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British Cypriots

2025-06-30T15:50:49Z

2.98.185.40: There is no such constitutionally recognised ethnic or religious group called "Lebanese Cypriots". There are Lebanese immigrants to Cyprus, but they wouldn't be British Cypriot. A British Cypriot is a British citizen of descent from any of the constitutionally recognised Cypriot communities: Greek, Turkish, Maronite, Armenian, Latin.

{{Short description|Community in the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|group = British Cypriots (Cypriots in the United Kingdom)
|image =
| popplace = [[London]], [[Liverpool]], [[Birmingham]], [[Manchester]], [[Glasgow]], [[Bristol]]
| religions = '''Majority''' [[Christianity]] '''Minority''' [[Islam]]
| languages = [[English language|English]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]]
|population = '''UK residents born in Cyprus (2011 Census)''' {{flag|England}}: 78,795 {{flag|Wales}}: 1,215 {{flag|Scotland}}: 1,941 {{flag|Northern Ireland}}: 344
}}

The '''British Cypriot''' community in the [[United Kingdom]] consists of [[British people]] born on, or with ancestors from, the [[Eastern Mediterranean]] island of [[Cyprus]]. British Cypriot people may be of [[Greek Cypriots|Greek]], [[Turkish Cypriots|Turkish]], [[Maronites in Cyprus|Maronite]], or [[Armenians in Cyprus|Armenian]] descent.

Migration from Cyprus to the UK has occurred in part due to the [[Modern history of Cyprus|colonial links between the countries]] and the [[Cypriot intercommunal violence|internal conflict]] that followed Cyprus' independence from the [[British Empire]] in 1960. Migration peaked at the time of independence but has continued on a smaller scale. The number of Cypriot-born people in the UK fell between the [[United Kingdom Census 1991|1991]] and [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001]] censuses, but the community, including people of Cypriot ancestry, remains sizeable, and the Cypriot-born population grew slightly between the 2001 and [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011]] censuses.

A number of famous British people are of Cypriot ancestry, including musicians [[George Michael]], [[Cat Stevens]] and [[B Young]], footballer [[Leon Osman]], comedians [[Jamie Demetriou]] and [[Natasia Demetriou]], visual artist [[Tracey Emin]], and politician [[Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis|Lord Adonis]].

== History ==
Before the [[First World War]], very few Cypriots migrated to the UK and the British Cypriot population at this time was around 150, according to historian Stavros Panteli.<ref name="Panteli">{{cite web|url=http://www.cypriotdiaspora.com/docs/book.htm|title=The Greek Cypriot diaspora: An overview of the UK experience |last=Panteli|first=Stavros|publisher=Cypriot Diaspora Project|access-date=7 December 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080528084201/http://www.cypriotdiaspora.com/docs/book.htm |archive-date = 28 May 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Only a handful of marriages involving Cypriots are recorded at London's Greek Orthodox [[Saint Sophia (London)|Cathedral of Saint Sophia]] in the years before 1918.<ref name="Panteli"/> During the First World War many Cypriots joined the [[Allies of World War I|allied forces]]. When the British annexed Cyprus in 1914, Cypriots' political status changed and they found it easier to travel.<ref name="Panteli"/>

The 1931 British Census recorded more than 1,000 Cypriot-born people, but many of these were the children of British military personnel serving in the [[Mediterranean]].<ref name="Winder">{{cite book|last=Winder|first=Robert|title=Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain|publisher=Abacus|location=London|year=2004|pages=360–62|isbn=0-349-11566-4}}</ref> However, some [[Greek Cypriots]] did migrate to the UK in the 1920s and 1930s, often finding jobs in the catering industry in [[Soho]].<ref name="Cypriot London">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/05/27/cypriot_london_feature.shtml|title=Cypriot London|date=13 May 2008|publisher=BBC London|access-date=7 December 2008}}</ref><ref name="Museum">{{cite web|url=http://archive.museumoflondon.org.uk/RWWC/themes/1295/1280|title=Greek Cypriot London|publisher=Museum of London|access-date=7 December 2008}}</ref> By the start of the [[Second World War]], there were around 8,000 Cypriots in London.<ref name="Orphanides">{{cite book|last=Orphanides|first=Kika|title=Race & Social Work: A Guide to Training|editor=Coombe, Vivienne |editor2=Little, Alan |publisher=Routledge|location=London|year=1986|pages=80–87|chapter=The Cypriot Community in Britain|isbn=0-422-79380-9|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W_8NAAAAQAAJ&q=british+cypriots&pg=PA80}}</ref> More Cypriot immigrants arrived during the [[EOKA|National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters]] (EOKA)'s campaign for Cypriot independence from Britain and [[Enosis|union with Greece]], which started in 1955. In the four years of conflict, an average of 4,000 Cypriots left the island per year for the UK,<ref name="Winder"/> because of violence on the island and the fear felt by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots in mixed villages where they formed minorities.<ref name="Humayun">{{cite book|last=Humayun|first=Ansari|title='The Infidel Within': Muslims in Britain Since 1800|publisher=C Hurst & Co.|location=London|year=2004|pages=153–54|isbn=1-85065-685-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lXtoQQt-os4C&q=The+Infidel+Within}}</ref> Migration peaked following independence in 1960,<ref name="Museum"/> with around 25,000 Cypriots migrating in the year that followed.<ref name="Winder"/> Many migrants joined family already living in Britain.<ref name="Museum"/><ref name="Humayun"/> Further migration accompanied the [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus|Turkish invasion]] of the island in 1974.<ref name="Cypriot London"/> [[Home Office]] figures show that roughly 10,000 Cypriots fled to the UK, the majority of them refugees, but many of them subsequently returned to the island.<ref name="Orphanides"/>

In the 1960s, Greek Cypriots in London outnumbered Turkish Cypriots by four to one.<ref name="Winder"/> The increase in post-war rents in central London had forced many Cypriot immigrants to move north within the city.<ref name="Museum"/> The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities tended to be [[Residential segregation|geographically segregated]], with Greeks settling mainly in [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]] and Turks in [[Stoke Newington]].<ref name="Winder"/> This was due to the migrants' reliance on social networks to find housing on their arrival.<ref name="Standing">{{cite book|last=Rutter|first=Jill|author2=with Cooley, Laurence|author3= Reynolds, Sile|author4= Sheldon, Ruth|title=From Refugee to Citizen: 'Standing on My Own Two Feet' — A Research Report on Integration, 'Britishness' and Citizenship|publisher=Refugee Support|location=London|year=2007|page=15|url=http://www.refugeesupport.org.uk/documents/RS_ReportOct07.pdf}}</ref> [[Robert Winder]] reports that "[[London Borough of Haringey|Haringey]] became the second biggest Cypriot town in the world".<ref name="Winder"/> Many Cypriots set up restaurants, filling a gap left by [[Italians]], many of whom had been [[Italian-British internment|interned]] during the [[Second World War]].<ref name="Winder"/><ref name="Museum"/>

Much of the Turkish Cypriot migration to the UK occurred as a consequence of [[Cypriot intercommunal violence|intercommunal violence in Cyprus]] during the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name="JEMS">{{cite journal|last=Robins|first=Kevin|author2=Aksoy, Asu|year=2001|title=From spaces of identity to mental spaces: Lessons from Turkish-Cypriot cultural experience in Britain |journal=Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies|volume=27|issue=4|pages=685–711|doi=10.1080/13691830120090458|s2cid=143467551}}</ref><ref name="Museum2">{{cite web|url=http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/OnlineResources/RWWC/themes/1295/1283 |title=Turkish Cypriot London |publisher=Museum of London |access-date=7 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108061144/http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/Onlineresources/RWWC/themes/1295/1283 |archive-date=8 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many Turkish Cypriots viewed the EOKA insurgency as an attempt on the part of Greek Cypriots to establish [[hegemony]] on the island with the aim of achieving [[Enosis|union with Greece]].<ref name="Humayun"/> By 1958, there were around 8,500 Turkish Cypriots in Britain.<ref name="Humayun"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Bhatti|first=F.M.|title=Turkish Cypriots in London|publisher=Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations|location=Birmingham|year=1981|series=Research Papers|volume=11}}</ref> Between 1960 and 1962, the inflow increased substantially because of a fear that Britain would impose immigration controls,<ref name="Humayun"/> and indeed the [[Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962]] did reduce migration flows from Cyprus to Britain.<ref name=Yilmaz>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OrGYg31fi0C&pg=PA154|title=Muslim Laws, Politics and Society in Modern Nation States: Dynamic Legal Pluralisms in England, Turkey, and Pakistan|first=Ihsan|last=Yilmaz|year=2005|location=Aldershot|publisher=Ashgate|page=154|isbn=978-0-7546-4389-0}}</ref> Although the expansion of Britain's Turkish Cypriot community took place primarily between the late 1940s and the mid-1960s, there was a further influx of around 3,000 immigrants after partition in 1974.<ref name="Humayun"/> Migration continued because of the political and economic situation in the 1970s and 1980s,<ref name="JEMS"/><ref name="Museum2"/> and Turkish Cypriots have continued to migrate to the UK due to high unemployment rates in northern Cyprus.<ref name="Østergaard-Nielsen">{{cite journal|last=Østergaard-Nielsen|first=Eva|year=2003|title=The democratic deficit of diaspora politics: Turkish Cypriots in Britain and the Cyprus issue|journal=Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies|volume=29|issue=4|pages=683–700|doi=10.1080/1369183032000123459|s2cid=145528555}}</ref> In the early 1980s, it was estimated that 160,000 Cypriots were resident in the UK, 20 to 25 per cent of them being Turkish Cypriots.<ref name=Yilmaz/> After Cyprus joined the [[European Union]] in May 2004, holders of Republic of Cyprus passports were able to migrate freely to the UK under [[Freedom of movement for workers|EU law]] until [[Brexit]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=568|title=EU enlargement in 2007: No warm welcome for labor migrants |last=Drew|first=Catherine|author2=Sriskandarajah, Dhananjayan|date=January 2007|work=Migration Information Source|publisher=Migration Policy Institute|access-date=10 January 2009}}</ref>

According to the BBC, while divisions and resentment exist between Greek and Turkish Cypriots in the UK, particularly amongst those old enough to remember atrocities committed in Cyprus, "if differences of opinion exist, both sides have learnt to live together regardless". Community relations are generally good, with Turkish Cypriot community centres welcoming Greek Cypriots and vice versa.<ref name="Cypriot London"/> In [[oral history]] interviews conducted by academic Nergis Canefe in the late 1990s, Turkish Cypriots in London tended to define themselves as Anglo-Cypriot, particularly if they were born in the UK. Canefe notes that her interviewees were proud to be Cypriot, but also of being British and not Turkish. They had Turkish friends, but also close Greek and Greek Cypriot friends. The neighbourhoods they inhabited tended to be ethnically mixed, and often shared with Greeks and Greek Cypriots.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Communal memory and Turkish Cypriot national history: Missing links|first=Nergis|last=Canefe|editor-first=Maria|editor-last=Todorova|title=Balkan Identities: Nation and Memory|location=London|publisher=C. Hurst & Co.|year=2004|pages=77–102|isbn=978-1850657156}}</ref>

