Jada Lennox is the mother of Alyssa Lennox. She made her first appearance on 8 November 2021 and last appearance on 25 December 2022. She was portrayed by Kelsey Calladine-Smith.
Storylines[]
Backstory[]
When Jada was young, she never got to go on days out; however, her dad did take her on one day out to a theme park, using coupons that they cut out of a newspaper together. Jada went on all the rides until she felt sick. Melody Wiles’s mother had a big tub of coconut oil, but she would not allow her or Jada to use it so they covered themselves in sunflower oil instead, believing it would do the same thing. Because of this, they became known as Chippy for the next two years. Jada became friends with Dennis Rickman Jr, and he told her about how he hated his mother, Sharon Watts. Despite it being a close friendship, Jada and Dennis eventually had sex, and Jada fell pregnant at fourteen. However, Jada was never able to tell Dennis about her pregnancy before he was killed, and soon their daughter Alyssa was born. Jada recalls Dennis throwing a keyring he won at Southend pier at her in year eight, so she kept it, and when Walford High School announced his death, people she didn’t know were crying, including teachers Dennis hated. Jada bunked off school for the day after that.
2021-2022[]
After being pressured by her father to get a job to provide support for her daughter, Jada is left with no choice but to leave Alyssa on the doorstep of Sharon's house. She left a note that read "Alyssa is yours. Please take care of her. I can’t do this anymore".
After this, Sharon is annoyed at Zack Hudson, assuming the baby is his; however, she takes her in until they can figure it out.
On November 8, Jada decides to see how Alyssa is doing and notices Zack drop her teddy. She later follows them home and leaves it on their doorstep. Jada is seen and chased by Zack and Sharon, where she revealed that Dennis is the father.
Jada decides to stay in Walford to be a part of Alyssa's life, and agrees to apply for joint custody of her with Sharon. However, after Sharon had a conversation with Phil Mitchell, she is convinced to go for full custody. Zack later tells Jada this with good intentions, but Jada takes Alyssa and goes on the run for months.
on 4 February 2022, Zack returns Alyssa’s toy giraffe to her after seeing her in Bethnal Green the previous night, and convinces her to consider taking his offer of coming back to Walford.
Jada later accepts Zack’s offer, and while outside Walford East Tube Station, meets Will Mitchell. She bumps her pram into an oncoming car, but Sharon saves her and lets her move into 29B Albert Square for the day, as they move into 43 Albert Square the next day.
After getting a job at Fox and Hair, Jada’s friends Chess Newland and Melody Wiles begin causing trouble for her and Will; the four go to the park, where they drink stolen alcohol that Will distracted the worker so Jada could steal. They later come to Jada’s party and start smoking drugs at number 43. Will is about to take them, but Sonia Fowler shuts the party down before he does. When Jack Branning asks if anyone saw what happened to Butcher Baker the previous night, Jada asks if there is a reward but decides to keep quiet.
In August 2022, Jada takes Alyssa to the Playground to celebrate her birthday, where she sees Stuart Highway buying from a dealer outside of his support group. She talks to him and later convinces him not to use them, but he puts them in Jada’s hand and runs away. Later, at the salon, Denise Fox asks Jada if she has two £10 notes for a £20 note, and when she opens her purse, the pills fall out, leading Denise and Linda Carter to believe they are hers. However, she tells them that a guy forced her to take them, and refuses to tell them it was Stuart, as she knows he is having a hard time. During this, Lily Slater steals the drugs. After she refuses to tell Linda who she got the drugs from, she fires Jada, as she is the new co-owner of the salon, leaving Jada furious. Janine Butcher hears the news that Jada was fired, and uses the opportunity to get Jada to help her make Linda leave Walford; Jada agrees, but doesn’t know that Janine was recording her. When Janine calls on Jada to put her plan into action, she refuses, as she had a change of heart after seeing Linda bond with Annie Carter. However, Janine offers her money and threatens to expose her with the recording if she refuses.
Jada plants empty bottles of vodka around the house and calls social services; they later arrive and take Annie away, as a result of finding bruises on her, due to her falling over a lot, as she has recently started walking. After this, Jada confesses to Sharon, who tells Jada to go to the police and change her statement; however, as she returned Janine’s money to her in a book she lent her for Alyssa, with a note saying sorry, Janine finds her and manipulates her into not telling the police.
After this, Sharon tells Linda it was Jada that called the social services on her. Whilst waiting for a bus, Zack Hudson tries to stop her leaving, but she tells him she was never good enough for his family and leaves on the bus to her aunt’s, taking Alyssa, and the truth, with her.
On Christmas Day 2022, Jada and Alyssa return to the Square to spend Christmas with Sharon. Whilst eating Christmas dinner, Jada revealed to Sharon, Martin Fowler and Zack that Janine blackmailed her into grassing Linda up to social services. Sharon takes Jada over to the The Queen Victoria, where Janine and her now husband Mick Carter are spending Christmas with Linda. Jada reveals to them all that it was Janine who was responsible for Annie being taken away from Linda, resulting in Janine throwing them both out. However, Jada's revelation caused a domino effect of revelations about Janine to be exposed, leading to her arrest, as well as Mick getting lost at sea.
After being unable to cope with Martin’s death, Sharon goes to stay with Jada in April 2025 with Albie Watts.
Residence History[]
| Address | Years |
|---|---|
| Unknown Estate | Until 2021 |
| 29B Albert Square | 2021, 2022 |
| 43 Albert Square | 2022 |
| Unknown | 2022- |
Background information[]
- On 31 May 2022, Sharon states that Jada is sixteen. However, in August, Jada states she is seventeen while on the phone. This implies her birthday is in June, July, or early August.
Quotes[]
Last line until 25 December 2022: “Thanks Zack, for everything.”