EastEnders adds Hawkins family to Albert Square

The BBC soap EastEnders will introduce the Hawkins family this summer, bringing the estranged relatives of character Nicola Mitchell onto Albert Square. The five‑person clan – mother Rose, sisters Gemma and Jodie, Gemma’s husband Ned and their son Ryder – will be played by Marian McLoughlin, Patricia Potter, Anna Constable, Jamie Bamber and Felix Uff, with a dog also joining the on‑screen family.

Executive producer Ben Wadey described the newcomers as a “fantastic addition” that will have an “explosive impact” and revive “old wounds and complicated family dynamics”. A teaser clip showing suitcases and the words “the Hawkins family” was released on the show’s social media, prompting fan speculation that the family would be Nicola’s sister Gemma and her relatives.

The casting marks the first new family introduced under Wadey’s tenure and the first major addition since 2023, signalling a fresh storyline focus for the long‑running series.