Neil Hughes is a leader of a racist gang. He made his first appearance on 2 December 2021 and last on 18 April 2022. He was portrayed by Thomas Coombes.
Backstory[]
Neil is a member of a racist gang who at some point before 2021 met Aaron and they both joined a far-right gang, with Neil becoming the leader. Neil and his group target black people and those of different religions, particularly Islam, he is also homophobic and has attacked members of the LGBTQIA+ community before, Neil will also attack white people and people he claims to be protecting if they are in his way when carrying out his racist actions, it is implied that Neil as well as being the group leader is also the group's personal assassin.
Storylines[]
2021-2022: Arrival, racist attacks and bomb plots[]
Neil first arrives in Walford when Aaron manipulates Tiffany Butcher-Baker into uploading a photo protesting to the Christmas nativity being cancelled, Aaron adds St. George flags to the photo claiming it would get her more likes from the "football boys". Aaron then invites his friends, including Neil, to join him and Tiffany for drinks at the Queen Victoria.
It soon becomes apparent that his mates are part of the same far-right group. Neil is involved in an altercation with Keegan Butcher-Baker in the Queen Victoria. When Keegan is on his way home, he is unaware that Neil and Aaron's mates were lurking in Turpin Road waiting for him to leave the pub, so they could set upon him in revenge for being humiliated earlier. Keegan defends himself by punching Neil, but is quickly overpowered by the rest of the thugs who beat him almost to death (on orders of Aaron) with cricket bats and signs whilst Aaron watches the beating take place from a safe distance. Keegan is left in hospital as a result, seriously injured with a punctured lung.
A couple of days after the attack, Isaac Baptise sees Aaron and Neil talking at the bar in Walford East whilst out for lunch with Lola Pearce and recognises Neil immediately. Lola gets uncomfortable when Isaac says this to her asking him to hurry up and order, not wanting to draw attention either due to him having another suspected schizophrenic episode but also not wanting Isaac to be attacked if his theory is true. After lunch whilst at the Queen Victoria, Isaac confronts him, but Aaron dismisses him lying that Neil isn't a friend, merely "a tourist who asked for directions". Isaac is angered and raises his voice, which scares Lexi Pearce. Ben Mitchell arrives at the pub and questions Isaac on why his daughter is scared. Aaron appears smug, having successfully gaslit witnesses and worked the situation to his advantage.
After Christmas, Neil researches and crafts the bomb at his home where he currently lives with his grandmother. We later see him planting a bomb in The Argee Bhargee set to go off on New Year's Eve, though he is nearly spotted by Keegan in the process. He warns Aaron to make sure Dana isn't in The Albert, which it is adjacent to, when the bomb is due to go off.
The day after plating the bomb, Neil calls Aaron asking to meet him in the playground. Neil gives Aaron a burner phone telling him to call it, and after he calls it the bomb will be set off. Aaron gets uncomfortable as he has been trying in vain to prevent Dana and his Dad from attending the party, but Neil threatens him saying a lot of people will be angry if it doesn't go off as planned. Whilst they are talking, they are both unaware Harvey has spotted them, Harvey recognises Neil as a friend of Aaron's, and he used to get in trouble with when he initially started taking his racist views too far. When they are back at the flat, Aaron eases his nerves by drinking his Dad's whiskey. It is clear when Harvey arrives back and clocks Aaron drinking, that it's due to nerves for whatever they have planned. When Dana gets back, he tells her to go to the party anyway, even though she gave her ticket to Stacey Slater, as he needs to speak to his son in private. When Dana protests and tells him of this, he reassures her that she will likely get free entry due to dating one of the Albert's owner's grandsons. Aaron does not set the bomb off after being confronted by Harvey stating that if he sets the bomb off, he’ll kill his little sister as Harvey refuses to go get Dana like Aaron asked.
In January 2022, Neil and other members of the group attack a group of Walford residents including Ash Kaur and Ben Mitchell in a homophobic assault outside the tube station. The group are found by Honey Mitchell who calls an ambulance for Callum Highway. Later in January, Neil comes to Number 5D to confront Aaron and show him what happened to the man the group thought had told the police about the bomb in the Argee Bhajee, Neil then accuses Aaron, knowing Aaron is the only one who knew exactly where the bomb was. Neil then punches Aaron in the stomach and pushes Aaron against his fridge and begins to strangle him. Neil is interrupted by Harvey arriving home as he has forgotten his lunch, after which he picks up a photo of Dana and begins stating the time her shift at Walford east starts and finished and threatens that it's dangerous to walk home alone at night. After this, Aaron convinces then group he isn’t right for them and he is removed.