== Demographics ==

=== Population ===
[[File:Christos Karaolis.jpg|thumb|100x100px|Christos Karaolis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK.]]
[[File:Official portrait of Baroness Hussein-Ece crop 2, 2019.jpg|thumb|100px|right|[[Meral Hussein-Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece|Baroness Hussein-Ece]], member of the [[House of Lords]].]]
Cyprus appeared amongst the top ten non-British countries of birth for the first time in the [[United Kingdom Census 1961|1961 Census]], which recorded 42,000 Cypriot-born people living in [[England and Wales]]. This number peaked in the [[United Kingdom Census 1981|1981 Census]], at 83,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_346219.pdf|title=Immigration Patterns of Non-UK Born Populations in England and Wales in 2011|publisher=Office for National Statistics|page=15|date=17 December 2013|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> The [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 Census]] recorded 77,673 Cypriot-born people residing in the whole of the UK.<ref name=OECD>{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/23/34792376.xls |title=Country-of-birth database |publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] |access-date=7 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617032129/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/23/34792376.xls |archive-date=17 June 2009 }}</ref> The number of Cypriot-born people in [[Great Britain]] fell from 78,191 in 1991 to 77,156 in 2001, one of the few country-of-birth groups to experience a decrease in numbers.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/05/born_abroad/countries/html/cyprus.stm|title=Cyprus|work=Born Abroad: An immigration map of Britain|publisher=BBC|access-date=7 December 2008| date=7 September 2005}}</ref> According to the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 UK Census]], there were 78,795 Cypriot-born residents in England, 1,215 in Wales,<ref name=2011Census>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/quick-statistics-for-england-and-wales-on-national-identity--passports-held-and-country-of-birth/rft-qs213ew.xls|title=2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=26 March 2013|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> 1,941 in [[Scotland]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release2a/rel2a_COB_detailed_Scotland.pdf|title=Country of birth (detailed)|publisher=National Records of Scotland|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> and 344 in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011_Excel/2011/QS206NI.xls |title=Country of Birth - Full Detail: QS206NI |publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency |access-date=13 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095516/http://www.ninis2.nisra.gov.uk/Download/Census%202011_Excel/2011/QS206NI.xls |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nisra.gov.uk/archive/census/2011/results/revisions-and-issues-log.pdf|title=2011 Census Data - Revisions and Issues|publisher=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency|date=26 March 2015|page=4|access-date=13 April 2015}}</ref> More recent estimates by the [[Office for National Statistics]] put the number of Cypriot-born residents in the UK as a whole at 60,000 in 2015.<ref name="2015 estimates">{{ONSCoB2015|access-date=8 November 2016}}</ref>

British Cypriot people include those of [[Greek Cypriots|Greek]]-, [[Turkish Cypriots|Turkish]]-, [[Maronites in Cyprus|Maronite]]-, or [[Armenians in Cyprus|Armenian]]-Cypriot descent.<ref name="Georgiou">{{cite journal|last=Georgiou|first=Myria|year=2001|title=Crossing the boundaries of the ethnic home: Media consumption and ethnic identity construction in the public space: The case of the Cypriot Community Centre in North London|journal=International Communication Gazette|volume=63|issue=4|pages=311–329|doi=10.1177/0016549201063004003|s2cid=143795956}}</ref> The [[National Federation of Cypriots|National Federation of Cypriots in the UK]], an umbrella organisation representing the Cypriot community associations and groups across the UK with largely Greek Cypriot memberships,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://cypriotfederation.net/publications/2007/federation_president_interview_in_toplum_postasi_11_2007.doc|title=National Federation of UK Cypriots reaches out to Turkish Cypriots|last=Chaglar|first=Alkan|date=November 2007|work=Toplum Postasi|access-date=8 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814051502/http://cypriotfederation.net/publications/2007/federation_president_interview_in_toplum_postasi_11_2007.doc|archive-date=14 August 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> claims to represent more than 300,000 people of Cypriot ancestry.<ref name=Federation>{{cite web|url=http://www.cypriotfederation.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=147|title=About us|publisher=National Federation of Cypriots in the UK|access-date=7 December 2008}}</ref> A similar figure was given by then [[Minister for Europe]] [[Caroline Flint]], who, giving a speech at the [[London School of Economics]] in February 2009, stated that more than 300,000 Greek and Turkish Cypriots were living in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=14127900|title=Cyprus settlement: who benefits?|publisher=[[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]|date=25 February 2009|access-date=11 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929121053/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=14127900|archive-date=2012-09-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> This figure was repeated by the then Minister for Europe, [[Leo Docherty]], at the Celebration of Cyprus Gala Dinner in January 2023, organised by the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexandrou |first=George |title=Celebration of Cyprus Gala Dinner - National Federation of Cypriots |url=https://cypriotfederation.org.uk/2023/01/celebration-of-cyprus-gala-dinner/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Estimates on the Turkish Cypriot population vary according to figures on the Turkish Cypriot-born population and that of estimates which include UK-born descendants. A 1993 report by the [[Council of Europe]] said that 100,000 Turkish Cypriots had settled in [[England]] (i.e. excluding descendants).<ref name=CouncilofEurope>{{citation|year=1993|title=European Population Conference: Proceedings, Geneva|volume=2|publisher=[[Council of Europe]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grk3AQAAMAAJ|quote= The number of Turkish Cypriots now living in Turkey is about 300 000 while the number of those who have settled in England is 100 000. There are also approximately 30 000 Turkish Cypriots living in Australia and about 6 000 in Canada and the U.S.A.|page=353|isbn=9789287125514}}</ref> The Turkish [[consulate]] in London has said that 130,000 [[TRNC]] nationals were living in the UK;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishconsulate.org.uk/en/commun.htm|title=Turkish community in the UK|publisher=Consulate General for the Republic of Turkey in London|access-date=5 January 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080304091100/http://www.turkishconsulate.org.uk/en/commun.htm|quote=Please note that approximately 130,000 nationals of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, whose mother tongue is Turkish, are living in the UK as well. |archive-date = 4 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> this was reiterated in a 2009 report by the [[Department for Communities and Local Government]] which said that this is not a "true indication" of the population because it "excludes British born and dual heritage children".<ref>{{cite web|year=2009|title=The Turkish and Turkish Cypriot Muslim Community in England|url=https://csdinternationalcommunityproject.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/turkish-muslim-communities4.pdf|publisher= Department for Communities and Local Government|access-date=26 March 2018|quote=In addition, there are estimated to be 130,000 Turkish Cypriots in the UK. It is unlikely that any of the official figures available provide a true indication of the size of the Turkish speaking population in the country as much of the official data is only available by country of birth and excludes British born and dual heritage children}}</ref> More recently, evidence submitted by the [[Home Office]] to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] [[Home Affairs Select Committee]] in February 2011 suggested that there were about 300,000 people of Turkish Cypriot origin living in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |author=Home Affairs Committee|date=1 August 2011|title=Implications for the Justice and Home Affairs area of the accession of Turkey to the European Union|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmhaff/789/789.pdf|publisher=The Stationery Office|page=Ev 34|access-date=11 April 2012}}</ref> The estimate of 300,000 people of Turkish Cypriot origin has also been suggested by Professor Levent Vahdettin et al. in 2016,<ref name=Vahdettinetal>{{citation|last1=Vahdettin|first1=Levent|last2=Aksoy|first2=Seçil|last3=Öz|first3=Ulaş|last4=Orhan|first4=Kaan|year=2016|title=Three-dimensional cephalometric norms of Turkish Cypriots using CBCT images reconstructed from a volumetric rendering program in vivo|publisher=[[Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey]]|quote=Recent estimates suggest that there are now 500,000 Turkish Cypriots living in Turkey, 300,000 in the United Kingdom, 120,000 in Australia, 5000 in the United States, 2000 in Germany, 1800 in Canada, and 1600 in New Zealand with a smaller community in South Africa.}}</ref> Professor Michael Freeman et al. in 2021,<ref>{{citation|last1=Freeman|first1=Michael|last2=Ellena|first2=Katherine|last3=Kator-Mubarez|first3=Amina|year=2021|title=The Global Spread of Islamism and the Consequences for Terrorism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0uAMEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA83|quote=there are now around 300,000 Turkish Cypriots in the United Kingdom.|page=83|publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]]|isbn=9781640124165}}</ref> as well as reports published by the ''[[BBC]]'' (2011)<ref>{{citation|year=2011|title=Turkish Delight?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0151nxr|quote=Yasmeen Khan looks behind the shopfront at a community with a history and cultural variety that has depth and richness. In fact Turkish influence on this country began with the arrival of coffee houses in the 17th century. Now it is estimated that there are 150,000 immigrants from mainland Turkey as well as 300,000 Turkish Cypriots, many leaving Cyprus during the 50's and 60's during the internal war.|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=10 January 2021}}</ref> and ''The Enfield Independent'' (2018).<ref>{{citation|last=Lacey-Davidson|first=Mattie|year=2018|title=Turkish Cypriot festival to celebrate culture|url=https://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/16284227.turkish-cypriot-festival-celebrate-culture/|quote=Organised by the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations in Britain (CTCA UK), the national body for the UK’s 300,000-strong community...|publisher=Enfield Independent|access-date=10 January 2021}}</ref> In a 2020 report published by the TRNC Public Information Office, [[Ersin Tatar]] said that there was now more than 300,000 Turkish Cypriots in the UK.<ref>{{citation|year=2020|title=Tatar wants UK to support two-state solution in Cyprus|url=https://pio.mfa.gov.ct.tr/en/tatar-wants-uk-to-support-two-state-solution-in-cyprus/|quote=Tatar said that more than 300,000 Turkish Cypriots live in the UK.|publisher=TRNC Public Information Office|access-date=10 January 2021}}</ref> A 2011 report by ''[[Kıbrıs (newspaper)|Kıbrıs]]'' had already suggested that there could be 400,000 Turkish Cypriots in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dıştaki gençlerin askerlik sorunu çözülmedikçe…|url=http://www.kibrisgazetesi.com/index.php/cat/1/col/119/art/17680/PageName/Ana_sayfa|first=Akay|last=Cemal|work=Kıbrıs Gazetesi|date=2 June 2011|access-date=17 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721144431/http://www.kibrisgazetesi.com/index.php/cat/1/col/119/art/17680/PageName/Ana_sayfa|archive-date=2011-07-21|url-status=dead}}</ref> More recently, in 2019, Arthur Scott-Geddes of ''[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]'' said that "as many as 400,000 Turkish Cypriots" were "concentrated in the areas of north and north-east [[London]] including [[Hackney, London|Hackney]], [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]] and [[Haringey]]".<ref>{{citation|last=Scott-Geddes|first=Arthur|year=2019|title=London's Turkish restaurants take a hit in uncertain times|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/london-s-turkish-restaurants-take-a-hit-in-uncertain-times-1.930386|quote=Almost 90 per cent of the UK’s Turkish population lives in London, including as many as 400,000 Turkish Cypriots concentrated in areas of north and north-east London including Hackney, Enfield and Haringey.|publisher=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|access-date=10 January 2021}}</ref> The ''[[Anadolu Agency]]'' also said 400,000 Turkish Cypriots were living in London.<ref>{{citation|last=Kartal|first=Ahmet Gurhan|year=2019|title=Turkish minority in UK ready for Thursday's polls|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkish-minority-in-uk-ready-for-thursday-s-polls/1670367|quote=Around 400,000 Cypriot Turks and 200,000 Turks live mostly in the north London neighborhoods of Dalston, Stoke Newington, Haringey, Walthamstow and Enfield.|publisher=[[Anadolu Agency]]|access-date=10 January 2021}}</ref>

