Chantelle Francesca Ramone Atkins (née Baker) was the eldest daughter of Mitch Baker and Karen Taylor, sister of Keegan and half-sister of Bailey Baker, Keanu Taylor, Bernadette Taylor, Chatham Taylor and Riley Taylor. She was also the mother of Mia Atkins and Mackenzie Atkins, as well as being the wife of Gray Atkins.
1995-2019: Backstory[]
Chantelle was born on the 9th April 1995, to Mitch Baker and Karen Taylor. Chantelle was the eldest child, with six younger siblings. When Karen and Mitch split up, Karen had two other children, Keanu and Bernadette, not fathered by Mitch. Karen and Mitch decided to rekindle their romance a few years later and soon Karen became pregnant with a son, Keegan. After the pair split up once again, Karen met another man and together they had two sons, Riley and Chatham, with Mitch going on to have a daughter, Bailey with another woman.
While Chantelle was growing up, Mitch was a very lousy father, barley making an effort to be in his children’s lives. Chantelle also attended drama club with Jags Panesar, where she gained the nickname ‘bog brush’. Chantelle later met her husband, Gray Atkins, the first time they saw each other was when Gray drove past Chantelle, who was sat at a bus stop and accidentally splashed her with a puddle. They went on to have two children, Mia Atkins, born on the 10th August 2012 and Mackenzie Atkins, born on the 15th March 2014.
Storylines[]
2019-2020: Arrival and domestic abuse[]
In March 2019, Chantelle arrives in Walford as a hairdresser, who Kim Fox contacts to work as a new hairdresser in her and her sister Denise Fox's new unisex salon. Chantelle does not actually know that she is auditioning for a job as she presumes that she was cutting someone's hair and that was all. Kim later offers Chantelle the job; she refuses at first, but then later agrees to help at the salon, but only part-time. During celebratory drinks in The Queen Victoria public house, Chantelle bumps into her father Mitch Baker, who she has not seen for a long time. Chantelle later meets her mother Karen Taylor and reconnects with her family. On the opening day of the salon, Chantelle gives a haircut to a man and he gives them £100. She crosses the man again in The Queen Vic and kisses him, and it is revealed that he is her husband Gray Atkins. With Gray's permission, Chantelle agrees to work at the salon and they plan on relocating to Walford with their children Mia and Mackenzie. Chantelle boasts about moving to 1 Albert Square, unaware that Kim once lived there with her estranged husband Vincent, which causes hostility between the two women. Chantelle and Kim resolve their differences, but their feud ignites again when they argue over attending to Rainie Branning.
Chantelle and Gray's perfect relationship attracts attention in Walford. Chantelle's friend Whitney Dean compliments her relationship with Gray and asks her for advice on her relationship to Callum "Halfway" Highway; Honey Mitchell also compliments the couple and Chantelle's family warm up to Gray. However, the relationship turns out to be the opposite as it is revealed that Gray abuses Chantelle, which is first seen when Gray becomes angry at Mitch for cheating at the Walford 10K run and accuses Chantelle of laughing at him. Gray apologies to Chantelle and she later forgives him. Chantelle's brother Keegan Baker stays with the couple and, after becoming inspired by someone from Gray's workplace, decides that he wants to leave school. This causes a fight between Mitch and Gray, and Gray abuses Chantelle in response to his anger.
Chantelle discovers she is pregnant and tells Gray. He reacts positively to the news and stops abusing her. However, she miscarries but decides not to tell Gray in fear of him abusing her. She tells Karen and asks her not to tell Gray but when it accidentally slips out, Gray is furious Chantelle didn't tell him. Over the next few months, he rapes Chantelle in order to have a baby. He even abused her when her pregnancy tests were negative and when Chantelle didn't want to try for a baby.
After months of abuse during lockdown, Chantelle finally decided to divorce Gray and take the kids with her but something always gets in her way. Gray's demanding behaviour worsens when he realises something suspicious is going on. He suspects she is having an affair with her friend, Kheerat Panesar and he starts to watch them in the car. He also finds out she is divorcing him when a divorce lawyer advert pops up after Chantelle met up with one. Just as Chantelle gets ready to leave, Gray appears and ruins her plan. Another escape opportunity comes for Chantelle when her parents offer her and the kids to go to a B&B in Southend and Chantelle agrees desperate to get away from Gray. However, Gray persuades Karen and Mitch to let the kids stay at home and have just Chantelle go. Devastated, Chantelle was miserable throughout the holiday and Mitch suspects that something is wrong so he asks her and she tells him it's because she misses her children. Mitch tells Chantelle he will go and get them but when he returns, the children aren't the only ones with him. Gray came along too. Excited to see her children, Chantelle was ready to leave with the children, when Gray turns up and ruins her plan again. Earlier, Gray heard Chantelle on the phone to Kheerat, asking him to sneak into the house to get a memorial box of the kids' stuff. Gray sets up the alarm in the house and when Kheerat breaks in, Gray is alerted on his phone and tells Chantelle that they need to go home because someone has broken in. Chantelle tells him she will stay with the kids but he insists they all go home. Mitch realises something isn't right and tells Chantelle she doesn't have to go and that Gray can manage on his own but Gray glares at her and she decides to go with Gray and says a final goodbye to her parents as she realises she may not see them again. Chantelle and Gray arrive back home, where Kheerat has managed to flee. Chantelle tucks Mia and Mackenzie in for the night, not knowing it's the last time she will see them. Gray notices messages from Kheerat and starts threatening Chantelle and the kids after she denies cheating, however she manages to calm him down and get him to head up to bed. While he's gone, Chantelle calls Kheerat to ask for help, however he does not answer and she is caught by Gray. She yells at Gray, telling him she is not scared of his abusive ways anymore, and that if he doesn't let her leave, she will scream until everyone hears. However this angers Gray more and he throws Chantelle into the dishwasher, where a knife fatally impales her. As she bleeds out, Gray leaves Number 1 to set up on alibi. He goes to the Minute Mart to buy some hot coco and then proceeds to go to the Queen Vic. He returns just as Chantelle breathes her last breath, and then starts to set up her death as an accident.
2020-2022: Death aftermath and abuse/murder reveal[]
Although Kheerat initially speculated Gray's involvement in Chantelle's death, nobody is aware of the truth until Christmas Eve the following year when Whitney discovers a domestic violence survivor forum which Chantelle had been messaging on prior to her death. After showing the forum to Kheerat, they come to the conclusion that Gray murdered her. Chelsea Atkins is the next to discover the truth about Chantelle's abuse and murder as Whitney shows her the forum posts on her wedding day to Gray.
A year and a half after Chantelle's murder, Chelsea records Gray confessing to killing Chantelle, Gray is later arrested after a showdown with Whitney and Chantelle's father Mitch.