Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)

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Down's syndrome

The pregnancy was the start of an on-going storyline about Down's Syndrome (DS) as, in September 2006, Honey and Billy's baby Janet was diagnosed with the disorder shortly after her birth. "EastEnders"' producers began to work on the DS plot in February 2006. Real parents with Down's children were approached to act as consultants in the making of the storyline, meeting with writers and the actors who play Billy and Honey. [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/tvradio/eastenders.shtml|title=It's a disablity thing|publisher="BBC"|accessdate=2008-04-19] On-screen, Honey was shown to be devastated, rejecting her baby and wanting to have her adopted, while Billy wanted to keep his daughter, placing strain on the couple, who married in the serial the day of Janet's birth. [cite web|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/real_life/article71114.ece|title=Could you raise a Down's child?|publisher="The Sun"|date=14 November 2006|accessdate=2008-04-19]

The Down's Syndrome Association (DSA) worked with "EastEnders" on the storyline. Their medical advisers were consulted about possible health problems that Billy and Honey’s baby might encounter. According to the DSA in 2006, DS people are under-represented on mainstream television and "EastEnders" helped to redress that imbalance. The DSA used their influence to change certain elements of the scripts that they were unhappy with, such as persuading them to change the way Billy and Honey were told of their baby’s diagnosis; however, they had no influence over the characters' reactions or the plot in general. For the first two weeks after Janet's diagnosis, the DSA provided a helpline for worried parents or anyone wanting advice about DS. "EastEnders" also provided a link to the DSA website from theirs, to ensure that people looking for information could find the association.cite web|url=http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/pdfs/FAQ.doc|title=Eastenders - FAQs|publisher="DSA"|accessdate=2008-04-19]

The storyline was developed with characterisation in mind. Some characters, such as Peggy Mitchell, were shown to respond negatively towards the DS baby, views that were included so that the positive aspects could be voiced by the "more enlightened characters". The programme makers' main priority was to show the reality of having a child with the condition, "with all of its positives and negatives" and to "create awareness among thousands of people who know very little about Down’s syndrome, who might have out-dated or prejudiced views." "EastEnders" took advice from DS organisations and families of DS people throughout. Care was taken to ensure that viewers empathised with Billy and Honey, to portray their journey in a "realistic way".

The DSA have expressed their desire to see a Down’s syndrome character becoming a permanent member of the "EastEnders" cast, as in their opinion "it would be a fantastic opportunity to bring Down’s syndrome into mainstream awareness, and to present a 21st century picture of family life for those who have children with the condition." In 2006, "EastEnders" pledged that they intended for Billy and Honey’s baby to grow up as any other baby would in the soap; however, it has been noted that the plot is dependent on the actors involved, and other practical problems that could arise. "EastEnders" pledged to make every effort to portray "a positive image of a family who have a baby with the condition."

The episodes received criticism for innaccuracy.cite web|url=http://www.24dash.com/news/Health/2006-09-13-BBC-soap-EastEnders-slammed-over-Downs-Syndrome-baby-birth|title=BBC soap EastEnders slammed over Down's Syndrome baby birth|publisher="24dash.com"|date=13 September 2006|accessdate=2008-04-19] Sue Jacob, a teacher at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said "EastEnders" presented a "poor picture of midwifery practice". During Janet's birth, Honey was refused an epidural while in pain, and later she was told that her baby had Down's syndrome alone, without her partner or family there to support her. Jacob commented, "Women are vulnerable after giving birth and they need support systems in place [...] The person caring for her is repeatedly referred to as a nurse in the episode but there is no way that a nurse would be in charge after birth. The midwife would also have been open and honest and said 'We need to get the baby checked out and we will get your partner' [...] What the soaps do is set scenes which prompt people to talk about things which are affecting their lives. We are concerned people will wrongly think this Down’s syndrome story shows what really happens, and that if you have a problem there is no one there to support you. Showing something like this is not helpful."cite web|url=http://www.staffnurse.com/nursing-news-articles/bbc-criticised-over-eastenders-down-s-syndrome-storyline-2137.html|title=BBC Criticised Over Eastenders Down's Syndrome Storyline|publisher="staffnurse.com"|date=13 October 2006|accessdate=2008-04-19] Furthermore, Jacob noted that Honey was left alone for a long time to worry about the baby, which appeared rigid, and not floppy, as Down's babies do. In Jacob's opinion, a midwife would have been repeatedly in and out of the room to check on the mother. Additionally, one episode showed a health visitor reprimanding Honey for refusing Down’s syndrome screening and Karen Reay, director of the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association called the episode "insensitive and patronising". She added that the episode contained "glaring anomalies", giving new mothers a "fictitious and misleading" view of health visitors, which could "damage relationships with health professionals".