Of the 80,010 people in England and Wales who specified their country of birth as Cyprus in the 2011 Census, 57.5 per cent stated that they were Christian, 20.8 per cent that they were Muslim, 13.1 per cent responded that they had no religion, and 7.9 per cent did not state a religion. Small numbers of Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs and those of other religions were recorded, totaling 0.6 per cent of the Cypriot-born resident population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/business-transparency/freedom-of-information/what-can-i-request/published-ad-hoc-data/census/ethnicity/ct0265-2011-census.xls|title=CT0265 - Country of birth by year of arrival by religion|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=10 October 2014|access-date=25 May 2015}}</ref>

=== Population distribution ===
Of the 80,010 Cypriot-born residents of England and Wales recorded by the 2011 Census, 43,428 were in London and 8,254 in [[South East England]].<ref name=2011Census/> Detailed analysis of data from the previous census shows that of the 77,156 Cypriot-born people living in mainland Britain, 60 per cent lived in areas of London with Turkish communities. A total of 45,887 were resident in [[Greater London]].<ref name="BBC"/> Analysis of the census shows that Cypriot-born people were found in large numbers in the [[London boroughs]] of [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]], Haringey, [[London Borough of Barnet|Barnet]] and [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]].<ref name="Kyambi">{{cite book|last=Kyambi|first=Sarah|title=Beyond Black and White: Mapping New Immigrant Communities|publisher=Institute for Public Policy Research|location=London|year=2005|pages=60–61|isbn=1-86030-284-X}}</ref> The [[census tract]]s with the highest number of Cypriot-born people were [[Southgate, London|Southgate]], [[Palmers Green]], Upper [[Edmonton, London|Edmonton]], [[Cockfosters]], Lower Edmonton, [[Tottenham]] North and Tottenham South.<ref name="BBC"/> Outside of London, concentrations are found in [[Borehamwood]], [[Cheshunt]], and [[Bristol]].<ref name="Kyambi"/>

== Notable individuals ==
[[File:George Michael (2011).jpg|thumb|100px|right|[[George Michael]]]]
[[File:Touker Suleyman.jpg|thumb|100px|right|[[Touker Suleyman]]]]
[[File:Fatima Whitbread 2.jpg|thumb|100px|right|[[Fatima Whitbread]]]]
{{main article|List of British people of Cypriot descent}}

A number of British Cypriot people are well known in the UK and overseas.

In the Greek Cypriot community, these include [[George Michael]], who was born in [[London]] to a Greek Cypriot father;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7444297.stm|title=George Michael's highs and lows|date=21 September 2008|work=BBC News|access-date=7 December 2008}}</ref> [[Cat Stevens]], who was also born in London to a Greek Cypriot father;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-deports-yusuf-islam-over-claims-that-he-supports-terrorist-groups-547332.html|title=US deports Yusuf Islam over claims that he supports terrorist groups|last=Frith|first=Maxine|work=The Independent|date=23 September 2004|access-date=5 January 2010}}</ref> entrepreneur [[Stelios Haji-Ioannou]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/movers_and_shakers/article5158555.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612084444/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/movers_and_shakers/article5158555.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2011|title=Business big shot: Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, entrepreneur|last=Boyle|first=Catherine|date=15 November 2008|work=The Times|access-date=7 December 2008| location=London}}</ref> [[Andreas Liveras]], a Greek Cypriot-born businessman killed in the [[2008 Mumbai attacks]];<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5246974.ece|title=British yachting tycoon Andreas Liveras killed in Bombay terror attacks|last=Naughton|first=Philippe|date=2008-11-27|work=The Times|access-date=7 December 2008| location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Theo Paphitis]], an entrepreneur and TV personality;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7510076.stm|title=Talking Shop: Theo Paphitis|date=21 July 2008|work=BBC News|access-date=7 December 2008}}</ref> Greek Cypriot-born artist Panayiotis Kalorkoti;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/collection/artists/panayiotis-kalorkoti-1957|title=Panayiotis Kalorkoti (1957–)|publisher=British Council|access-date=27 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227202150/http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/collection/artists/panayiotis-kalorkoti-1957|archive-date=2015-02-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> Politician [[Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis|Andrew Adonis]]'s father is a Greek Cypriot who moved to the UK aged 18,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/may/10/andrew-adonis-learned-survive-interview|title=Andrew Adonis interview: 'I learned to survive very young'|work=The Guardian|first=Aida|last=Edemariam|date=10 May 2013|access-date=27 February 2015}}</ref> and both of Labour MP [[Bambos Charalambous]]'s parents were born in Cyprus.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.parikiaki.com/2014/03/labour-select-cypriot-mp-candidate-for-enfield-southgate/|title=Labour select Cypriot MP candidate for Enfield Southgate|work=Parikiaki|date=10 March 2014|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

Many Turkish Cypriots have also contributed to the arts, literature, music, sciences, sports and politics in the UK. [[Mustafa Djamgoz]] is Professor of Cancer Biology at [[Imperial College London]] and Chairman of the [[College of Medicine (UK)|College of Medicine]]’s Science Council;<ref>{{citation|year=2018|title=Turkish Forum UK to hold a conference about cancer|url=https://londragazete.com/english/163056/turkish-forum-uk-to-hold-a-conference-about-cancer/?ajax=1|quote=Prof. Mustafa Camgöz is a Professor of cancer biology at Imperial College London and chairman of the College of Medicine’s Science Council. Djamgoz was born in Nicosia, Cyprus to a Turkish Cypriot family.He migrated to the United Kingdom in 1970 for his studies.|publisher=[[London Turkish Gazette]]|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Tracey Emin]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], (Turkish Cypriot father) is an artist and a Royal Academician of the [[Royal Academy of Arts]];<ref>{{citation|title=Tracey Emin
|url=http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=81057|publisher=[[Tate|TATE]]|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Jones|first=Jonathan|year=2020|title=When Tracey was Traci: Emin's unseen early paintings published for the first time|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/nov/23/tracey-emin-unseen-paintings-bed-margate-first-time|quote= Emin’s father, Enver, was Turkish Cypriot...|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Touker Suleyman]] is a fashion retail entrepreneur and a "dragon" on ''[[Dragon's Den]]'';<ref name="TVine2019">{{citation|year=2019|title=UK Turkish Cypriots meet Prince Charles, as Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades gets red carpet treatment at Buckingham Palace|url=http://www.t-vine.com/uk-turkish-cypriots-meet-prince-charles-as-greek-cypriot-leader-anastasiades-gets-red-carpet-treatment-at-buckingham-palace/|quote=Successful British Turkish Cypriots were among the guests at a Buckingham Palace event hosted by Prince Charles to “celebrate the Cypriot diaspora in the UK”. Baroness Hussein-Ece, artist Tracey Emin, businessman and Dragon’s Den star Touker Süleyman, lawyer Emma Edhem and former British Ambassador to Iceland Alp Mehmet attended the glitzy do.|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Hussein Chalayan]], [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]], is the winner of the [[British Designer of the Year]] in 1999 and 2000;<ref>{{citation|year=2011|last=Porter|first=Charlie|title=Fashion star Chalayan 'files for liquidation'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jan/04/expertopinions.charlieporteronmensfashion|quote=Hussein Chalayan, British designer of the year and one of the fashion ... Chalayan, a Turkish-Cypriot who has lived in London since he was 12...|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Selin Kiazim]] is a celebrity chef and winner of the ''[[Great British Menu]]'';<ref>{{citation|title=Selin Kiazim|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3JWZ7pYZjB1jJFK1dPrnzdn/selin-kiazim|quote=London born and bred to Turkish-Cypriot parents, Selin developed her love of cooking at an early age. |publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Ramadan Güney]] was the founder of the first Turkish mosque in the UK ([[Shacklewell Lane Mosque]]) and former owner of the UK's largest cemetery [[Brookwood Cemetery]];<ref>{{cite web|author=Brookwood Cemetery|title=Ramadan H. Guney: 1932-2006|url=http://www.brookwoodcemetery.com/Ramadan_Guney.htm|access-date=2011-09-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927063959/http://www.brookwoodcemetery.com/Ramadan_Guney.htm|archive-date=2011-09-27}}</ref><ref>{{citation|last=Bartholomew|first=Emma|year=2018|title='How my father set up the UK's first Turkish mosque': Erkin Gunay looks back to Masjid Ramadan's beginnings in 1977|url=https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/how-ramadan-guney-set-up-the-uk-s-first-turkish-3600040|publisher=Hackney Gazette|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Richard Hickmet]] was the first British-Turkish Cypriot politician who was a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP in 1983–87;<ref>{{citation|last=Özerim|first=İpek|year=2018|title=Turkish Cypriot Emina Ibrahim selected as deputy leader of Haringey Council|url=http://www.t-vine.com/emina-ibrahim-selected-as-deputy-leader-of-haringey-council/|quote=Conservative Richard Hickmet, a lawyer by profession whose parents were from Cyprus.|publisher=T-Vine|access-date=7 January 2021}}</ref> [[Meral Hussein-Ece, Baroness Hussein-Ece|Meral Hussein-Ece]], [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], is the first Turkish Cypriot member of the [[House of Lords]];<ref name="TVine2019"/> [[Alp Mehmet]], [[Royal Victorian Order|MVO]], was the first of two foreign-born politicians to be appointed ambassador by the UK, having served in Iceland in 2004;<ref name="TVine2019"/> and [[Emma Edhem]] is a lawyer and councilwoman of the [[City of London Corporation]].<ref name="TVine2019"/> In music, notable performers include [[Erol Alkan]];<ref>{{cite web|title=T in the Park: Erol Alkan
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tinthepark/2010/artists/erol_alkan/|quote=Erol Alkan is a London-based electro DJ of Cypriot Turkish descent|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref> [[Işın Karaca]] (Turkish Cypriot mother)<ref>{{citation|year=2020|title=Işın Karaca'nın hayatı ve çocukları hakkında bilgiler|url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kelebek/magazin/isin-karaca-kimdir-kac-yasinda-isin-karacanin-hayati-ve-cocuklari-hakkinda-bilgiler-41589730|quote=Işın Funda Büyükkaraca ya da sahne adıyla Işın Karaca , 7 Mart 1973 tarihinde . Kıbrıslı restoran işletmecisi Şeniz Büyükkaraca ile Afyonlu emlakçı olan Ali Büyükkaraca'nın ilk çocukları olarak dünyaya geldi. Londra'da doğan Işın Karaca, öğrencilik yıllarında başladığı müzik hayatını Londra IV King Edward Okulu'nda Tiyatro okurken de sürdürdü.|publisher=[[Hürriyet]]|access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref> [[Ziynet Sali]]<ref>{{cite web |year=2010|title=Kıbrıs'taki evde Rum ganimeti var|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/magazin/magazinhatti/14035143.asp|quote=Türk vatandaşı mısın? - Çift pasaportum var. Kıbrıs ve ıngiliz vatandaşıyım. Ama ben Türk’üm ve Kıbrıs’ı asla Türkiye’den ayrı düşünmüyorum.|publisher=Hürriyet|access-date=2011-01-28}}</ref> and [[B Young]].<ref>{{citation|last=Adegoke|first=Yomi|year=2018|title='Everybody is looking at us right now': meet the young British pop stars reclaiming the charts|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/02/everybody-is-looking-at-us-right-now-how-black-british-pop-reclaimed-the-charts|quote=B Young is of Turkish-Cypriot heritage...|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref> Notable sportspeople include Paralympic swimmer [[Dervis Konuralp]] (Turkish Cypriot father);<ref>{{citation|title=Dervish Konuralp: Paralympic Swimmer|url=http://www.socialstudies.org.uk/contributors/detail/8343/Dervish-Konuralp|quote=Konuralp was born in Hackney to a Turkish Cypriot father and an English mother.|publisher=London Centre for Social Studies|access-date=9 January 2021|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111010602/http://www.socialstudies.org.uk/contributors/detail/8343/Dervish-Konuralp|url-status=dead}}</ref> boxing trainer [[Adam Booth]] (Turkish Cypriot father);<ref>{{citation|last=Kimmage|first=Paul|year=2009|title=David Haye: my mum says I'm not allowed to have a tattoo|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/boxing/article6888862.ece|quote=Adam Booth is his coach. Booth's father is a Turkish Cypriot.|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=8 January 2021}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> snooker player [[Michael Georgiou]];<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haigh|first=Phil|date=2019-11-11|title=Northern Ireland Open is Georgiou's new home event after 'culture shock' move|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/11/michael-georgiou-relishing-northern-ireland-open-culture-shock-move-london-antrim-11074966/|access-date=2021-11-15|website=Metro|language=en}}</ref> and numerous football players, including [[Muzzy Izzet]]<ref>{{citation|year=2013|title=Colchester United: Kem Izzet considers management future|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/23958285|quote=Kem Izzet is the brother of the former Leicester City and Turkey midfielder Muzzy Izzet. Both men were born in London to a Turkish-Cypriot father|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date= 9 January 2021}}</ref> and [[Colin Kazim-Richards]]<ref>{{citation|year=2011|title=Colin Kazim-Richards: 'It's incredible, like being a movie star. It's so intense'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/colin-kazim-richards-it-s-incredible-like-being-a-movie-star-it-s-so-intense-804607.html|quote=hen Rodney Richards registered his son Colin, 21 years ago, an error had not crept into the paperwork and Colin Kazim Richards had not become Colin Kazim- Richards. A middle name designed as a nod to the Turkish-Cypriot background of his mother Emine (Rodney is Antiguan), became half of one of the most unusual names in football.|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> who have played for the [[Turkey national football team]]; [[Billy Mehmet]] who plays for the [[Northern Cyprus national football team|Turkish Cypriot national football team]];<ref>{{citation|year=2018|title=Coming Home - Billy Mehmet inspiring Northern Cyprus at the CONIFA World Football Cup|url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/coming-home-billy-mehmet-inspiring-northern-cyprus-at-the-conifa-/msuvi7ammmy71ctsa7eso2o25|quote=After a globetrotting career, Mehmet decided at the age of 32 to reconnect with the country of his father’s birth, and signed to play for Alsancak Yesilova, located in the partially recognised Turkish Republic that comprises the north-eastern portion of Cyprus.|publisher=[[Goal (website)|Goal]]|access-date=9 January 2021}}</ref> and [[Rhian Brewster]] (Turkish Cypriot mother) who currently plays for the [[England national under-21 football team]].<ref>{{citation|last=Cole|first=Jackson|year=2019|title=WHO ARE YA? Who is Rhian Brewster? 10 things you didn't know about Liverpool wonderkid who could feature against Arsenal in Carabao Cup|url=https://talksport.com/football/538833/rhian-brewster-liverpool-carabao-cup-arsenal/|quote=His mother is Turkish Cypriot making him eligible for Turkey or Cyprus and his father is from Barbados.|publisher=[[Talksport]]|access-date=8 January 2021}}</ref>