Neil returns months later booking a taxi under a fake name, Harvey picks him up, Neil then attacks Harvey, strangling him with his seat belt and tells Harvey he is back in the group despite Aaron's pleas to remove him. Neil tells Harvey to deliver a phone (which was implied to be another bomb) to Aaron, who was serving a prison sentence for his terrorist crimes after Harvey had told them what he had done. Harvey refuses Neil's request so Neil presses the seat belt harder against Harvey's throat, Neil lets Harvey go after spotting Jean Slater coming towards the car. He then tells Harvey to make the drop.
Neil delivers Harvey the phone the following week, after visiting Aaron, Harvey tells Aaron he can’t go through with giving him the phone as he can’t live with innocent people being killed, Aaron apologises for everything he had put Harvey though over the years. Aaron is stabbed by Neil's associates the following night and is currently fighting for his life in hospital, Neil's current whereabouts is unknown.
Kill count[]
Attempted murder victims[]
- Keegan Butcher-Baker (2 December 2021) (on the orders of Aaron Monroe and Neil) - Neil and his far right gang attack Keegan and beat him close to death causing a ruptured lung as Aaron watches
- Ash Kaur (4 January 2022) - Neil instigated a vicious homophobic attack with members of his gang attacking Ben, Stacey and Eve, with Neil himself personally attacking Ash, who he knocked out unconscious and badly beating up Callum.
- Callum Highway (4 January 2022) - Neil instigated a vicious homophobic attack with members of his gang attacking Ben, Stacey and Eve, with Neil himself personally attacking Ash, who he knocked out unconscious and badly beating up Callum.
- Ben Mitchell (4 January 2022) (instigated) - Neil instigated a vicious homophobic attack with members of his gang attacking Ben, Stacey and Eve, with Neil himself personally attacking Ash, who he knocked out unconscious and badly beating up Callum.
- Eve Unwin (4 January 2022) (instigated) - Neil instigated a vicious homophobic attack with members of his gang attacking Ben, Stacey and Eve, with Neil himself personally attacking Ash, who he knocked out unconscious and badly beating up Callum.
- Stacey Slater (4 January 2022) (instigated) - Neil instigated a vicious homophobic attack with members of his gang attacking Ben, Stacey and Eve, with Neil himself personally attacking Ash, who he knocked out unconscious and badly beating up Callum.
- Aaron Monroe (11 January 2022) - Pushes him up against his fridge and begins to strangle him believing Aaron had tipped off the police about the bomb in the Argee Bargee, however is interrupted by Harvey Monroe.
- Harvey Monroe (11 April 2022) - Gets into the back of Harvey's car and orders him to deliver a phone to Aaron, when Harvey refuses Neil begins to strangle him with his seat belt but lets him go when Jean Slater gets into the car.
Note: It was confirmed in dialogue that Neil and his far right gang have attacked multiple different people of different race/religion, Neil also planted a bomb in The Argee Bhajee knowing people were in The Prince Albert next door, If it wasn't for Aaron Monroe failing to detonate the bomb over 30 people in the Prince Albert could have been seriously injured or potentially even killed.
Fight count[]
Punches[]
Total: 1
Individual characters punched: 1
Total punches: 1
Kicks[]
- Callum Highway (4 January 2022) (x6) (knocked out)
Total: 1
Individual characters kicked: 6
Total kicks: 6
Quotes[]
First line attempting to flirt with Lola Pearce: "You alright, sexy? I er, I left my mistletoe indoors, You don't mind going without do ya."
To Aaron Monroe, threatening him: "Watch your back grass!"
To Harvey Monroe: "I heard what happened to Aaron, there's a video doing the rounds, his coughing up blood and crying out for his dad."
Background information[]
- His alias, W18, may be a reference to the fact he is racist, as R is the 18th letter of the alphabet and W is often used as a symbol for White supremacy
- Neil shares a surname with former EastEnders director Enda Hughes.
List of appearances[]
- 2 December 2021
- 6 December 2021
- 13 December 2021
- 16 December 2021
- 28 December 2021
- 30 December 2021
- 31 December 2021
- 3 January 2022
- 4 January 2022
- 11 January 2022 - Part 1
- 28 January 2022
- 11 April 2022
- 18 April 2022
Gallery[]
.jpg "Episode 6414 (11 January 2022 - Part 1).jpg (314 KB)")
.jpg "Neil Hughes (2 December 2021).jpg (92 KB)")
