Amanda 'Mandy' Salter is the daughter of Lorraine Salter and mother of Kira Salter. She first appeared on 12 March 1992 and is portrayed by Nicola Stapleton.
Storylines[]
1992-1994: Problem child and relationship Aidan Brosnan[]
Mandy arrives in Albert Square in March 1992 when her hospitalised mother Lorraine Salter, leaves her in Pat Butcher's care. She makes friends with Sam Mitchell but eventually leaves the Butchers as she feels unwanted by Pat's husband, Frank Butcher. She then begins squatting.
Mandy was a troublesome teenager. She blackmailed Ian Beale, threatening to divulge that he visits prostitutes unless he employed her. Ian did not succumb so Mandy survived by stealing, conning people and relying on charity. After Mandy was evicted from her squat, Kathy Beale allowed her to live with her, but Mandy was eventually thrown out when she was caught spreading rumours that Kathy has been abusing her. Mandy ends up homeless and ended up sleeping in a makeshift shanty.
Mark Fowler and Steve Elliot eventually let Mandy stay with them, but Mandy's stirring contributed to the demise of Steve's relationship with Hattie Tavernier. Mandy and Hattie maintained an antagonistic relationship throughout their time together in Walford.
On Christmas Eve 1992, Mandy received a Christmas card from her mother, telling her that she is visiting. However, Lorraine never arrives, so on Christmas Day, Mandy returns to Lorraine's flat but finds her mother's boyfriend, Gary, instead. He is abusive to Mandy and starts beating her, until she is rescued by Mark.
Mandy meets trainee footballer, Aidan Brosnan, in 1993. They begin dating, but Mandy is a bad influence on Aidan and encourages him to skip football practice, get drunk and use ecstasy. This results in an intoxicated Aidan falling and damaging his knee and, following a subsequent injury, Aidan is told that his career in professional football is over. The loss of his dream hits Aidan badly, but by now Mandy has fallen for him in a big way, and when he returns to Ireland, she follows him. Both soon return, having had a poor reception from Aidan's family. The young lovers are unable to find work so they begin sleeping on the streets and squatting. To get money, Mandy and Aidan beg and occasionally do odd jobs. It is on one such occasion that Grant Mitchell leaves his wife Sharon Mitchell’s pet poodle, Roly, in Mandy's care. However, Mandy loses control of Roly and he dies after running straight into an oncoming truck, devastating Sharon.
Mandy later cleans Doctor Harold Legg's surgery but, after stealing prescription slips and selling them to drug dealers, she is sacked. She then turns to 'clipping' - acting as a prostitute then running off with the customer's money without performing the sexual service. However, other prostitutes in Kings Cross beat Mandy and after she is arrested, Aidan makes her promise to stop.
When market inspector Richard Cole starts a smear campaign against Mandy and Aidan, accusing them of being behind a series of robberies around the Square, everyone turns on them. Aidan becomes depressed and on Christmas Day 1993, he attempts to commit suicide by threatening to jump off the top of a tower block. Mandy manages to stop him but Aidan realises that Mandy is bad for him, and he returns to his family in Ireland.
Mandy is distraught at losing Aidan. Pauline Fowler takes sympathy and allows her to stay with her. Mandy sees New Year 1994 in, huddled and sobbing on the Fowlers' couch.
Mandy turns to Ricky Butcher for comfort and they have a one-night stand. However, this only makes Mandy realise how much she misses Aidan, and she rejects Ricky's further advances. All alone, and seeing no reason to stick around, Mandy leaves Albert Square in January 1994, repaying the Fowlers' kindness by stealing Pauline's purse and hitching a ride with a lorry driver, who is heading west on the M11. It soon becomes apparent a day or two later that Mandy has left Albert Square.
2011-2012: Relationship with Ian Beale[]
Mandy is not seen again for seventeen years until Ian stumbles across her being thrown out of a strip club by a man. Mandy claims he is her abusive ex-boyfriend. However, it transpires that the man is her employer at the strip club, from whom Mandy has stolen £5000. Ian allows her to stay with him in Walford and a friendship develops as Mandy bonds with Ian's son Bobby Beale and helps Ian discover his frivolous side.
Ian develops romantic feelings for Mandy and she accepts his impromptu marriage proposal. However, when Mandy meets her old friend Ricky, they reminisce, take drugs and have sex. This causes Mandy to rethink marriage to Ian. She decides not to attend the wedding ceremony but Ian pleads with her to change her mind and the wedding is rearranged.
In January 2012, Ian discovers Ricky and Mandy's tryst - the revelation ends Ricky's marriage to Bianca Butcher. Mandy confesses to Ian that she became pregnant with Ricky's child in January 1994 and gave birth to a premature daughter, Kira Salter, who died. She suggests that she had sex with Ricky because of unresolved feelings for her dead daughter. Ian initially questions this and criticises Mandy for using this reason, which causes Mandy to say that nobody wants to be with Ian and that he is alone. Ian quickly forgives Mandy.
Further problems arise when Ian's daughter Lucy Beale returns to Walford and takes a dislike to Mandy. Lucy attempts to turn Ian against Mandy by setting her up, poisoning Bobby's mind against her and sabotaging Mandy's wedding plans. When Lucy discovers Mandy texting someone called "L Stevens", she suspects Mandy is having an affair and arranges for "L" to visit, not realising "L" stands for Lorraine - Mandy's estranged, alcoholic mother. Seeing an opportunity to make use of Ian's resources, Lorraine convinces him that she wants to bond with Mandy, but when he is absent she verbally and physically abuses Mandy. Lorraine's true nature is eventually revealed and Ian sends her away, but her stirring nearly causes Mandy and Ian's relationship to end. When a sickly Lorraine returns to Walford, Ian forbids Mandy from caring for her. Secretly, Mandy visits Lorraine in hospital and they briefly bond, but Lorraine turns nasty again when Mandy disobeys her, telling her that she has never loved or wanted her. A few weeks later, Mandy is devastated to learn that Lorraine has died. Ian, who is going through financial difficulties and is behaving erratically, refuses to let Mandy grieve and goes ahead with his plans to bring their wedding forward.
On their wedding day, Mandy is perturbed by Ian's increasingly strange behaviour and refuses to marry him, revealing that she has been forcing herself to love him. Ian begs her to stay but Mandy leaves as a devastated Ian shouts her name. Ian suffers a breakdown and absconds shortly after without telling his family where he is going. When Lucy discovers Ian's credit card being used in a Rochester hotel a week later, she and Phil Mitchell go in search of him. They find Mandy, who has been using Ian's credit card to pay for her mother's funeral. Mandy denies knowing where Ian is. She vows to make a success of her life, stating it is "time to grow up".
Resident history[]
| Address | Years |
|---|---|
| 23B Albert Square | 1992 |
| 5 Albert Square | 1993 |
| 45 Albert Square | 2011-2012 |