British athlete and former world [[javelin]] champion [[Fatima Whitbread]] was born in London<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/fatima-whitbread/|title=Fatima Whitbread|publisher=UK Athletics|access-date=6 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703145036/http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/fatima-whitbread/|archive-date=3 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> to a Turkish Cypriot mother and Greek Cypriot father, though she was later adopted.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,,904199,00.html|title=Triumph and despair: Fatima Whitbread|first=Jamie|last=Jackson|work=[[Observer Sport Monthly]]|date=2 March 2003|access-date=6 March 2015}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Cyprus|United Kingdom}}
* [[Cyprus–United Kingdom relations]]
* [[Greek Cypriot diaspora]]
* [[Greeks in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Turkish Cypriot diaspora]]
* [[Turks in the United Kingdom]]
* [[British Overseas citizen#Cyprus]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite book|title=The "Return" of British-Born Cypriots to Cyprus: A Narrative Ethnography|first=Janine|last=Teerling|year=2013|location=Eastbourne|publisher=Sussex Academic Press|isbn=9781845195885}}

{{Cypriot diaspora}}
{{EuropeansinUK}}
{{good article}}

[[Category:British people of Cypriot descent|*]]
[[Category:Cypriot diaspora]]
[[Category:European diaspora in the United Kingdom|Cypriot]]
[[Category:Asian diaspora in the United Kingdom|Cypriot]]
[[Category:Cyprus–United Kingdom relations]]

Paul Trueman

2025-06-19T20:17:39Z

2.98.185.40:

{{short description|Fictional character from EastEnders}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox soap character
|series = EastEnders
|image = Gary Beadle EE.jpg
|imagesize = 200px
|name = Paul Trueman
|introducer = [[John Yorke (producer)|John Yorke]]
|portrayer = [[Gary Beadle]]
|years = 2001–2004
|first = Episode 2099 {{start date|2001|4|23|df=y}}
|last = Episode 2856 {{end date|2004|12|23|df=y}}
|classification = [[List of former EastEnders characters#Last appeared in 2004|Former; regular]]
|mother = [[Audrey Trueman]]
|father = [[Milton Hibbert]]
|stepfather = [[Patrick Trueman]]
|halfbrothers = [[Anthony Trueman]]
|halfsisters = [[Rebecca Hibbert]]
|daughters = [[Eleanor Trueman]]
}}

'''Paul Trueman''' is a fictional character from the [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]'', played by [[Gary Beadle]]. The character, who first arrived onto [[Albert Square]] on 23 April 2001 and later departed the programme on 23 December 2004, was portrayed as a bad boy who was a member of the already-established Trueman family. In his exit storyline, Paul became a drug dealer, which Beadle has been critical towards, as he suggested it played into black racial stereotyping. It was implied that Paul was killed upon his exit, though his death was not screened.

During his time on the show, Paul instigates a feud with his brother [[Anthony Trueman|Anthony]] ([[Nicholas Bailey]]); copes with the untimely death of their mother [[Audrey Trueman|Audrey]] ([[Corinne Skinner-Carter]]); develops a close interaction with Audrey's ex-husband [[Patrick Trueman|Patrick]] ([[Rudolph Walker]]), who soon turns out to be Paul's adoptive father; sparks friendships with the square's local hardman [[Phil Mitchell]] ([[Steve McFadden]]) and his nemesis [[Steve Owen (EastEnders)|Steve Owen]] ([[Martin Kemp (entertainer)|Martin Kemp]]); gets blackmailed by old acquaintance [[Angel Hudson]] ([[Goldie]]) into repaying him the money he owes and later having a relationship with the latter's estranged lover [[Precious Hudson|Precious]] ([[Judi Shekoni]]); conspire with Phil's cousin [[Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)|Billy]] ([[Perry Fenwick]]) to force his enemy [[Trevor Morgan (EastEnders)|Trevor]] ([[Alex Ferns]]) into leaving Walford so his wife, [[Little Mo Mitchell]] ([[Kacey Ainsworth]]), would be prevented from further domestic abuse; temporarily romanced with Phil's sister [[Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)|Sam]] ([[Kim Medcalf]]); dating [[Janine Butcher]] ([[Charlie Brooks]]) and plotting together to steal [[Barry Evans (EastEnders)|Barry Evans]]'s ([[Shaun Williamson]]) money, culminating in Janine murdering Barry the day after they got married; supports Patrick on his wedding day to his fellow shopkeeper [[Yolande Trueman|Yolande]] ([[Angela Wynter]]); and end up working for Sam's gangland husband [[Andy Hunter (EastEnders)|Andy Hunter]] ([[Michael Higgs]]), which ultimately contributes to Paul's departure from the show.

==Development==
Beadle was critical of his exit storyline, accusing ''EastEnders'' of racial stereotyping for turning his character into a drug dealer. He commented to ''[[Daily Mirror|The Mirror]]'': "I hate the storyline, I'm really not happy about it. It's so unimaginative, full of stereotypes - black people and drugs, blah, blah, blah. Any scenes involving drugs, you can rest assured I hated filming them. I just knew Paul wouldn't do that - it's not his style. Once they started hanging my character so dramatically, I knew I'd made the right decision to leave."<ref name="racist">{{cite news|url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/EASTENDERS+'TOO+RACIST'+Axed+star+Gary+slams+the+show's+black...-a0126339301|title=EASTENDERS 'TOO RACIST' Axed star Gary slams the show's black drug-dealer stereotype.|publisher=The Mirror|date=2004-12-21 |access-date=2011-03-08}}</ref> Speaking to [[BBC Radio 1]] in 2004, Beadle stated that the storyline had a negative effect on his private life, with public shouting at him in the street things such as 'Drug dealer' or 'Sell me some drugs'. Beadle suggested that the storyline was "about a very deep subject and if you are going to write about that subject then you need to explain it completely. I'm just talking about believability. You need to show the beginning, the middle and the end, otherwise it looks negative."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a17805/eastenders-actor-unhappy-with-character.html|title='EastEnders' actor unhappy with character|website=[[Digital Spy]]|date=2004-12-21 |access-date=2011-03-08}}</ref> Beadle also said that he was disappointed that Paul was not shown to die on-screen - his death was implied not screened.<ref name="racist" />

==Storylines==
Paul Trueman first appeared at [[Albert Square]] in [[Walford]] in April 2001, when he visits his brother [[Anthony Trueman|Anthony]] ([[Nicholas Bailey]]) and their mother [[Audrey Trueman|Audrey]] ([[Corinne Skinner-Carter]]) upon being estranged for them for some time. Audrey rejects him, but he decides to stay – going as far as to blackmail Anthony for money in exchange for keeping his drink-driving secret. Paul soon befriends [[Steve Owen (EastEnders)|Steve Owen]] ([[Martin Kemp (entertainer)|Martin Kemp]]), a local nightclub owner, when they begin to play poker with local hardman [[Phil Mitchell]] ([[Steve McFadden]]) and most of their neighbours. During one of Steve's poker events, however, Paul is shocked when his old acquaintance [[Angel Hudson]] ([[Goldie]]) joins the game. It quickly transpires that Paul owes Angel money, and Angel – after recognising Paul – threatens to harm him unless he pays up. Paul tries to get the money by stealing property from his mother, [[pawnbroker|pawning]] the goods and gambling the money he receives. This fails and he ends up with less money than he began with. When Angel comes to collect his money, Paul fails to pay, so Angel gives him a severe beating and trashes Audrey's [[bed and breakfast]]. As Angel continues to threat him, Paul blackmails Anthony into giving him the money. Anthony has no choice but to oblige; he takes out a loan and Paul pays Angel.

