Josh Saunders (EastEnders)

Infobox EastEnders character 2


character_name=Josh Saunders
actor_name=Jon Lee
years=1997-1998
first=18 November 1997
last=30 April 1998
status= Single
home=Scotland
occupation= Student
mother=Julie Haye
father=Eliot Saunders|

Josh Saunders was a fictional character that appeared in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders" between 1997 and 1998. He was played by Jon Lee. [cite news|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20030413/ai_n12863948 |title= Fashion: Join the club |publisher="Sunday Mirror" |accessdate=2007-10-21] Josh was a love interest for the character Clare Bates. [cite news|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters_cast/characters/character_clare_b.shtml |title= Clare Bates |publisher="BBC" |accessdate=2007-10-21]

Character creation and development

Josh was introduced as part of a storyline to aid the departure of the long-running characters, Nigel and Clare Bates (played by Paul Bradley and Gemma Bissix). Actor Paul Bradley had decided to leave the serial, reportedly for fear of being typecast.cite news|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_19971116/ai_n14470623 |title= LOVE AT LAST FOR NIGEL THE NERD|publisher="The Mirror" | date = 1997-11-16| accessdate=2007-10-21] The writers of "EastEnders" wanted to give Nigel a happy ending, so a character named Julie Haye (Karen Henthorn) was invented to be a love interest for Nigel, whilst her son, Josh, was invented to be a love interest for Nigel's daughter, Clare.cite news|url= http://www.wgazette.com/wint04-henthorn.html |title= Interview with Karen Henthorn|publisher="Walford Gazette" |accessdate=2007-10-21]

Josh, was played by Jon Lee, who went on to find greater fame as a singer in the successful pop band, S Club 7. [cite news|url= http://www.jonleeofficial.com/bio.php|title= Jone Lee|publisher="www.jonleeofficial.com" | accessdate=2007-10-21] Lee has said that he won a part in "EastEnders" “by complete accident really.” [cite news|url= http://www.wgazette.com/wint04-henthorn.html |title= The Big Interview: Jon Lee|publisher=officiallondontheatre.co.uk|accessdate=2007-10-21] He played the role of Josh for six months. When the storyline reached its end, the Bates family joined Josh and his mother for a new life in Scotland. Josh last appeared in April 1998. [cite news|url= http://gaydarnation.com/UserPortal/Article/Detail.aspx?ID=6024&sid=43 |title= Totty Watch |publisher=gaydarnation.com|accessdate=2007-10-21]

torylines

Josh Saunders was first seen as a pupil rescuing Clare Bates from a gang of bullies—her former friends who became her enemies after she refused to socialise with them. Clare developed an instant crush on Josh, and she spent the following few weeks trying to impress him. They started dating, despite initial objections from Clare's father. It transpired that Josh was actually the son of Clare's teacher, Julie Haye. Clare was mortified by this initially, and she refused to speak to Josh for a brief period. She soon came to accept the situation, and was even pleased when her father, Nigel, began dating Josh's mother.

Josh found himself caught in the middle of his warring parents—his father, Eliot, had been furious when Julie announced that she was planning to move to Scotland with Josh in 1998. Josh's father was Jewish, and Josh was obliged to have a Bar Mitzvah to appease his father before he left for Scotland. Josh was initially opposed to this, as he was not remotely interested in religion. He started missing his Bar Mitzvah tutorials, which did not please his father; he was told that performing the ceremony was ultimately his choice, but if he did not do it before he left, his family would not be present to support him. Josh decided to go ahead with the Bar Mitzvah. It took place in March 1998 and Clare was present as his guest.

Nigel and Julie's relationship ended when Nigel began to have second thoughts—he felt that he was betraying his deceased wife. Julie and Josh left Walford for Scotland in April 1998. Clare was upset to see Josh go, they said their goodbyes, but just at the last minute, Nigel changed his mind again, and asked Julie if he and Clare could move to Scotland with her and Josh. Clare was overjoyed and Josh and Julie returned to collect the Bateses a few weeks later.

Following Clare's return to Walford a decade later, in 2008, she revealed that as she had aged, Josh had taken her place in Nigel's affections.

References