home he once lived in. Lola moves in with her grandparents, but she proves troublesome. When Billy continuously overrules Julie's attempts to discipline her, a rift forms between the couple, causing Julie to leave Walford. Lola's announcement that she is pregnant leads to Billy returning to criminality to provide for his great-grandchild—stealing from his employer Janine, and trading stolen goods and forgeries for Derek Branning. Lola gives birth to a baby girl, Lexi Pearce, and Billy tries his best to support the pair. Billy gets a job working for the local funeral directors Coker & Sons. He forms a close relationship with his employers, Les and Pam Coker. When Honey returns announcing her plan to move to Canada with Janet and William, Billy is left distraught. In a fit of madness, he burns Janet's passport and, even though she is left angry, Honey allows Janet to stay with her father.
In the chippy, Lucy walks in on Billy stealing fish. As Lee heads down Bridge Street he clocks Lucy and Billy's argument. Lucy tells Billy that she’ll have to inform Ian of his stealing. Back in his flat, Billy retrieves his folder full of Lucy pictures and hastily shoves them under the fridge when he hears the door go. It's a morose Peter who's arrived, and when Billy leaves the room, Peter retrieves a bag of cocaine from his pocket. At Billy's, Peter begins to line up some cocaine but swiftly hides it on Billy's return and when Billy disappears off to the kitchen, Peter blows it away. The killer is later revealed to be Bobby Beale.
Billy runs into the Beale Family and informs the guests of Ronnie Branning and Charlie Cotton's wedding that there's been an accident and Ronnie's gone into labour. Emma Summerhayes's phone rings and she tells the person on the line that she knows they killed Lucy Beale so they need to stop negotiating. She agrees to talk to them but then declares that they must go to the police station afterwards. As Emma ends her phone call, Peter Beale, Ian Beale, Jane Beale, Masood Ahmed, Lee Carter, Cindy Williams, Whitney Dean, Denise Fox, Abi Branning, Lauren Branning, Les, Lola, Jay, Ben and Billy are all seen with their phones. Phil's car pulls up on the Square, Phil and Billy arguing hotly. Inside, Billy tries to dissuade Phil from seeing Ian. At Phil's, a man arrives with a bouquet of white roses. Phil orders the man to leave, who insists he's here for Ronnie. Billy informs him that Ronnie's in hospital.
In July 2015, Billy's granddaughter, Lola leaves Walford with her daughter, Lexi.
Later that year, in November, Billy is surprised when Honey returns to the Square. Billy promises Honey that he's changed. Les offers some words of support to Billy.
2016-2021: Reunion with Honey and relationship with Karen[]
In January 2016, Billy thanks the police outside 3C Albert Square, who was there after Stacey Slater was suffering from postpartum depression, and he prepares to collect Charlie Slater's body. Billy explains to Patrick Trueman that Charlie had a heart attack. Charlie's body is covered with a sheet on the sofa. Billy stares at him clutching the body bag, waiting for his work colleague to arrive. Alfie Moon offers to help him after Kat Moon and Mo Harris have taken the children out of the room. Billy struggles when getting Charlie ready for his funeral and Les comforts him. In the Vic, Pam bumps into Billy, Patrick and Les taste test Babe Smith's jellied eels for the wake. Billy is concerned that Charlie looks his absolute best. Billy and Honey get engaged and have a party to celebrate.
In December 2017, Billy came up to Mick and asked for the use of the upstairs bathroom, as the pub's public restroom has a "dodgy ballcock". Mick allows him to. Mick overhears Aidan shouting "Yes, that's the Queen Victoria pub in Albert Square" down the phone. Aidan says that he has bought Mick a present, to Mick's mocking. Aidan shouts to Whitney and asks her if he gave her a present to give to Mick yesterday. Whitney says yes, and explains she placed it under the Christmas tree upstairs. Aidan tells Mick it is a gun and that he "felt duty-bound to report it to the police". He explains he has around 10 minutes to get rid of it. Mick runs upstairs to find it, but can't. He asks Aidan desperately to tell him where it is. Aidan gives him a clue, and he finds it just as the police arrive. He hands it to Billy, who is returning from his toilet trip, and tells him to leave and give it to Phil. Billy does so. When Billy gives Phil the gun, Phil jumps back, thinking Billy is going to shoot him, but he takes it from a trembling Billy. Billy discovers Adam Bateman is having an affair with Habiba Ahmed and attempts to tell Honey Mitchell, with whom he is still in love with. Honey yells at Billy and accuses him of trying to destroy her and Adam's relationship because he is jealous. Billy also informs Mariam and Arshad about the affair, but Arshad orders him to get out. Billy later hires Karen Taylor as a bartender; however, he soon realizes that Karen is not cut out for the job. Billy then discovers that Karen is in trouble with Ben and tries to help sort it.
2022-: Losing Lola, reuniting with Stevie and remarrying Honey[]
Employment history[]
| Occupation | Years |
|---|---|
| Bartender at The Queen Victoria | ???? |
| Employee at Angie's Den | 2002 |
| Co-owner of e20 | 2002-???? |
| Employee at the Beale's Plaice | Unknown year-2014 |
| Exective manager of Butcher's Joint | 2011-2014 |
| Employee at Coker & Sons | 2014-2018 |
| Bar manager/Barman of e20 | 2018-2020 |
| Temporary cover assistant for Honey at Minute Mart | 2021 |
| Employee at KJP Pest Control | 2021 |
| Market Stall Holder at Bridge Street Market | 2021- |
Residence[]
Kill count[]
Connected murders and deaths[]
- Jase Dyer (28 August 2008) (negligent homicide) - Hid in a room out of fear and left Jase to die, who was then stabbed to death by Terry Bates.
Attempted murder victims[]
- Paul Skeggs (2 November 2020) - Sneaks up on Paul preparing to attack him with a brick after discovering Paul had tried to rape his ex-wife Honey whilst on a date but Jay stops Billy.
Fight count[]
Punches[]
- Jamie Mitchell (10 November 1998) (×2)
- Jamie Mitchell (13 March 2001) (during a fight with Jamie)
- Geoff Morton (4 September 2003)
- Alfie Moon (28 January 2005)
- Alfie Moon (26 May 2005)
- Phil Mitchell (15 September 2006)
- Jase Dyer (13 November 2007)
- Jay Brown (7 October 2010)
- A police officer (18 October 2010)
- Phil Mitchell (4 September 2017)
- Jack Branning (9 April 2018)
- Jay Brown (29 January 2021)
- Jay Brown (26 July 2022)
- Jonah Tyler's heavy (6 October 2022) (during a fight with Jonah's heavy)
- Teddy Mitchell (10 June 2024)
Total: 15
Individual characters punched: 10
Total punches: 16
Slaps[]
- Jamie Mitchell (13 March 2001) (during a fight with Jamie)
Total: 1
Individual characters slapped: 1
Total Slaps: 1
Elbows[]
- Jack Branning (29 May 2023) (accidental)
Total: 1
Individual characters elbowed: 1
Total elbows: 1
Kicks[]
- Jamie Mitchell (13 March 2001) (during a fight with Jamie)
Total: 1
Individual characters kicked: 1
Total kicks: 1