Frankie Carter (previously Lewis) is the daughter of Katy Lewis and Mick Carter and the half-sister of Lee, Nancy, Johnny, Harry and Ollie. She made her first appearance on 18 May 2020 and her last appearance on 22 September 2022 - Part 1.
Backstory[]
When Frankie was twelve, around Christmas time, Frankie woke up and said she wanted to go to the beach, Frankie and Katy took the next train to Brighton. They build a fire on the sand, toasted marshmallows and swam even though the water was freezing. Frankie slept all the way back on the train on Katy's lap. Frankie is Mick Carter's daughter as a result of child abuse when Mick was just twelve years old by Frankie's mum Katy Lewis who was Tina Carter and Mick's care worker. She has a godmother called Rachel who owns a bar in Australia. Frankie was in the same year 8 class at Alanagh.
Storylines[]
2020-2021: Secret family and car accident with Nancy[]
Frankie is spotted by Ben Mitchell as she argues with Dr Laghari, her doctor. Callum Highway later sees Frankie in Walford and asks her to talk to his boyfriend, Ben, about life as a deaf person; Ben initially rejects Frankie, but they soon form a friendship. Ben's mother, Kathy Beale, offers Frankie a trial shift as a bartender at her bar, The Prince Albert, unaware that the manager, Tina Carter, has offered the job to her nephew, Mick Carter. Mick withdraws from the job, so that Frankie can have it, resulting in tension between Frankie and Tina. Despite this, they soon bond and Frankie meets Mick's son, Ollie Carter, who has autism; she reveals that her dead brother Harry was autistic and looked similar to Ollie.
Frankie takes photos of Mick, Ollie and Tina playing football, which Mick finds on her camera. Tina tries to kiss Frankie, but she rejects her. When Mick's wife, Linda Carter, struggles with childcare for Ollie, Frankie offers to take him to the park; when Mick discovers this, he rushes to collect Ollie and warns Frankie away from his family. Frankie then reveals that she believes that Mick is her father and explains that she discovered letters between Mick and her mother, Katy Lewis; Mick admits that he could be her father. Worried that this could cause Linda to relapse into alcoholism, Mick asks Frankie to not reveal the news. Frankie accuses Mick of repeatedly cheating on Linda, who he began a relationship with as a teenager, but Tina reveals that Katy was Mick's social worker when they were children, horrifying Frankie, who realises that Mick was twelve when she was conceived, prompting her to run off in disgust.
She has a feud with her half sister, Nancy Carter, in 2021, after she returns from Australia, backpacking around the world with her ex-husband Tamwar Masood. She and Zack Hudson accidentally hit her with a car whilst on a driving lesson and cover it up. This culminates with them pranking each other and throwing insults and on Bonfire Night 2021, one prank goes wrong, with Nancy locking Frankie in the boot of her car and Liam Butcher stealing and driving off in it, with Frankie still in the boot. Luckily, Janine Butcher realises she is in the boot and tells Liam to return the car. After this, she leaves walford for a break.
Frankie later returns to Walford in March 2022, and discovers that Tina Carter’s body has been discovered. When Frankie attends her funeral in April, Linda returns from Watford with Annie Carter and exposes Janine for being the one causing her to relapse, however nobody believes her.
2022: Teaching Job, Sexual harassment and Exit.[]
While talking to Jada Lennox about having her hair done at Fox & Hair, Frankie reunites with her friend from university, Clara Easting. The two have a meeting in the Vic where Frankie lies about having a successful photography career like her, with Linda backing her up, saying that she took photos of her son Ollie, who’s a model. Clara invites Frankie to a photo exhibition later that month and says she can bring some friends to show off her work to. After this, Frankie takes photos of Rocky, however he isn’t the model she’s looking for so she arranges to take photos of Jay Brown. Mitch Baker and Rocky convince him it’s a naked photoshoot, so when him and Frankie are at the car lot, he takes his trousers off, Frankie stops him but Lola Pearce walks in with his lunch and is gobsmacked but agrees to keep silent. Frankie takes some normal photos of Jay for the exhibition. When the Exhibition takes place, Nancy and Jay come with her to see Clara and the photo expert Beau, however Lola arrives and accuses Jay of cheating on Honey Mitchell with Frankie, and throws water on Clara, calling her a posh cow before leaving. Clara kicks Frankie, Nancy and Jay out. Lola later comes to the Vic and apologises to Frankie and the two become friends, Playing snog, marry, avoid at The Club. The two later agree to help each other take photos for their online dating profiles, where Lola unknowingly catches Janine Butcher disposing of bloody clothes from the car crash she left Linda and Annie in, but she doesn’t realise Janine is there at the time.
