What characters do you think started out really bad and were universally hated by the audience, then absolutely loved later on.

Becky from Corrie was really hated by everyone then later turned into an iconic character.

The slaters were panned by critics and by the audience but turned into one of the best familys they had in years.

Grace from HO was hated, shes now one of the few decent characters on it.


any more??

Summer Bay's Kane Phillips. I never really understood why as he raped Dani and then married her sister but he was a very popular character

Maybe Zainab Masood? I know loads of people were excited about Nina Wadia on EE, but her battleaxe qualities made her seem like a new Pauline Fowler. But then further layers, including her soft side and wicked sense of humour made her a fan favourite.

EE - Zainab, Shirley, Pat, Janine, etc

Hollyoaks - Sienna

Pat (EE) stands out for me. I loathed her with a passion when she first arrived, absolutely loved her by the time she left.

I can remember totally hating the Battersbys especially Toyah and Leanne. I can remember the papers saying things like Is this what Britains come to? And things in the same vein. But within a year Inloved them all!!

No. No, they really weren't. Kat and Zoe were ok, at a push, but Mo was a caricature and Little Mo and Charlie were a waste of time - they never had a clue what to do with them.

How were the Slater's not one of the best families in years? What better families were there from the 2000s.

Maybe not quite such an extreme swing of opinion as others mentioned, but many didn't like MyCindy off of Eastenders when she first turned up, but she's a lot more popular now.

That may just be a function of a child actor moving from 'prop' status to actual character status, though.

Steve McDonald in Coronation Street was very unpopular in the early/mid 90's, then they changed the charatcer completely by pairing him up with a series of gobby women and making him a victim/comedy character.

They seem to be doing the same now with David Platt.

Ian Beale from Eastenders is an odd one because I think he has always been both hated and a fan favourite, more often than not at the same time...

Dot
Pat
Janine
Stacey
Jean
Shirley
Lola

I couldn't stand Zainab for a while, but she turned into one of my favourite characters I'd love her to come back!

Zara in Doctors was hated by a lot of viewers on here at first, now she is one of the most loved.

I remember hating Jac Naylor in Holby for a long time then grew to love her and she is one of my faves. She is greatly missed by me. Same with Connie in Casualty.

Me and my mum hated Liz McDonald for years and now we love her. We think it was because being with Jim did he no favours as when he last returned we found ourselves irritated by her again.

Tim in CS. Everyone thought he was creepy when he first arrived, now he's a loveable mr nice guy.

Maybe Robert Sugden will redeem himself massively

I used to hate Ross when he first appeared in Emmerdale but i have started to like him now as we see a different side to him instead thinking him as a Thug

I could not stand Michael Moon on EE at first, then he became one of my favorite characters

Since Laurel became a drunk on EE I pretty much love her character now too

Denny Rickman. Everyone hated him. Then in 2030 when he toppled Phil, impregnated Courtney and Louise Mitchell and became owner of the Queen Vic with his girlfriend Lily Slater and his best mates Bert and Ernie he became King!

Thinking the same examples, except sadly Connie's probably completely and irredeemably wrecked now. I am not a Doctors viewer, but I have a Granny who never misses an episode and because I often work unconventional hours, my visits to her are often weekday lunch-times and afternoons and invariably Doctors is on. Zara and the Darwin Ladies are clearly cut from the same tormented cloth....

Yes! That would be mine main one. I couldn't stand them, and then ... awesome. Toyah and Spider were the best teen romance ever. *sigh*

Back when I watched HO, I remember really not liking Duncan Button and his mate Ricky at first, then they just changed the way they wrote them and I found them hilarious.

I also absolutely loathed the Savages, but after a long while, Dodger and Dirk turned out to be OK. Dodger was a sweetheart (before they wrecked him with the Sienna shoite). Will was always rubbish, mind.

bib: Tormented? More like arrogant, bitchy, self-serving and downright unlikeable.

My choice for characters I grew to like? Corrie's Tim and Emmerdale's Alicia.

Sensible decision.

Michael Moon in Eastenders.

I think a lot of people (myself included) didn't really rate the character when he first appeared. However, when Michael returned to see Tommy, he became a completely different character almost and people loved him - the acting if not the character!

Maddie in Corrie.

Yes I remember this the Battersbys were hated but then became popular. I also remember Roy Cropper not having much of a fan base or Kylie Platt. Also Craig Tinker at first seemed really creepy but is now lovely.