Ted Murray made his first appearance on the 26 May 2017. He is portrayed by Christopher Timothy.
Backstory[]
Ted Murray was born in May 1937 in London. He was called up for his National Service in the 1950s. In 1956 he was in Suez.
When Ted was 19 he was drafted into National Service. Airlifted from Cyprus, he was sent to the deserts of Egypt. While there, Ted saw his friend Malcolm in trouble but, frozen by fear and unable to help, Malcolm was shot and killed. The next day the platoon captured an enemy combatant and Ted's NCO told him that, as Malcolm was his friend, he should execute the prisoner, which Ted did. He later became a TV repairman.
In 1958 Ted married Joyce. They have a son Alan Murray and daughter Judith Thompson.
Storylines[]
Ted and Joyce are a married couple, who arrive in Albert Square after being rehoused. They finish packing up their flat at Walford Towers and arrive at their new home. Ted tells Joyce that Dot Branning is their neighbour, who they already know, and Ted mentions that Dot's son Nick Cotton used to be friends with their son, Alan. Joyce is upset that Ted has brought a box with them after agreeing to "keep the past in the past". Joyce instructs Ted to keep it out of her way and he opens the box, which has a gun inside. Ted and Joyce meet up with a friend, Joan Murfield, and talk about a family they describe as being "neighbours from hell" who nearly killed Joan. Ted and Joyce decide they like their new home as it is peaceful but are then horrified to discover that Karen Taylor and her children have moved in above them, as Karen is the woman who caused Joan's nervous breakdown.
Ted later applies for a vacancy at the local The Queen Victoria public house as a potman. Although the landlord Mick Carter chooses Ted, he agrees that both Ted and Patrick Trueman should share the job on a part-time basis. Ted and Joyce find that they have been burgled and Ted blames the Taylors and the police question them. Keanu Taylor insists to Ted and Joyce that they played no part in the break-in and Joyce is grateful when Keanu offers to board up their window.
When a gas tank explodes outside the couple's flat, it smashes their windows and debris flies through. Ted panics, convinced that someone is trying to harm him and Joyce, who tries to calm him down. Ted arms himself with his gun and when someone checks on the couple, Ted accidentally shoots Johnny Carter. Joyce calls the emergency services and she is arrested after taking the blame to protect Ted. When Joyce visits Johnny in hospital and he realises Ted was the person who shot him, Johnny's mother Linda Carter decides to confront Joyce who promises Ted that she will still take the blame for him. Joyce and Ted later receive community service and a suspended sentence respectively, thanks to Ted's psychiatric report and a letter Johnny wrote in their defence.
Joyce is supportive of Ted when he begins teaching Bernadette Taylor how to play chess, but is frustrated when doing so consumes most of Ted's time. On Alan's birthday, Bernadette is scheduled to play in a chess tournament and asks Ted to support her. Joyce is upset that Ted intends to miss a Skype call with their son for the tournament and argues with him, berating him for giving Bernadette the time and affection that he never gave his own children. When Bernadette panics at the tournament, Joyce relents and allows Ted to go to her, realising the importance for both of them. Ted returns later that night to find Joyce in bed, but in the morning realises that Joyce has died in her sleep.
When Sheree Trueman sets Ted up with her mother Wanda Baptiste, Wanda announces that she has two tickets to travel the world for a year, and invites Ted. At first, he is reluctant due to Denise Fox making an effort to dissuade him, but he later comes round to the idea. After saying goodbye to his friends, he leaves with Wanda.
When Ted does not reply back to Denise as promised, and with Wanda being reluctant to message Denise about Ted, Denise begins suspecting something bad has happened to Ted, with her suspicions being heightened when she receives a voice recording from Ted where he is talking to Wanda and is then heard screaming. However, Ted calls Denise to confirm that he is fine, and the recording of him screaming was actually due to him being reluctant to jump when doing a zip line, resulting in Wanda to push him off instead.