Audrey is struck by falling debris while walking past some building works. Several days later, after an argument with Paul during which he revealed Anthony was the one who was driving at the time of the accident, Audrey collapses and dies, caused by a delayed reaction to the blow she received earlier. Just before she dies, Audrey tells Paul that she knew about Anthony being the driver and tells Paul to tell Anthony that she loves him. Paul replies "What about me?". Just as Audrey is about to say something to him, she dies. However, everything is left to Paul in Audrey's will. Paul's supposed father [[Patrick Trueman|Patrick]] ([[Rudolph Walker]]) arrives in Walford for her funeral. Paul initially reacts to Patrick with apprehension but they eventually bond. Both are devastated when Anthony discovers via DNA tests that Patrick is not Paul's biological father. Paul later discovers he is the biological child of [[Milton Hibbert]] ([[Jeffery Kissoon]]), Patrick's friend with whom Audrey had been having an affair. Despite this, Patrick and Paul maintain a close relationship.

Angel returns with more orders for Paul. It turns out that Angel is being prepared to stand trial for murder and he is using his wife, [[Precious Hudson|Precious]] ([[Judi Shekoni]]), as a fake alibi. He tells Paul to guard her until she can testify. Paul obliges and Precious moves to the square. Paul initially does not know that Precious is Angel's wife and when she make advances towards him, he has no qualms about having sex with her. The two begin an affair, but both fear repercussions from Angel. Precious refuses to be Angel's alibi, hoping that he will be imprisoned, but he is found not guilty. Paul and Precious make plans to flee the country, but a brawl between the Truemans and the Slaters at the Queen Vic stalls their departure and Angel apprehends Precious, stating that she can have her divorce; however, if he ever discovers she and Paul have resumed their relationship, he will kill them both. Precious has no choice but to finish with Paul and leave Walford alone.

In 2002, Paul helps Phil's cousin [[Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)|Billy]] ([[Perry Fenwick]]) with helping the latter's love interest [[Little Mo Mitchell]] ([[Kacey Ainsworth]]) escape her domestic abuse ordeal for her tormenting estranged husband [[Trevor Morgan (EastEnders)|Trevor Morgan]] ([[Alex Ferns]]). They plan on forcing Trevor to sign divorce papers and getting him to leave Walford, but Trevor continues to hassle Little Mo until he is eventually killed in an explosion caused by himself on Halloween Night that year.

In 2003, Paul is shocked when an abandoned baby is left on his doorstep. The child is the result of a [[one-night stand]] between Paul and a woman called Amy, who dumped the child her on Paul's doorstep; soon, he struggles to cope as a single parent. Paul names the baby [[Eleanor Trueman|Eleanor]] (Charnae Leckie), after the mother of his step-father Patrick. As Paul starts to cope with looking after Eleanor, Amy decides she wants her back and Social Services collect her, leaving Paul heartbroken.

That same year, Paul begins a sexual relationship with Billy's ex-girlfriend [[Janine Butcher]] ([[Charlie Brooks]]); she concocts a plan to fleece her step-brother [[Barry Evans (EastEnders)|Barry Evans]] ([[Shaun Williamson]]) of all his money and invites Paul into her scheme, which he accepts. Janine professes to love Barry while all the time sleeping with Paul. However, on Janine's wedding day to Barry, Paul attempts to stop the plan by confessing that he loves her and they do not need Barry's money. However, Janine refuses and marries Barry anyway, as she has also been led to believe that he is terminally ill and could use the opportunity to inherit his wealth. However, when Janine learns from Barry that his illness is a false alarm, she becomes repulsed by him, and confesses that their marriage is a sham, also revealing her affair with Paul in the process. Barry attempts to get Janine to love him by forgiving her, but she ends up pushing him away, and Barry consequently falls down a ravine to his death.

In 2004, following Barry's death on New Year's Day and his wedding to Janine the day before, Paul suffers from immense guilt about his involvement; he makes a conscious effort to support Barry's grieving ex-wife [[Natalie Evans|Natalie]] ([[Lucy Speed]]). When Paul finds out that Janine killed Barry, he furiously breaks up with her upon seeing her lack of remorse. He then develops feelings for Natalie and they begin a relationship, but he has a hard time hiding his guilt from her. After Natalie grows suspicious of the nature of Paul's relationship with Janine, he finally reveals Janine's role in Barry's death and makes a statement to the police.

Janine is questioned, but released due to lack of evidence. She promptly tells Natalie that Paul had conspired with her to 'fleece' Barry from the start, and gloats about getting away with murder. Devastated, and unable to prove Janine's guilt to the police, Natalie leaves Paul and Albert Square. When Janine taunts Paul about it in [[The Queen Victoria]] [[public house]], he becomes incensed and attempts to attack her before getting restrained. However, Janine eventually gets her comeuppance when she is wrongfully implicated for the death of her sworn enemy [[Laura Beale]] ([[Hannah Waterman]]). Janine had come to Paul for help, but he rejected her, and watched in delight with others as Janine was arrested for Laura's death.

Paul eventually decides to leave Walford and join Anthony travelling over Europe, but returns to the square to see Patrick marry his next wife, [[Yolande Trueman|Yolande]] ([[Angela Wynter]]), and is thus persuaded to stay in Walford. Paul has a spell working with troubled youth, but begins to get involved in crime again when he starts drug-dealing for the square's crime boss [[Andy Hunter (EastEnders)|Andy Hunter]] ([[Michael Higgs]]). Towards Christmas 2004, Paul ends up getting arrested by the police who are investigating Andy's criminal empire; Paul is eventually forced to inform the police about Andy's gangland activities in order to avoid facing a prison sentence. Soon enough, Paul is authorised to help the police entrap Andy in a drug trade. However, this fails when Andy becomes suspicious and escapes the sting operation. When they cross paths with each other later on, Andy realises that Paul has grassed him up to the police and arranges to have him killed in retribution. Paul considers escaping, but realises his family would be in danger if he does, so he says a tearful goodbye to Patrick and the family. A taxi then arrives for Paul, whose driver is actually a hitman sent by Andy to kill Paul for his betrayal. Paul tells Patrick he is leaving and will not be seen again, which leaves his father unaware that Paul is actually leaving to be killed. As he leaves the square, Paul asks the driver to 'make it quick' as his family and Andy separately watch him depart the square; Paul was killed off-screen.

A month later, in January 2005, Patrick begins to grow suspicious about Paul's fate, and questions Andy upon realising that he was the last person to have spoken to Paul before his 'departure'. Andy frequently denies knowing what has happened to Paul, and attempts to get Patrick to drop the subject, to no avail.

Patrick continues to pester Andy for information, and attempts to do so again when the latter is having a meet-up with fellow mob boss [[Johnny Allen (EastEnders)|Johnny Allen]] ([[Billy Murray (actor)|Billy Murray]]), who thereupon realises that Andy has had Paul killed. In order to build-up his plans to usurp Andy's status as the square's reigning gangland boss, Johnny arranges for Paul's body to be unearthed. When that happens, Patrick is visited by the police and he is devastated to learn that Paul has been killed.

After identifying Paul's corpse, Patrick realises that Andy had Paul killed and confronts him about it. Andy denies this, but Patrick swears revenge on Andy for having Paul killed by telling him "Paul's ghost is not going to rest, until I make you pay for it!". In February 2005, Paul's funeral takes place and a few weeks later Andy gets killed by Johnny, much to Patrick's delight, as Patrick feels that justice has been served for Paul's murder.

==Reception==
In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' placed Paul 78th on their ranked list of the best ''EastEnders'' characters of all time, calling him "wayward" and noting his key role in Janine killing "poor Barry Evans".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/eastenders-100-best-characters-ever-22183486.amp|author1=Sara Wallis|author2=Ian Hyland|title=100 Best EastEnders characters ever|date=12 June 2020|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref> In 2021, Laura-Jayne Tyler from ''[[Inside Soap]]'' wrote that Paul was "one of the best Walford characters of his time – taken from us in such a way that we still cling to the hope that he's not really dead...C'mon ''EastEnders'', we know you're reading this!"<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Tyler |first1=Laura-Jayne |title=Hits & Misses! |magazine=[[Inside Soap]] |date=1–7 May 2021 |issue=18|page=98}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{EastEnders character external link|paul_t}}

{{EastEnders characters|past}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trueman, Paul}}
[[Category:Fictional criminals in soap operas]]
[[Category:EastEnders characters]]
[[Category:Fictional Black British people]]
[[Category:Fictional Caribbean people]]
[[Category:Fictional gamblers]]
[[Category:Fictional gangsters]]
[[Category:Fictional drug dealers]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 2001]]
[[Category:British male characters in soap operas]]
[[Category:Fictional murdered people]]

Mel Owen

2025-06-19T19:29:32Z

2.98.185.40:

{{short description|Fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}

{{Infobox soap character
|series = EastEnders
|image = Mel_Owen_2019.png
|imagesize = 200px
|name = Mel Owen
|portrayer = [[Tamzin Outhwaite]]
|introducer = [[Matthew Robinson (producer)|Matthew Robinson]] (1998) [[John Yorke (producer)|John Yorke]] (2018)
|years = 1998–2002, 2018–2019
|first = Episode 1683 {{start date|1998|10|19|df=y}}
|last = Episode 6021 {{end date|2019|11|14|df=y}}
|classification = [[List of former EastEnders characters#Last appeared in 2019|Former; regular]]
|books = ''[[EastEnders spin-offs#Books|Steve Owen: Still Waters]]'' (2001)
|spinoffs = ''EastEnders: The Podcast'' (2018)
|occupation = {{plainlist|
*Shop assistant
*Barmaid
*Club manager
*Caterer
*Business consultant
*Nightclub-owner
*Businesswoman}}
|alias = Mel Healy Mel Beale Melanie Jane Owen
|family = [[Beale family|Beale]]
|father = [[Jeff Healy (EastEnders)|Jeff Healy]]
|mother = [[Jane Healy]]
|brothers = [[Alex Healy (EastEnders)|Alex Healy]]
|sisters = Katie Healy
|husband = {{plainlist|
*[[Ian Beale]] (1999–2000)
*[[Steve Owen (EastEnders)|Steve Owen]] (2001–2002)
*[[Ray Kelly (EastEnders)|Ray Kelly]] (backstory, void; 2019, void)
}}
|sons = [[Hunter Owen (EastEnders)|Hunter Owen]]
|stepsons = [[Steven Beale]] [[Peter Beale]]
|stepdaughters = [[Lucy Beale]]}}

'''Melanie''' "'''Mel'''" '''Owen''' (also '''Healy''' and '''Beale''') is a fictional character from the [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]'', played by [[Tamzin Outhwaite]]. Mel was introduced by executive producer [[Matthew Robinson (producer)|Matthew Robinson]] and made her first appearance on 19 October 1998. Outhwaite made her departure on 12 April 2002. Outhwaite's return to the series was announced in October 2017 and she returned on 9 January 2018. The actress chose to leave the soap again in July 2019 and her final episode aired on 14 November 2019 when Mel was killed-off. Outhwaite proved popular in the role, winning multiple awards and critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mel as the character became prominent in the show.