In August 2022, Frankie gets a job at Walford High School as a teaching assistant for deaf student Esme. Esme is a student that Frankie Lewis is assigned in her teaching assistant role to help support her as they are both deaf. During a class, Denzel Danes, Nugget Gulati and Amy Mitchell mimic Frankie’s sign language to make fun of them and Frankie notices. After class Frankie speaks to them, but Esme tells her she can fight her own battles. When Frankie drops her files, Nugget photographs her bending down to pick them up and posts it online, which Esme shows to Frankie. Frankie then Visits Mr Morden, who says they can call in the parents and exclude the boys, but he says that pornography is everywhere and that lots of their time is taken up by kids with issues, saying that when teacher aren’t teaching, they’re being social workers. Frankie is unsatisfied with Mr Morden after he doesn’t tell her how she can get the kids to respect her and leaves. Frankie then heads him and talks with Lola Pearce, saying she should forget about it and come clubbing with her and some others, with Frankie accepting. her, Lola, Whitney Dean, Felix Baker, Finlay Baker, Vinny Panesar and Dotty Cotton head off later that day. At the club, a man, Dec takes an interest in Frankie, watching and following her in the club. Dec keeps touching Frankie in the club, making her uncomfortable. She storms off from him and finds Lola, revealing she’s leaving. She tells Lola to stay, and Lola makes her promise to ass her on her find me app and text her when she’s home before Frankie leaves. On the tube, Frankie is horrified to see that Dec is sitting opposite her. She plays it off, but Dec knows she’s seen him and moves seat next to her. Dec once again makes a move on frankie, touching her leg before Frankie jumps up when she gets to Walford East, telling him no. Frankie makes sure Dec isn’t following her before leaving, but she doesn’t see him as he follows her through George Street. When Frankie reaches Turpin Road, Dec has caught up with her, and Frankie notices his shadow behind her. Frankie keeps walking, and when she’s on Bridge Street, Dec comes up from behind and stands in front of her, harassing her and not letting her past. Frankie pushes him back and tells him to go away, but he refuses, pushing her against the wall of the railway bridge. Dec edges closer to Frankie, and she screams. People hear the commotion and come to help Frankie. When Dec is distracted, Frankie runs down the street to the Vic. When she gets inside, Frankie locks the door and runs upstairs. In the kitchen, Frankie gets herself some water and sits down when she gets a text from Lola asking if she’s ok. Overwhelmed with emotions, Frankie begins crying. Shirley then finds her and calls Mick upstairs. Shirley makes Frankie a tea, and Mick says it could’ve been so much worse. Frankie says she shouldn’t have to be saved, with Mick saying he understands, but Frankie says he doesn’t. Saying she did everything she should have done to stay safe. Frankie says that her stalker and the boys at school don’t see her as a person but see her as a thing. Mick says she should go to the head teacher and say she wants to report the boys, and that if Frankie can describe her stalker they can go to the police station right now. Mick tells Frankie if she wants it to stop, she has to take it seriously. Frankie lashes out, saying the police will never listen to her, and they never listen to anyone. Frankie says she shouldn’t have to fight it, because she is not the problem.
