Roland Highway is the son of Stuart and Rainie Highway and was born via surrogate, Bernadette Taylor. He made his first appearance on 30 March 2022, and his last appearance on 24 August 2022.
Storylines[]
Roland was born on 29 March 2022 to Stuart and Rainie Highway by surrogate mother, Bernadette Taylor. Stuart and Rainie always wanted a child together ever since they first started dating. Rainie was already the legal guardian to Abi Branning, from her previous marriage to Max Branning. On their wedding day, Rainie told Stuart she was pregnant following many pregnancy symptoms, however it was later confirmed that it was a phantom pregnancy and there was no baby after all. Rainie was devastated and clung onto baby Abi but when Max left Walford, he left Abi with Rainie but changed his mind several months later and never returned Abi to Rainie and Stuart after they let her visit him. Rainie was devastated as all she ever wanted was to be a mother so asked Stuart if they could try surrogacy as Rainie was infertile and her eggs couldn't be used. They originally asked Tiffany Butcher-Baker and she was about to go through with it until her husband, Keegan Butcher-Baker, advised her against it. Rainie was once again left devastated but Tiffany's best friend, Bernadette, stood up and told them she will do it for them. Rainie and Stuart agreed and started the process immediately. They used Bernadette's egg and Stuart's sperm and in July 2021, Bernadette discovered she was pregnant. During her pregnancy, Rainie and Stuart were very much involved and were ecstatic to discover it was a boy. However, in early 2022, Stuart discovered he has breast cancer and after several months of keeping it to himself, he told Rainie. They decided not to tell Bernadette because they didn't want to lose their chances of getting their baby.
On 29 March 2022, Bernadette returned to Walford after taking a break away to see her brother, Keanu Taylor. She went to see Rainie and Stuart when Rainie had to tell her about Stuart's cancer. Bernadette was shocked but Rainie tells her everything is fine and that Stuart is going ahead with treatment. Bernadette agrees to keep things the way they are when she suddenly goes into labour. At the hospital, Rainie, Stuart and Karen are all by Bernadette's side as she gives birth to a baby boy. The couple are so happy and decide on the name, Roland Highway. Just as Bernadette hands over the baby, Rainie tells her that Stuart's cancer is worse than they said and that he won't have the surgery. She also tells her they can't have the baby anymore. Bernadette is shocked and thinks about what is best for the baby. She talks to Rainie and tells her they can have the baby if Stuart goes ahead with the treatment. Eventually, Stuart does go ahead with the surgery and they get their baby finally.
After Stuart gets his results on how his surgery went, he discovers that not all the cancer has gone and that it has spread. He needs to have chemotherapy, which he agrees to to keep Rainie happy and so they can keep their son. A month after Roland was born, Stuart begins to feel unattached to Roland and doesn't feel anything towards his son. Rainie and Vi notice his odd behaviour when he never wants to watch Roland but think it is because of his cancer and treatment. Stuart keeps all this to himself until he finally tells Rainie how he really feels about Roland. Rainie is shocked and devastated but still thinks it is due to stress of his chemotherapy. Vi also finds out and talks to Stuart and tells him to try and connect with his son harder. Stuart agrees and spends a day with Roland and takes him to his baby sensory lesson. He bumps into Chelsea Fox in the cafe as she too is going to the class with her son, Jordan Atkins. Chelsea sees Stuart struggling so invites him to skip the first half of the lesson and go for a drink in the Vic instead. The pair have a heart-to-heart and Stuart opens up about his feelings. Chelsea tells him she felt the same after her husband, Gray Atkins, was arrested and felt unattached to Jordan. She tells him she nearly put him up for adoption but was talked round by her family and friends. She tells him how she spent more time with Jordan and began to feel more and more attached. This makes Stuart realise it could work for him too. He buys Roland a football kit and the two watch football together as Rainie and Vi walk in seeing the pair bonding. However, Stuart still feels nothing towards Roland and announces he was only doing it to make Rainie happy and that he can't do it anymore.
On 23 June 2022, Stuart and Rainie have a big argument on how Stuart doesn't want Roland and he storms off with Roland to take him to Bernadette's house. Rainie chases him across the square begging him not to. Karen and Bernadette answer, shocked that Stuart has given the baby he wanted so badly back to Bernie. They take Roland in and Rainie is left sobbing and banging the door on the doorstep begging them to give her baby back to her. The next day, Bernie and Karen are watching Roland and Karen tells Bernie she can be a great mother to him but Bernie tells her she doesn't want a baby and this wasn't part of the deal. Bernie decided to tell Rainie she can have Roland back but only if she ends things with Stuart, following him making a scene on the market and getting arrested. Rainie is devastated and goes to talk to Stuart to talk him round again but he still stands his ground and tells her he doesn't love Roland and that they both deserve better than him. Rainie is left crying in the flat and writes a letter to her daughter, Abi, and gives it to Jack Branning to give to Max if he ever comes back to Walford as she is leaving with Roland. Karen sees Stuart in the Vic and confronts him telling him he needs to step up and be a dad or he will never see Rainie again. When Stuart storms off, Patrick Trueman talks to Karen and tells her to give him a break as being a dad is hard, especially at the newborn stage. Karen sees Stuart again on the swings and informs him she has been looking up his symptoms online and that he probably has Postnatal Depression and that it can happen in dads too. Just as Stuart realises what's wrong with him, Rainie tells Bernadette that she will do it. After Karen tries to persuade Stuart to talk to Rainie and stop her from leaving he refuses and Rainie leaves Walford with Roland on 29 June 2022 and says a tearful goodbye to Callum, Vi, Karen, Bernadette, Mitch and Jack.
In April 2023, It was mentioned Roland was being christened. Bernadette, Karen and Callum all attended.
List of appearances[]
2022[]
- 30 March 2022
- 31 March 2022
- 4 April 2022
- 12 April 2022
- 21 April 2022
- 26 April 2022
- 27 April 2022
- 3 May 2022
- 4 May 2022
- 12 May 2022
- 16 May 2022
- 25 May 2022
- 30 May 2022
- 31 May 2022
- 8 June 2022
- 13 June 2022
- 21 June 2022
- 23 June 2022
- 27 June 2022
- 29 June 2022
- 24 August 2022
- 25 August 2022
Gallery[]
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.jpg "Roland Highway (29 June 2022).jpg (84 KB)")