During her original tenure in the soap, Mel was featured in high-profile storylines, such as a wedding to local businessman [[Ian Beale]] ([[Adam Woodyatt]]) to mark the [[Millennium celebrations|Millennium Eve celebrations]] on New Year's Eve 1999; a problematic and dangerous marriage to criminal [[Steve Owen (EastEnders)|Steve Owen]] ([[Martin Kemp]]); a one-night stand with Steve's nemesis [[Phil Mitchell]] ([[Steve McFadden]]); and a close friendship with Phil's estranged girlfriend [[Lisa Fowler|Lisa Shaw]] ([[Lucy Benjamin]]). Writers also placed Mel at the centre of a storyline marking the show's increase to four weekly episodes in 2001, when she is kidnapped by her ex-lover [[Dan Sullivan (EastEnders)|Dan Sullivan]] ([[Craig Fairbrass]]) after Steve and Phil conspired to frame him for the latter's shooting (see [[Who Shot Phil?]]).

Throughout her time on the show, especially since her 2018 return, when Mel became more of a [[List of soap opera villains|villain]], she has become somewhat more "wicked" and has a harder edge, when compared to her early appearances. In her second stint on the show, Mel was included in storylines such as working for crime boss [[Ciara Maguire]] (Denise McCormack); colluding with Phil against Ciara's ex-husband [[Aidan Maguire]] ([[Patrick Bergin]]); a relationship with Phil's rival [[Jack Branning]] ([[Scott Maslen]]); an engagement and marriage with former policeman [[Ray Kelly (EastEnders)|Ray Kelly]] ([[Sean Mahon]]); covering up Ray's murder after he was shot dead by her son [[Hunter Owen (EastEnders)|Hunter Owen]] (Charlie Winter) for attempting to kill her; and trying to stop Hunter from going to prison and later harboring him when he escapes, which culminates with Hunter being shot dead by the police after he held her hostage and nearly shot Phil and Lisa's daughter [[Louise Mitchell]] ([[Tilly Keeper]]) after shooting her brother [[Ben Mitchell (EastEnders)|Ben Mitchell]] ([[Max Bowden]]). Following Hunter's death, Mel developed a feud with Phil's wife [[Sharon Watts|Sharon]] ([[Letitia Dean]]) and blackmailed her after learning of her affair with Louise's boyfriend [[Keanu Taylor]] ([[Danny Walters (actor)|Danny Walters]]). This concludes with Mel being involved in a high-speed car chase with Sharon upon attempting to expose her affair with Keanu to Phil, only to end up subjected to a vehicle collision that results in Sharon rescuing Mel, before Mel is then killed after walking into the path of an incoming lorry.

==Creation and development==
===Background and casting===
[[File:Tamzin Outhwaite 2015.jpg|left|thumb|249x249px|Tamzin Outhwaite (''pictured'') was cast as Mel Owen in 1998.]]
In 1998, ''EastEnders'' acquired a new executive producer, [[Matthew Robinson (producer)|Matthew Robinson]]. Robinson was dubbed "the axeman" in the British press, after a large proportion of the ''EastEnders'' cast either quit, or were culled, shortly after Robinson's introduction. It was reported that Robinson hoped the changes would attract more viewers and "spice up [the soap's fictional setting of] [[Walford]]".<ref name="change">{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/132220.stm|title= Entertainment: Soaps battle to be World Cup winners |work=BBC News | date = 14 July 1998| access-date=18 February 2008}}</ref>

To counteract the large number of departures, Robinson introduced several new characters, among them Melanie Healy played by Tamzin Outhwaite.<ref name="change" /> In an interview with website Walfordweb, Matthew Robinson has stated that Melanie was "dreamt up to supplement the 'totty' contingent – running thin at the time". Robinson stated that Tamzin Outhwaite was "a shoo-in – and not just because of her beautiful blonde hair. Within a minute of her walking into auditions, hundreds already having trooped in and out of the door, I knew we had our star."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.walfordweb.co.uk/item.php?id=2315 |title=Spotlight: Matthew Robinson |work=Walford Web |date=1 April 2010 |access-date=16 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420093441/http://www.walfordweb.co.uk/item.php?id=2315 |archive-date=20 April 2010 }}</ref> Outhwaite has stated that she was given the role without having to do a screen-test.<ref name="test">{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-938596-tamzins-one-mel-of-a-girl.do |title=Tamzin's one Mel of a girl |work=[[Evening Standard]] |location=London |date=7 March 2001 |access-date=18 February 2008 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Mel was brought into the serial as a member of the already established Healy family, joining her brother Reverend [[Alex Healy (EastEnders)|Alex Healy]] ([[Richard Driscoll]]) and father [[Jeff Healy (EastEnders)|Jeff Healy]] ([[Leslie Schofield]]) in October 1998. Initially Mel's relationship with Alex and Jeff was not disclosed to viewers, and it was several weeks after her introduction that Mel actually came face-to-face with her brother on-screen; it was revealed that she had been estranged from them for some time.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Laid-back+stand-up+is+Alan's+other+job.-a060926083|title=Laid-back stand-up is Alan's other job.|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] | date = 31 October 1998| access-date=18 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/pounds+180%2c000+SQUARE+DEAL+FOR+TAMZIN%3b+BLONDE+AMBITION%3a+EASTENDERS...-a064081150|title=pounds 180,000 SQUARE DEAL FOR TAMZIN|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] | date = 12 August 2000| access-date=18 February 2008}}</ref>

===Characterisation===
Author Kate Lock has described Mel as free-spirited, exuberant, a beauty, wild-at-heart, and "a restless soul with a troubled past".<ref name="who">{{cite book |last=Lock |first= Kate|title=EastEnders Who's Who |year=2000|publisher=BBC Books|isbn=978-0-563-55178-2|title-link= EastEnders books}}</ref> In his assessment of the character, author Rupert Smith surmised Mel as "a nice girl with surprisingly bad taste in men."<ref name="20years">{{cite book |last= Smith|first= Rupert|title= EastEnders: 20 years in Albert Square |year=2005|publisher=BBC books|isbn=978-0-563-52165-5|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref>

Mel has been dubbed as a [[chameleon]], and Outhwaite has suggested that she liked to bring variation to Mel's characterisation: "When I arrived I liked the idea Mel was feisty and strong. I didn't want her turning into a wimpy character like so many women in soaps. You know, they're either bitches or they're slags or they're victims. I wanted to give Mel a bit of everything. Every woman has all those elements to their character. It's just working out where they come and go, and I don't think that's lack of continuity; I think that's a three-dimensional character."<ref name="test" />

Outhwaite has suggested that the wardrobe department struggled to come up with a static identity for Melanie at first; however, this she felt turned out to be a good thing: "What I really liked about it was, when we started looking for costumes [for Mel], the wardrobe department couldn't quite fit where I was going. I'd wear Army pants and trainers some days and then jeans some other days and then I'd be all suited and booted at other times. I said, 'That's what girls do! That's how I am. Some days I'm in scruffs and some days I'm really dressed up. It would be really nice to have a character who's not so predictable.'"<ref name="test" /> Rosalind Powell, head of the ''EastEnders''' wardrobe design team in 2000, said that Mel had "colourful and stylish" wardrobe from retailers such as [[Kookai]] and [[Mosaic Fashions|Oasis]]. Powell added, "Although she's a barmaid, she can still afford to wear nice clothes, she just doesn't have a very big wardrobe."<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Behind+the+scenes%3a+Dressing+the+stars%3b+As+dream+jobs+go%2c+being+a...-a067172340|title=Behind the scenes: Dressing the stars|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 21 November 2000| access-date=18 February 2008}}</ref>

===Relationships===
====Millennium Eve episodes====
An unlikely romance was scripted into Mel's narrative when she began dating her boss [[Ian Beale]] ([[Adam Woodyatt]]). The pairing has been described as one of "the most unbelievable soap couples", but Outwaite defended it in 1999, saying "I know I've fancied some not particularly attractive men in my time, but I don't think Ian is actually ugly. He has a vulnerable side and that's what is attractive. When he is being all hot-headed and gets above himself then I personally don't like Ian. But when he is being vulnerable I can see the attraction. People talk to me about it all the time. I have taxi drivers telling me I could do much better than Ian. The other day someone shouted that I should go back with [Mel's former fling] Steve Owen. It's incredible, they'd rather [Mel] went out with [Steve who is] a murderer than with [Ian, who is] a hard-working father raising three children."<ref name="unlikely">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Tamzin+Outhwaite+-+The+spirit+of+my+nan+is+still+with+me...she+helped...-a060513355|title=Tamzin Outhwaite |work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 26 June 1999| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> Their relationship was the focus of the storyline that aired to mark the [[Millennium]] celebrations, when Ian emotionally blackmailed Mel into marrying him by claiming that his daughter was dying of cancer; storylines in the latter part of 1999 focused on the build-up to a joint Millennium wedding on New Year's Eve 1999 with [[Barry Evans (EastEnders)|Barry Evans]] ([[Shaun Williamson]]) and [[Natalie Evans]] ([[Lucy Speed]]). The wedding went as planned; however, Mel and Ian's marriage ended hours later as the clock struck midnight to signify the beginning of the New Year after Mel discovered Ian's lie.<ref name="marry">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/600534.stm|title=EastEnder Tamzin's getting hitched|publisher=[[BBC]] | date = 12 January 2000| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> The Millennium Eve episodes drew in 20.89 million viewers – the biggest soap audience since the character [[Tiffany Mitchell (EastEnders)|Tiffany Mitchell]] ([[Martine McCutcheon]]) was killed off in ''EastEnders'' precisely one year earlier (New Year's Eve 1998). An ''EastEnders'' spokeswoman commented: "This is a remarkable endorsement of the power of ''EastEnders'' that over 20 million viewers chose to see the Millennium celebrations in Albert Square." The episodes were also broadcast on screens in [[London]]'s [[Trafalgar Square]], a typical "haunt for New Year's Eve revelers".<ref name="WED">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/600081.stm |title= EastEnders is millennium hit|publisher=[[BBC]] | date = 12 January 2000| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref>

