Lucy Beale in EastEnders was the daughter of Ian Beale and his first wife, Cindy. She was the twin sister of Peter Beale, and half sister of Steven Beale, Bobby Beale and Cindy Williams Junior (remember her?).
Lucy was murdered on April 18, 2014. Her death kicked off the ‘who killed Lucy Beale’ mystery that ran for 10 months. Lucy’s brother Bobby was revealed as her murderer in the live episodes celebrating EastEnders’ 30th anniversary in February 2015.
Who played Lucy Beale in EastEnders
Lucy Beale was played by Eve Brittin-Snell and Casey Anne Rothery as a child, with Melissa Suffield taking over the role in 2004.
In 2012, when Lucy returned to Walford after some time away, Hetti Bywater took on the part. Hetti had small roles in Casualty and Doctors before she joined EastEnders. Since leaving the show, she’s starred in Death in Paradise and Delicious.
Lucy Beale’s death in EastEnders
In the weeks leading up to Lucy’s murder, she had annoyed just about everyone in Walford! Things were tense with her dad, Ian, who wasn’t supportive of her new business venture with best friend Lauren Branning.
Lauren was unaware that Lucy was sleeping with her dad, Max Branning. And Whitney Dean didn’t know that Lucy had also had a fling with Lee Carter. It was all very messy!
Meanwhile, Lucy had also upset her siblings, and her stepmum Jane. She’d got on the wrong side of Denise Fox, who was engaged to Ian at the time, and crossed paths with Ben Mitchell – who’d recently been released from prison – Jay Brown, and pretty much everyone in the Square.
Lucy’s body was found on Walford Common the morning after her death. Ian was devastated at the news, and so was Lucy’s twin brother, Peter.
DC Emma Summerhayes and DS Cameron Bryant arrived in Walford to investigate the murder and became regular cast members.
Who killed Lucy Beale in EastEnders?
Most of the Walford residents were suspects in Lucy’s murder but during the investigation, several people were arrested.
First of all, Jake Stone – Lauren’s on/off boyfriend – was arrested. He’d sent a message to Lauren and Lucy’s business LB Lettings under a false name. He’d wanted to meet Lauren to talk her into getting back together, but had instead met with Lucy, who’d read his email. Jake was drunk and Lucy and Max helped him home. When Jake tried to punch Max, he missed and hit Lucy instead, making her nose bleed.
Ben Mitchell was arrested too. He’d just come out of prison having been behind bars for killing Heather Trott. Eventually, though it was revealed that he and Jay had stolen Lucy’s purse instead.
Then there was Max Branning. He was an obvious suspect, thanks to his illicit affair with Lucy and because he had Lucy’s blood on his shoes – from her nose bleed. With so much evidence against him – and a little bit of help from Phil Mitchell, who bribed the jury – Max was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
How did Bobby kill Lucy?
On the night Lucy Beale died in EastEnders, she had been in a furious row with her family because she’d been taking cocaine and had hidden it in her music box, where Ian – tipped off by Cindy Jnr – found it.
After her eventful evening, meeting Max and Jake, having her purse stolen, and having a vicious argument with Abi Branning too, Lucy went home feeling bad about arguing with her dad. She began to write him a letter, telling him she was sorry. She said she was going to bed but urged him to wake her up when he got in, so she could tell him she loved him.
As she was writing, Lucy heard a noise and looked up to see her killer – her brother, Bobby, who hit her with her music box.
Panicking, Bobby called his mum, Jane, and begged her to help. She realised Lucy was dead but lied to her son and said she was going to be fine. She thought about taking Lucy to hospital but wanting to protect Bobby, she instead took her to Walford Common and left her there.
Bobby’s confession
Much later, Bobby realised that despite Lucy being in scuffles with Jake, Abi and Denise on the night she died, he had in fact killed his sister when he hit her.
Ian, Jane, Sharon and Phil all worked together to protect the guilty lad, and though Jane felt very bad about it, they watched Max go to prison for the crime, knowing he hadn’t been the one to kill Lucy.
Ian sent Bobby to boarding school, but when his money ran out and Bobby realised he’d have to leave, he attacked poor Jane with his hockey stick, and pushed her down the stairs.
Meanwhile, over at the Vic, everyone was toasting newly weds Martin Fowler and Stacey Slater, when Bobby burst in, splattered with his mum’s blood. He told the shocked crowd that he’d killed his mum, just like he’d killed Lucy. The truth was out!
Max’s revenge
After Bobby confessed, Max Branning was released from prison, but he was a changed man. He embarked on a campaign of revenge against everyone in Albert Square, especially Ian and Phil.
He got involved with former Walford resident James Willmott-Brown and together they worked to destroy all of Albert Square.
Max’s revenge plan ended with the death of his daughter Abi. He never really recovered after his prison stint, though he did regret getting involved with Willmott-Brown and helped everyone in Walford get their properties back.
When Bobby was released from his young offenders’ unit, Max was not pleased to see him!
Bobby’s guilt
While he was behind bars, Bobby was transformed from an aggressive young boy, to a sweet-tempered, nervous, religious teenager. He has struggled to come to terms with what he did to Lucy, and his relationship with brother Peter suffered at first.
But since he has been back in the Square, Bobby has begun to make amends. He’s even set up a charity called The Lucy Beale Foundation in his sister’s memory.
Peter has largely forgiven his brother too, and grandmother Kathy has been supportive.
Bobby has even started a relationship with Lucy’s long-lost half-sister Anna Knight.
Cindy and Bobby
But one person who is struggling to forgive is Cindy Beale. When she returned from the dead and reconnected with Ian, she promised she would accept Bobby into their lives. However, when faced with her daughter’s killer, it was a harder thing to do. She kicked him out of the house and told Ian it was her or Bobby.
Ian chose Bobby. It meant Cindy had to come round to putting the past with Bobby to bed.
They seem to be on even ground now, but it’s fair to say Cindy will never be Bobby’s biggest fan.
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