List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2026

Bea Pollard, played by Ronni Ancona, made her first appearance on 7 January 2026.^[2][3] The character and casting was announced on 6 December 2025, with it being reported that Ancona had already begun filming on the soap.^[2] Of her casting, Ancona said, "I am honoured to have been invited to join the iconic institution that is EastEnders, and to go on this whirlwind of a journey with such an unpredictable, nuanced and complex character as Bea. I hope audiences have as much fun watching her as I have had bringing her to life".^[4] Ben Wadey, EastEnders's executive producer, was "delighted" to welcome the "esteemed" Ancona onto the soap and called Bea "mysterious".^[2] Ancona had previously mimicked other EastEnders characters, including Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), on the sketch show The Big Impression.^[5] Bea is introduced as an old school acquaintance of established character Linda Carter (Kellie Bright); the pair meet at a school reunion and it is revealed that the pair have very different recollections of their experiences at school.^[2] It was also teased that Bea would settle into Walford and would end up being at "the heart of the drama" and leaving a "lasting impression" on the characters she encounters.^[6] It was also reported that Bea would be a "a force to be reckoned with".^[7]

Nikki Onafuye from the Daily Mirror speculated that Ancona's casting would send fans of the soap "into a frenzy".^[8]

Sandra Goodwin, played by Dawn Steele, is set to make her first appearance in 2026. She will join as the adoptive mother of fellow newcomer Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan). Steele's casting was announced on 4 March 2026. It was stated that she would arrive in Walford seeking answers about Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), Josh's biological twin sister, after she sees on the news that Jasmine has killed her and Josh's biological father, Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). It was also confirmed that when Sandra arrives in Walford, Josh follows her, unbeknownst his birth family are in the area.^[9]

Steele has been contracted on a guest contract. Speaking on her casting, she said: "I was thrilled to be asked to play the role of Sandra who arrives and throws a spanner or two into the Square!".^[9] She was impressed by Sandra's characterisation and the storyline, hoping viewers would be "thrilled with another piece of the puzzle ahead of [Jasmine's] trial".^[9] Steele previously portrayed Ange Godard on fellow BBC series Holby City, which was filmed at BBC Elstree Centre; the same place where EastEnders is filmed. Of this, Steele said: "It was so great to go back to Elstree after the end of Holby City. Lots of the same crew (and a few cast!) are still there so it was joyful to see them all again. Everyone was so welcoming and I really enjoyed learning new ways of filming, it really is a well-oiled machine, and everyone works so hard."^[9]