The BBC responded by saying, "EastEnders" has undertaken a great deal of research to script the storyline of Billy and Honey giving birth to their baby daughter. "EastEnders" takes enormous care with its research and takes advice from experts in the given field. In addition, for this particular storyline "EastEnders" talked to numerous families with children who have Down's Syndrome. Some of their experiences were depicted in these early episodes. Also closely involved was a senior midwife from a large UK general hospital who saw all scripts. In relation to some particular points raised, Honey was not denied an epidural - she made the choice to put herself out of reach of communicating effectively with the midwife by locking herself in the bathroom. When the news was broken to Honey and Billy that their baby had Down's Syndrome, "EastEnders" has in fact drawn directly from one particular true-life story - and while this may indeed not be best practice it is worth saying that good drama does not necessarily come from best practice." Despite the BBC's "extensive search" to cast a real Down's baby for the birth episodes, they were unable to do so, resulting in the shots of the newborn baby being less authentic and limited. The BBC added, "In the coming weeks Honey and Billy's child will be played by a baby with Down's Syndrome. It is worth noting that "EastEnders" has received incredibly positive feedback from the Down's Syndrome Association following the first few episodes, whom we are continuing to work with very closely." Carol Boys, chief executive of the Down's Syndrome Association, has confrimed that 40% of parents whose babies were diagnosed after birth were given no written or practical information about the condition, and 11% were told, as Honey was, by a midwife rather than a paediatrician: "The way in which Billy and Honey have learnt of their baby's disability, and their subsequent support from their health professionals, is not a best-practice model. However, neither is it an unrealistic situation. BBC researchers and scriptwriters have based the scenes on conversations with families who have children with Down's Syndrome, and the scenes have struck a chord with thousands of our parent members across the country. Some health professionals hold outdated or prejudiced views about people with Down's Syndrome that prevent them from giving parents a balanced picture of what the future will hold for them."

torylines

His parents left him in a children's home, where he was physically abused by the staff. He got a chance to face one of his abusers, Ernie, then a pensioner, in 2002. After his brother and sister-in-law died, Billy became guardian of their son Jamie, and vented his anger on him. When Billy's distant cousin Phil Mitchell realised what was happening in 1998, he took Jamie in and Billy has since learnt from his mistakes.

In 1999, Billy moved to Walford, initially getting involved in various criminal scams with Phil and Grant Mitchell. Billy's cousins viewed him as little more than a lackey, and he was frequently told that he was an embarassment to the Mitchell name. Billy found an ally in the Mitchell brothers' enemy, Steve Owen, who used Billy as an errand boy in numerous criminal activity including drug-dealing, to antagonise the Mitchell brothers. Billy worked at Steve's club, e20, but was often torn between his loyalties to Steve and his family.

He fell for Janine Butcher in 2001, but she was only using him for his money, and when that dried up, she left him. Billy nevertheless helped her get over various psychological problems later that year, leading her to hope for a reconcilliation; Billy turned her down, as he had fallen for Little Mo Morgan, his business partner in a cleaning company. Mo was being abused by her husband, Trevor, and it was not until Mo left him that Billy and Mo started a relationship, despite Trevor's attempts to break them up. Billy proposed to Mo by spelling out 'MARRY ME' on her plate with alphabet spaghetti, and the pair were engaged. When Trevor discovered this, he kidnapped Mo, but was killed the same night in a gas explosion. Billy and Mo married on Christmas Day 2002, the same day that Jamie died of severe injuries after being knocked down by a car. Eleven months after their wedding, Little Mo was raped by Graham Foster. Mo later discovered she was pregnant as a result of the assault. Billy pressed her for an abortion, but Mo, who had always wanted children, refused. Little Mo left Walford to clear her head, and came home with baby Freddie in tow to see Graham convicted of rape. Billy and Little Mo reunited, but Billy confessed that as much as he tried, he couldn't love Freddie as his own, and thought of Graham whenever he saw him. Billy and Mo separated, but remained friends until Billy discovered Mo's relationship with Alfie Moon.