====Relationship with Steve Owen====
A more long-running pairing was featured between Mel and the character [[Steve Owen (EastEnders)|Steve Owen]] ([[Martin Kemp]]), who was portrayed as a villain. It was an on/off romance beginning shortly after both characters' introduction in 1998. In an interview in June 2000, Kemp discussed the relationship between Steve and Mel: "Steve's convinced Mel will make his life complete. She kept him going during all the bad times and now he's determined to have her. It's true of a lot of guys who get into trouble, they hang their hat on one idea and that keeps them sane [...] there's a driving force that kept them going while they were [in prison]. And often that's a woman. You know from those tender moments when Mel came to visit Steve [in prison] that she was the thing that kept him going, and he won't stop til he gets her back."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Martin+Kemp+-+For+he's+a+jolly+GoodFella...%3b+Martin+Kemp+reveals+how...-a062912322|title=Martin Kemp – For he's a jolly GoodFella|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 24 June 2000| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> Eventually the couple were shown to marry in the soap in March 2001, despite a revelation that Mel had strayed with Steve's nemesis [[Phil Mitchell]] ([[Steve McFadden]]). Tamzin Outhwaite explained, "With Ian, Mel was the one who didn't want to go through with it. This time around Mel is the one who is apprehensive, hoping Steve will be there for her. If he isn't, she has no reason to stay in Walford. This really is make or break time for her."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Television+YOUR+ESSENTIAL+TV+%26+SATELLITE+GUIDE+FOR+THE+WEEK+AHEAD%3b...-a070799358|title=Martin Kemp's screen wedding to Tamzin Outhwaite is fraught with the typical soap dilemmas|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] | date = 24 February 2001| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> The wedding night was a precursor to one of the soap's most publicised storylines, "[[Who Shot Phil?]]", where Phil was gunned down by an unknown assailant and, due to Mel's infidelity, Steve became one of the prime suspects for the murder attempt, though he transpired to be a [[red herring]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SHREDDED+BLISS%3b+Ratings+war+means+soap+weddings+will+always+end+in...-a070894774|title=SHREDDED BLISS; Ratings war means soap weddings will always end in tears.|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] | date = 27 February 2001| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> Discussing Mel and Steve's wedding, Outhwaite said, "Even though this wedding with Steve has got as much controversy as Mel's last one [with Ian], it feels more true. The characters seem more suited and it's not a big, white wedding, it's a low-key register office thing."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I'm+single+for+the+first+time+in+13+years+and+I'm+loving+it%3b+TAMZIN...-a070963313|title=I'm single for the first time in 13 years and I'm loving it; TAMZIN ON MEN AND MARRIAGE.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date= 1 March 2001| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> 17 million viewers watched the wedding.<ref name="pay">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Soaperstar+Mel+gets+pounds+130%2c000+pay+rise+to+keep+her+in+Walford.-a071136150|title=Soaperstar Mel gets pounds 130,000 pay rise to keep her in Walford.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date= 4 March 2001| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref>

In August 2001, ''EastEnders'' began airing a 4th weekly episode. The storyline to mark the occasion centred around Mel, her husband Steve, and her former lovers Phil and [[Dan Sullivan (EastEnders)|Dan Sullivan]] ([[Craig Fairbrass]]). After Phil and Steve wrongfully framed Dan for Phil's shooting, Dan sought revenge by kidnapping Mel and demanding a ransom.<ref name="ransom">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/MEL+KIDNAPPED%3b+EXCLUSIVE%3a+Phil+battles+to+save+her+from+Dan's+evil...-a075940570|title=MEL KIDNAPPED; EXCLUSIVE|work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date= 27 June 2001| access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref> An ''EastEnders'' insider reportedly told ''[[Daily Mirror|The Mirror]]'', "This has be [sic] one of the most dramatic storylines we have ever filmed. Dan has vowed to get even with Phil and Steve for framing him over the shooting. Kidnapping Mel kills two birds with one stone. Although Mel and Phil have had their differences, he still harbours feelings for her."<ref name="ransom" /> As part of the storyline, Outhwaite, as Mel, was tied up to a radiator in a council flat. Outhwaite commented, "They offered to untie my wrists between scenes, but I said no so I could feel what it was really like. My wrists were raw by the end of it and I was exhausted, but that was the challenge I wanted."<ref name="future">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/There's+no+place+left+for+Mel+to+go+-+she's+slept+with+every+man+in...-a084462646|title=There's no place left for Mel to go – she's slept with every man in Walford now; Why EastEnders' Tamzin Outhwaite decided to quit and her hopes and fears for the future.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 6 April 2002| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref>

Although Mel was rescued, the events on the storyline had ramifications for Mel and Steve's marriage after Dan told Mel that Steve had been unfaithful.<ref name="ransom" /> This led to the temporary screen exit of Outhwaite who had been permitted time off from filming to make another TV series. This was part of a lucrative deal that Outhwaite made with the BBC, where Outhwaite reportedly agreed to remain on ''EastEnders'' for a further year if she was allowed to film other TV shows.<ref name="redcap">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/YOU'RE+ON+YOUR+OWEN%2c+STEVE.-a077278862|title=YOU'RE ON YOUR OWEN, STEVE.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] |date= 17 August 2001| access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref> In the storyline, Mel ended her marriage with Steve and departed after torching his club, ignoring his sobbing and begging. According to Outhwaite, "Steve was a rat and fully deserved it."<ref name="redcap" /> Mel returned after two months away and began negotiating divorce, however the divorcing was brief as Steve was killed off in the serial in March 2002 after Kemp decided to leave. His death storyline centred upon his on-going feud with Phil.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/EastEnder+Steve+has+a+blast+as+he+quits+soap.-a083017568|title=EastEnder Steve has a blast as he quits soap.|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] |date= 19 February 2002| access-date=23 March 2011}}</ref>

===Departure (2002)===
Following Martin Kemp's decision to quit ''EastEnders'', Outhwaite announced she was quitting the soap in the autumn of 2001, stating, "I'm not sure what was left for Mel to do after she had been kidnapped, been married twice, burnt down a club and slept with her best friend's boyfriend [...] To be honest with you, Mel's role in ''EastEnders'' has come to a kind of natural end. I always said I'd go when I felt that the character had run her course, and I'm going to leave when my contract runs out next year [...] Martin and I are in very similar situations with our characters. We came in at a similar time, and now it looks like we'll leave at a similar time, too. Mel and Steve had some kind of aura, a chemistry, that was unique. I was really proud of it."<ref name="independent">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/tamzin-outhwaite-if-the-cap-fits-612365.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/tamzin-outhwaite-if-the-cap-fits-612365.html |archive-date=12 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Tamzin Outhwaite: If the cap fits...|work=[[The Independent]] | date = 30 December 2002| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref><ref name="quit">{{cite news| url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+agonised+on+my+own+for+a+week+over+quitting+EastEnders..+I'm+sad...-a078938577|title=EXCLUSIVE: TAMZIN OUTHWAITE ON HER BIG DECISION.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 6 October 2001| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> She added, "I'll always be indebted to ''EastEnders'' for providing me with a wonderful start to my career on television and the opportunity to play a character like Mel has been fabulous. I felt it was time to move on and try on a new coat – new characters, new challenges."<ref name="bow">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1581407.stm|title=EastEnder Tamzin bows out|work=[[BBC News]] | date = 5 October 2001| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> ''EastEnders''' executive producer [[John Yorke (producer)|John Yorke]] said of Outhwaite's departure, "Tamzin has created one of the most-loved characters and (with Martin Kemp) one half of the most-admired on-screen couple in ''EastEnders'' since the show started. She has been fantastic to work with and we wish her all the luck in her career." Yorke added that the character would be welcome back any time.<ref name="bow" />

Mel's exit storyline was linked to Steve's death, and Outhwaite claimed that viewers would be gripped by the storyline right up until her own exit a few months after Steve's.<ref name="gripped">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/MY+STORYLINE+UNTIL+I+LEAVE+IS+SO+DRAMATIC%3b+EastEnders'+Tamzin+ready...-a083068426|title=MY STORYLINE UNTIL I LEAVE IS SO DRAMATIC; EastEnders' Tamzin ready her for big exit.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 20 February 2002| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> She commented, "Mel is relived by Steve's death. Mel acts brave, but inside she is breaking. She is given a necklace of black pearls on the day Steve dies. She falsely believes Phil was involved in the death but can't prove it. He has been nothing but trouble for her and she won't try to build bridges now [...] Mel looks brave on the outside but inside she's cracking up."<ref name="gripped" /><ref name="kill">{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Kill+Mitchell%3b+EASTEND+SHOCKER+AS+AVENGER+MEL+STORMS+THE+QUEEN+VIC...-a083435302|title=Kill Mitchell; EASTEND SHOCKER AS AVENGER MEL STORMS THE QUEEN VIC BAR.|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 20 February 2002| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> In the on-screen events, Mel's anger turns to devastation when Phil informs her that Steve had been having sex with his sister [[Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)|Sam Mitchell]] ([[Kim Medcalf]]). After being arrested over Steve's money laundering and discovering she was pregnant with Steve's baby, Mel confronted everyone who had wronged her before leaving Walford.<ref name="kill" /> At the time, Outhwaite stated that her final scenes were the hardest that she'd ever filmed.<ref name="future" /> Tony Stewart, critic for ''The Mirror'' suggested that Mel's exit in April 2002 was thrilling and described it as "a devastating story of betrayal and her ultimate revenge [as] one by one her friends desert her." Stewart praised Mel's final scene with the following description: "When she faces her last exit at Victoria Coach Station, there is a glint in her eye as Mel looks at the destination board and speaks on her mobile. 'Pick a number for me,' she says. 'One to 20. Great. Thank you.' And with that she is gone... but never forgotten."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Soap+Box%3a+Meltdown+for+the+Ice+Queen%3b+The+week+ahead+by+Tony+Stewart.-a084462633|title=Meltdown for the Ice Queen|work=[[Daily Mirror]] | date = 6 April 2002| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref>

===Reintroduction (2018)===
Outhwaite stated, after leaving the show, that she might return to the character if the time was right.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a31940/outhwaite-wont-rule-out-enders-return.html|title=Outhwaite won't rule out 'Enders return|work=[[Digital Spy]] | date = 22 April 2006| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> In 2010 she commented that a return would be unlikely as the character did not have links in the current cast, and that, in any case, she had never been asked back, stating: "People always ask me, but I've never been asked! It looks like I'm turning it down on a yearly basis, but I'm not. They've never asked me! So they don't want me back for one and I don't have any family left on the show. There's nobody on the Square she knows, I don't even think any of Mel's friends are still in it... I could walk down the market and be an extra, I suppose! [...] She doesn't really know anyone apart from Ian Beale and Phil Mitchell. So unless she was coming back to see one of them..."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s131/dont-stop-believing/news/a243295/outhwaite-enders-return-unlikely.html|title=Outhwaite: 'Enders return unlikely'|work=[[Digital Spy]] | date = 22 April 2010| access-date=7 August 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a260882/tamzin-outhwaite-would-return-to-enders.html|title=Tamzin Outhwaite would return to 'Enders|work=[[Digital Spy]] | date = 13 August 2010| access-date=17 August 2010}}</ref>

