DCI Samantha Keeble made her first appearance 3 November 2008 and last on 5 January 2023, and was portrayed by Alison Newman.
Backstory[]
On 27th January 1979, Samantha's father, Malcom Keeble, was shot dead by Eric Mitchell during a robbery he'd been doing with Phil Mitchell, Grant Mitchell, Stephen Mitchell, Billy Mitchell and Charlie Mitchell. Samantha was only young at the time but overheard a policeman informing her mother, Mrs Keeble, of his death.
Storylines[]
2008[]
Samantha is the inspector who was dealing with the case of Max Branning hit and run. She was angry at his former wife Tanya Branning for not letting her speak to their daughter Abi Branning, as Abi was in Max's house, near the 'accident'.
2014-2016[]
When DCI Irving is assigned to another division, she takes over the investigation into the murder of Lucy Beale.
DI Samantha Keeble arrived back at Walford on 15 July 2014 to interview Billy Mitchell about an argument he had with Lucy on the night she died. She then appeared back in Albert Square to investigate the murder of Nick Cotton when Dot Branning phoned the police to say that she had killed her son.
On 8th May 2015 Samantha came back in the court to give evidence against Dot claiming that she had said that she had killed her son which then resulting into her arrest after admitting to the offence.
On 17 July 2015, Samantha goes to visit Ian Beale to explain what Ian has read in The London Telegraph about a new lead on Lucy's murder. She is also seen with DCI Jill Marsden and DS Cameron Bryant when they turn up to arrest Ben Mitchell for Lucy's death. But as Bobby Beale was revealed as Lucy's real killer, she gets fired from her job for wrongfully arresting Ben and wrongfully convicting Max Branning.
2022-2023[]
Samantha returned again in January 2022 to interview Phil Mitchell after he was arrested for involvement in the murder of Vincent Hubbard. She was promoted after the Lucy Beale murder case to DCI (despite after wrongfully arresting Ben and convicting Max Branning when they both were innocent). She was seen watching Phil in her car after interviewing him.
Samantha tried to get Phil to become an informant on several occasions but Phil refused. Eventually, Phil was arrested and soon after he was incarcerated he told Samantha that he would be willing to inform on the condition he gets an international phone call. Samantha accepts his terms and tells Phil that he will get his phone call and after that 'You're all mine'.
At first Phil thinks that Samantha is aiming to be promoted and wants to rise in the Police ranks, however he soon realises that she has a different agenda. A young Samantha Keeble appears in the flashback episode to 1979 after her father was killed by Eric Mitchell in a robbery. She overhears an officer telling her Mum the bad news, Ms Keeble tells Samantha to go back to bed and she looks upset. Back to the present day, Samantha tells Phil that he has to inform on Billy, Phil wonders what he could have done, and Samantha tells him there were a number of robberies in the late 1970s which Billy was involved in. She also mentions how her father was murdered.
Samantha thinks that Billy murdered her father and tells Phil that he sourced the gun. However, Phil refuses to inform on Billy until Samantha threatens to target somebody else in his family such as Kat Slater. Phil then tells Samantha that his dad killed her dad, not Billy, and he heard the shot. However Samantha says that since Billy sourced the gun he should get to face the consequences.
Keeble continued to keep an eye on Phil until she's approached by Keanu Taylor who claims to want to take down Phil as revenge for not seeing his daughter Peggy Taylor, this is kept up until Phil and Keanu have a falling out over an affair Keanu and Sam Mitchell had in Spain.
Keeble discovers Phil's plans and demands the gun and recording obtained by Keanu or she'll have Phil arrested for his shipment of stolen cars, however Phil planned for this and cancelled the shipment, telling Keeble she's finished. With nothing left to lose, Keeble retaliates by arranging for Kat Slater and Tommy Moon to be kidnapped and take to a warehouse. Keeble then calls Phil, telling him to hand over the recording and the gun or Kat and Tommy will die.
With help from Keanu and Sam, Phil manages to find where Keeble is keeping Kat and Tommy. Samantha however was prepared to shoot Kat and Tommy but Kat and Samantha got into a scuffle which led to Samantha getting shot. Phil tries to save Keeble but she declines his help but Phil refuses to take no for an answer, he tells Keeble to call her witness not to testify so that Billy's case falls apart. Keeble is eventually taken to Hospital and when asked, claims not to know who shot her and why. She then says it might be time for her to retire and move to Crete, abandoning her vendetta against Phil for good.
Kill count[]
Attempted murder victims[]
- Kat Slater (4 January 2023) - Prepared to shoot Kat and Tommy but Kat and Samantha got into a scuffle which led to Samantha getting shot.
- Tommy Moon (4 January 2023) - Prepared to shoot Tommy and Kat but Kat and Samantha got into a scuffle which led to Samantha getting shot.
Quotes[]
To Kat Slater and Tommy Moon: “The cult of Phill Mitchell’s been brainwashing women for forty years.” (4 January 2022)
To a nurse: “Sometimes you’ve got to know when to let it go and call it a day” (last line) (5 January 2023)