Billy then started a relationship with newcomer Honey Edwards in November 2005, whom he managed during her spell as a model. The relationship prospered despite initial disapproval from Honey's father Jack, who took a while to accept Billy. He found out Honey was pregnant in January 2006, and was full of joy that he was finally becoming a father. He soon proposed and she agreed to become his wife. In June 2005, Billy and Honey were due to marry, but had to postpone the wedding when Honey was hospitalised; they promptly re-scheduled it for July, but this went awry due to a practical joke played on Billy during his stag night. Billy failed to make it to the church and the wedding was cancelled. Billy's aunt Peggy arranged a surprise wedding for him and Honey in September. The couple had just completed their vows when Honey went into labour. She delivered a girl, Janet, but the Mitchells were devastated to discover she had Down's Syndrome. Honey rejected the baby. She went into a depression, contemplated infanticide, and then demanded that she be put up for adoption. Billy was opposed to this, but eventually consented after agonising over the decision. On the day Janet was taken into foster care, she suffered a health scare and was hospitalised. Billy went to care for her and have her baptised in case she did not survive. Honey wrestled with her conscience, but eventually decided she could love her baby and she and Billy brought Janet home.

In the Winter of 2006, Honey discovered she was pregnant again. Billy worried that having another child would make them less attentive to Janet, but Honey assured him and William, named after Billy, was born in November 2007. His birth was traumatic, as Honey had been assulated by a gang of thugs that Jase Dyer had once belonged to. The baby appeared to be sillborn at first, but was resuscitated by medics. Billy blamed Jase for the ordeal; they had got along since Jase's arrival, as Billy believed Jase was attracted to Honey.

In December 2007, Billy and Honey went through monetary problems. Their new landlady, Manju Patel, decided to evict them from their flat. Billy tried to prevent this, stealing charity money to pay the the rent, taking on demeaning jobs and baracading them in, but Manju's relatives threw them out, leaving them homeless at Christmas. They were forced to rely on the kindness of friends and relatives until the council rehoused them. Billy worked as a barrow boy at Ian Beale's fruit and veg market stall, and decided to buy it in 2008; however, the bank would not give him a loan. Billy became desperate for money and, in August 2008, he took on a job as a getaway driver for Jase, believing they were going to steal money from Terry Bates, who had hurt Honey in the past. The job was a set-up, and Terry had actually taken Jase's son Jay Brown hostage in their absence. Terry threatened to harm Jay to get at Jase. With Billy's help, Jay escaped, but Jase was killed by Terry in the fight that ensued. Billy hid in the bathroom, too afraid to help Jase in his moment of need. Not realising this, Jay hailed Billy as a hero for trying to rescue his dad. Billy broke down and confessed his cowardice to Honey and that he had kept some of Jase's money, allegedly to give to now orphaned Jay. Honey was incensed, she threatened to leave Billy, but gave him one last chance on the condition he never lied to her again. Billy did lie and kept back some of the money after telling Honey he had donated it to charity. Honey decided to end their marriage and took her children to live with her father outside Walford. Billy became depressed and morose after losing his family. His cousin Archie took him under his wing, and brought him to live with the other Mitchells at The Queen Victoria public house.

In October 2008, Billy visited Jay at his foster home; even though Jay found out about what really happened in his dad's death, Billy offered to look after him as he still had no one else. Jay accepted and moved in with Billy.

Reception

Billy has been described by Nicola Methven, TV editor of "The Mirror", as one of EastEnders' most popular characters. According to actor Perry Fenwick, Billy was initially unpopular with a proportion of viewers for his abusive antics on-screen. In 2006, Fenwick commented, "In the beginning it was all old ladies having a go at me, and young girls who fancied Jack Ryder". However, when the character's personality altered, the reception to his character improved. Fenwick adds, " Now it's great - people really like Billy and shout out: "All right, Billy boy, how's it going?". According to Methven, "The turning point for Billy's popularity came when viewers learned his nasty streak was a result of him having been abused and bullied while growing up in a children's home."

In popular culture

The character of Billy Mitchell has been spoofed in the cartoon sketch show "2DTV".

References

External links

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* [http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/eastenders/whos_who/billy_mitchell Billy Mitchell] at What's On TV