Mick continues to pressure Frankie into going to the police, but Frankie refuses to, saying she can look after herself and that Mick needs to stop victim blaming her. Later at the Vic, Lola then says she’s going to go for a coffee with Frankie to cheer her up after being stalked. Frankie overhears this and is angry at Lola, but Lola and Ben both convince her to go to the police. Frankie later meets with Jack Branning to report the incident, saying she keeps replaying it in her head. Jack says he’s sorry for what she went through, but he can’t help her as there’s no positive ID. Frankie says the law is a joke and Jack leaves, apologising. Frankie then apologises for not hitting him as then they would actually put in the work. Frankie later sissy outside and sees Denzel and Davinder jokingly touch Amy on her bottom. Linda then arrives and says she should say something to them as one of their teachers, but Frankie doesn’t see the point. Linda later talks to Frankie, saying she knows how she feels as it took her three months to report what happened to her. Frankie says she doesn’t see the point as both Dec and her rapist, Dean Wicks, walked free. Later, Lola sees Frankie in the corner of the Vic and asks Mick if she should take her out for a bit, with Mick saying yes. Lola takes Frankie to Walford East and tells her about the wedding, when a man starts harassing them about joining them for a drink. Tavi Gulati then defuses the situation and stands up for the girls, saying he’s at the bar if they need him. Frankie tries to leave, saying nowhere is safe from men wanting something from them. Lola tells her she’s not alone, saying she knows Lexi will have the same experiences they do, saying it won’t change. Frankie says she’s right and leaves. The next day, Frankie calls Davinder and Denzel into Mr Morden’s office, telling the two she saw them touching Amy, telling them how wrong it is, saying they have no idea about how scary it feels to just walk down the street. The two apologise, and when they leave Frankie asks Denzel if he likes Amy, saying that he should start being himself around her. Later, Frankie tells Linda that she spoke up today, and Linda tells her she’s proud of her.
On 22 September 2022, Frankie tells Shirley she has a full day with Esme. When she gets home, Frankie reveals to Shirley she had a meeting with Esme’s dad, and that they want Frankie to move to Scotland with them. Frankie confides in Mick, and he says it’s a good idea for her to go. Frankie says she doesn’t want to make him sad, but he says she only ever makes him proud. Frankie later overhears Janine and Sonia in the cafe, where Frankie learns that Janine is pregnant with Mick’s baby. Frankie later goes to the Vic, where Mick, Kim, Linda, Shirley and Janine are present. Frankie overhears Janine booking a taxi to the Oakmore abortion clinic. Frankie searches it online, and follows Janine to the cab office, confronting Janine and asking if Mick knows. Janine and Frankie talk, before Karen interrupts and Frankie leaves, saying Mick would support her. Back in the Vic, Mick gives a speech for Frankie, saying she’s helped go through the most difficult time of his life and that she’ll be amazing as a teacher as he’s taught her some things, before saying she loves her in sign language. Sonia then pulls mick aside, ready to tell Mick Janine is pregnant, but Frankie interrupts and tells him herself. Mick is overjoyed to hear he is having another kid, and Frankie tells Mick she’s at the clinic getting an abortion. Sonia tells Mick she told her to tel her, and Frankie and Sonia agree she’s not thinking straight. Mick says he should have a say in it, with Frankie saying it’s her body, and Mick says that he should get a say I’m bringing a child into the world and that Frankie should get that more than anyone, causing Frankie to walk off. Frankie and Sonia talk in the kitchen, with Sonia reassuring Frankie she’ll get to say goodbye. As Frankie is leaving, Mick gets back and the two share apologies, and Mick says Janine hasn’t had the abortion yet, but that they’re not ready for parents again. Frankie shows Mick a photo Esme sent her and says that she’s ready to travel alone and take the tube for the first time since her harassment. Linda, Shirley and Mick come to the tube with Frankie to see her off, all three sharing a hug with her. Frankie then reveals she wants to be known as Frankie Carter from now on, before she leaves through the tube barrier, as Mick, Shirley and Linda share one last wave.
On Christmas Day 2022, Mick is lost at Sea. Linda decides the best way to tell his kids was to visit them in person, so she, Ollie and Annie visit Frankie and tell her.
Frankie’s experience at Walford High is later brought up by Stacey Slater in 2023 when she brings up her harassment by the students when she feels her daughter, Lily Slater, is being treated poorly by them for being pregnant.
Crimes[]
- GBH
Quotes[]
First line: "Stay away from me!" (Said to her doctor)
Last line (2021 break) ”I’m fine, honestly.” (Said to Mick as she leaves)
First line (2022 Return): "Surprise! Who died?” (Said to Mick and Shirley when she returned home)
Last Line: “You’ll be alright. You always are!” (Said to Mick before leaving for Glasgow)
Notes[]
- During 2021, Frankie took a break from November due to actress Rose Ayling-Ellis participating on Strictly Come Dancing. Her with her partner, Giovanni, won the 2021 series.
- The duo later won the Bafta for Virgin Media’s must-see moment category for their silent dance. They also presented the "features" category.