To my mind I think the show is blessed with an abundance of big female characters in many ways Queens as some would say -but are there too many vying for the viewers attention? Is it counterproductive were we have big female characters gathering dust on the soap storyline shelf?

Is EastEnders strength for big female characters so plentiful that the show is a victim of its own success?

I LOVE the fact there's so many big female characters but do some need axing /dropping as the field is overcrowded?
Who would you drop?

Obviously we won't all agree on the composition of the names on the poll list _some may think Cora, Roxy, Lauren etc should be included.
I nearly included Lauren but I felt eventually hat she wasn't a BIG BIG character in the same league as those I've chosen for consideration.

None. You can never have too many Queens in soap.

😁😁😁😁😁

Jane should be included though

Mmm debatable you may have a point but I struggle to see Jane in the same league as Queen Kathy and Queen Sharon! 😁

But Shirley is?

A big character ain't necessarily a likeable character! 😁 😉

To me Jane doesn't dominate as a BIG lady character!?

Anyway it's a tie so far for Ronnie and Shirley!

To me Sharon and Kathy are in a unique stratosphere above all of the others!

You can never have too many strong female characters; they are a soap staple.

She used to be BIG but that's when she used the name Lesley.

I think you can -especially when characters like Denise who I forgot to include on the list are left for long stretches without meaty storylines

Stacey and Ronnie have been ruined recently which is ironic because in 09 they were the only queens of the square under DTC's storylines.

I'd ditch Shirley personally.

Do you pine for the Lesley era Scrabbler?! 😉

If I had to ditch one of them it would be Ronnie. Her continued presence in the show is a joke.

Shirley is ok in small doses.

Perhaps it was a mistake to leave Sonia of the list

Yes, I think you have a point there Hilda. There are too many'big' characters that demand big stories. This should be a strength but the writing just isn't there because of storyblocking and a lack of oomph in the writing room. So instead of knocking us out with big set piece stories that appeal to different sections of the audience the balance isn't right.

They will have the same problem when Kat returns. I agree Jane has been elevated to Queen status.

May I ask who you voted for?

I think when the fields overcrowded then some get very neglected and it's the viewers who miss out. It's like in a novel, write too many big characters and it doesn't flow /work as well.

Shirley Carter just so when I log on I would not see incessant posts about her vag and camel toe. I cannot unsee what I have seen. Everytime I look at Shirley now on screen I immediately look at her crotch. Every scene. On the one hand at least I'm no longer annoyed at her and her endless screen time but now I crotch watch for camel toe.

Stacey Slater is another. A third rate actress whose character pretty much consists of her dropping her knickers and having her character development go around in circles.

Ronnie Mitchell is another. Like her sister she's tired as a character. Whilst her acting is okay I just don't find her believable in her role. DTC so far has not breathed new life into her character.

They should focus on the heads of the Beales, Carters, Mitchells and Trumans....Kathy, Shirley, Sharon and Denise.

Yeah I think ronnie could go and Roxy

A joint exit back to Ibiza perhaps?

I didn't but personally I'm very bored with Shirley. I think once the original 'Queens' left at the end of 2005 EE quite correctly had to create new ones - Stacey, Ronnie, Tanya, and to a lesser extent Shirley. Then DTC bumped up Jane and Shirley, introduced Linda but also had Sharon, Ronnie, Stacey, Kat to deal with.

And that's his prerogative and I don't mean to disparage it - that's not an opening salvo in a fan war.

The funny thing is fans of all of them feel short changed in some way. None of their stories have really been done justice apart from perhaps Jane. Sharon/Dennis/Phil would have been amazing in 2005, but the 2014 story and wedding was awful, Kat's burns, loss of self etc was similarly underwritten until her convent episode, Linda became the 4th party in her own rape storyline, Shirley who irritated me by becoming the focus of other characters' stories didn't really get a fair shot in her secret son reveal, Stacey is dumped in the world's dullest love triangle.

I think its really a problem of writing and focus.

It's not just the Queens - witness the poor exits of Charlie, Lola etc.

And I say this as someone who has enjoyed aspects of the show this year and can appreciate the hard work the team are doing.

A very thoughtful post thank you.

Balance really is key

Thanks H, this thread articulated something that I have felt for a while. Previously we only had 2 or 3 Queen Bees, max.

Not Sharon, she is coming back up as a character, provides some great camp and is firmly rooted in the show.

Not Linda, she is part of the carter unit I love (Mick, Linda, Lee and Nancy) and I dont think that should be split apart.

Not Shirley, i'm not in favour with her character at the moment but wouldnt axe her, just axe Dean and reconcile her with her family.

Not Kathy, shes just returned.

Not Stacey, shes not as good as her first stint but Lacey is amazing and there is still potential there.

Which only leaves the once great but now sadly ruined Ronnie who gets my vote. I hope she can still be turned around though.