On 24 October 2017, the show's producers announced that Mel would be returning to the serial in 2018. Outhwaite, who billed Mel as "a strong independent woman", returned to filming in November 2017.<ref name="return17">{{cite news|last1=Kilkelly|first1=Daniel|title=EastEnders is bringing back Tamzin Outhwaite as Melanie Owen|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a841408/eastenders-spoilers-tamzin-outhwaite-melanie-owen-return/|access-date=27 October 2017|work=[[Digital Spy]]|publisher=[[Hearst Magazines UK]]|date=24 October 2017}}</ref> Yorke, who was appointed executive consultant in June 2017, asked Outhwaite to reprise the role. The actress felt privileged to be invited back to the show and called playing Mel again "perfect".<ref name="return17" /> Outhwaite billed Mel as "a strong independent woman" upon her return and believed there are "lots more stories to tell" with the character.<ref name="return17" /> She commented, "''EastEnders'' is in my DNA and I always knew deep down that someday I would revisit Mel."<ref name="return17" /> Yorke said he was "thrilled and flattered" to have Outhwaite reprise the role and looked forward to exploring her absence and "who Melanie Owen is now".<ref name="return17" /> He also promised an "incredible" storyline for Mel when she returns and said it would "awaken a lot of old ghosts, some great memories, and a whole new series of adventures too".<ref name="return17" /> On 22 December 2017, it was announced that Charlie Winter had been cast in the role of [[Hunter Owen (EastEnders)|Hunter Owen]], the son of Mel and Steve. Hunter returns alongside Mel.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harp|first1=Justin|title=EastEnders casts Charlie Winter as Mel and Steve Owen's son Hunter|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a845999/eastenders-casts-charlie-winter-as-mel-steve-owen-son-hunter/|access-date=22 December 2017|work=[[Digital Spy]]|date=22 December 2017}}</ref> Mel returned on-screen in the closing moments of the episode broadcast on 9 January 2018.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dainty|first1=Sophie|title=EastEnders welcomes back Melanie Owen in surprise cliffhanger – but what will it mean for Ben?|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a847074/eastenders-catch-up-melanie-owen-return-tamzin-outhwaite/|access-date=9 January 2018|work=[[Digital Spy]]|date=9 January 2018}}</ref>

===Departure (2019)===
In July 2019, it was announced that Outhwaite had opted to quit the role again, and Mel would depart during the year.<ref name="Dainty">{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a28362227/eastenders-spoilers-mel-owen-tamzin-outhwaite-exit-confirmed/|title=Exclusive: EastEnders exit confirmed for Mel Owen as Tamzin Outhwaite bows out|last=Dainty|first=Sophie|date=11 July 2019|work=[[Digital Spy]]|publisher=[[Hearst Magazines UK]]|access-date=11 July 2019}}</ref> The actress originally signed a year-long contract and planned to leave at its conclusion. However, she remained on the soap for an additional year before choosing to leave.<ref name="Dainty" /> Outhwaite explained that she wanted to pursue other roles after creating "good memories" of being in ''EastEnders'' again.<ref name="Dainty" /> Executive producer [[Jon Sen]] expressed his gratitude towards Outhwaite, who he dubbed an "incredible talent", for reprising the role, adding that she "[allowed] ''EastEnders'' fans the chance to see one of Walford's most popular characters take centre stage once more."<ref name="Dainty" />

Producers created a storyline leading up to Mel's departure, in that she became involved in the high-profile affair between characters [[Sharon Watts|Sharon Mitchell]] ([[Letitia Dean]]) and [[Keanu Taylor]] ([[Danny Walters (actor)|Danny Walters]]) after Hunter's death. A feud between Sharon and Mel started in September 2019 and played out towards her departure. The feud has become popular by fans on social media such as [[Twitter]]. A trailer was released on 1 November 2019, further promoting the feud and a dramatic car chase between the pair, which mirrors the way Mel's husband, Steve, was indirectly killed by Sharon's husband, Phil in 2002.<ref name="Martin">{{cite web|url= https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/28/when-does-mel-leave-eastenders-and-how-will-she-exit-10998794/|title=When does Mel leave EastEnders and how does she leave?|last=Martin|first=Racheal|date=28 Oct 2019|work=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|access-date=2 Nov 2019}}</ref><ref name="O'Sullivan">{{cite web|url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/explosive-eastenders-trailer-sees-mel-20792414.amp |title=Explosive car chase between Mel and Sharon shown in new trailer|last=O'Sullivan|first=Kyle|date=1 Nov 2019|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|access-date=2 Nov 2019}}</ref> Mel was [[killed off]] on 14 November after a major stunt, involving Sharon.

==Storylines==
===1998–2002===
Mel had a troubled past: she owned a business in [[London Borough of Camden|Camden]] that went bankrupt, was abused by a boyfriend, and was estranged from her family for some years – traveling around the [[Greek Islands]] before ultimately reuniting with her brother, vicar [[Alex Healy (EastEnders)|Alex Healy]] (Richard Driscoll), and their father [[Jeff Healy (EastEnders)|Jeff]] ([[Leslie Schofield]]) in Walford from October 1998.<ref name="who"/>

When she first arrived in the square, Mel started working for local businessman [[Ian Beale]] ([[Adam Woodyatt]]). They soon begin dating and Ian later requests Mel to help with his children; Mel finds the children hard to deal with at first but grows to love them. Ian and Mel plan to marry, but Mel gets cold feet – realising she doesn't truly love Ian. When Ian discovers this, he claims that his daughter [[Lucy Beale|Lucy]] (Casey Anne Rothery) is dying of [[cancer]] in a desperate bid to retain his romantic bond with Mel; she gives in and later agrees to marry him. The pair marry on 31st December 1999, in a double wedding with fellow neighbors [[Barry Evans (EastEnders)|Barry Evans]] ([[Shaun Williamson]]) and [[Natalie Evans]] ([[Lucy Speed]]). At their reception, however, Mel discovers a letter that Ian threw away – which officially gave Lucy the all-clear; she confronts Ian and, after he admits to lying about his daughter's health, dumps him just as the clock strikes midnight on 1st January 2000 and the new millennium begins.

After divorcing Ian and the exposure of his fabrication about Lucy's health, Mel starts a relationship with local publican [[Dan Sullivan (EastEnders)|Dan Sullivan]] ([[Craig Fairbrass]]). However, this ends when Mel learns from her best-friend [[Lisa Fowler|Lisa Shaw]] ([[Lucy Benjamin]]) that Dan reported her boyfriend [[Phil Mitchell]] ([[Steve McFadden]]) reported him to the police about his motor scam. When Mel causes Phil to learn about what Dan did and gets revenge, Dan vows to get payback on Mel and starts harassing her – until her love interest, [[Steve Owen (EastEnders)|Steve Owen]] ([[Martin Kemp]]), comes to her rescue. Soon afterwards, Mel and Steve start a relationship after he forces Phil's cousin [[Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)|Billy Mitchell]] ([[Perry Fenwick]]) to help build her trust on him. They soon marry at the start of March 2001, despite Steve learning that Mel slept with Phil in a [[one-night stand]] on Christmas Night 2000. Just as Steve and Mel commence their honeymoon, Phil gets shot by a mystery assailant (see "[[Who Shot Phil?]]") and Steve is the prime suspect. Mel suspects it is him but he protests his innocence. Phil recovers from the shooting and confronts the culprit: Lisa. Steve forgives Mel and on Phil's instruction, he decides to frame Dan for the crime. Dan is wrongly imprisoned for Phil's attempted murder, and after his release, believing that it was Steve who actually shot him, kidnaps Mel in revenge. Dan demands a large sum of money and Steve grows desperate. During her few days of captivity, Dan tells Mel about Steve's dodgy dealings and criminal activities. Phil comes to her rescue and Dan flees. Mel takes time out after burning down her and Steve's club, the [[E20 (nightclub)|E20]], as revenge for Steve's lies. She briefly dates Barry's half-brother [[Nathan Williams (EastEnders)|Nathan Williams]] ([[Doug Allen (actor)|Doug Allen]]), but later reconciles with Steve after he manages to woo her back into their marriage. However, when Steve's feud with Phil sparks out of control, he proposes to Mel that they start anew and plan to emigrate to America with Lisa, her boyfriend [[Mark Fowler]] ([[Todd Carty]]), and Lisa's daughter, [[Louise Mitchell|Louise]] (Rachel Cox). However, Mark can't go having been denied a [[Visa (document)|Visa]] due to his [[HIV]] and Lisa is torn as to what to do, the plan is falling apart but Steve absconds with Louise but Phil follows them and a car chase ensues; Steve swerves and crashes. Phil rescues Louise and is about to go back for Steve but is too late – the car explodes with Steve still inside, killing him.

Mel is heartbroken when Steve's web of deceit and lies are uncovered after his death. She discovers that Steve was having an affair with Phil's sister, [[Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)|Sam Mitchell]] ([[Kim Medcalf]]), and that Steve sold their club and house behind her back. On Lisa's wedding day to Mark, Mel is arrested for drug connections after she is implicated in Steve's drug smuggling; Mel had unwittingly signed Steve's paperwork, linking the drug smuggling back to her. Facing a long spell in prison, Phil bails her for £30,000 when she discovers that she is pregnant with Steve's child. She then discovers that Lisa was responsible for shooting Phil and that both knew it was not Steve, despite her continued suspicions. Feeling betrayed by everyone, she toasts herself before going to [[Portugal]] so Phil loses the £30,000. Later that year, Lisa and Louise join Mel in Portugal.

===2018–2019===
After nearly sixteen years away, Mel returns to Walford as she is working for her sister-in-law, [[Ciara Maguire]] (Denise McCormack), to track down money and jewellery that was stolen from Ciara in a recent robbery that took place in the area, and Ciara is keeping Mel's son, [[Hunter Owen (EastEnders)|Hunter Owen]] (Charlie Winter), from her until Mel finds the money. Mel eventually discovers that Phil's wife, [[Sharon Watts|Sharon Mitchell]] ([[Letitia Dean]]) has the money, Mel double-crosses her so the money is returned and Mel is able to see Hunter again. Ciara does not have the full amount, so in retaliation, she vindictively tells Hunter that his father Steve died in a car explosion, not from a heart attack as Mel had claimed and that he was a villain who killed [[Saskia Duncan]] (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor). Mel is forced to tell Hunter that Steve killed Saskia in self-defence and that Steve framed [[Matthew Rose (EastEnders)|Matthew Rose]] ([[Joe Absolom]]) and Steve's death was a result of a car chase. Mel later compares Hunter to Steve and asks for them to start again. Mel decides to remain in Walford, accepting Sharon's offer to re-open the nightclub, which she agrees to restore to its old name, the [[E20 (nightclub)|E20]], in tribute to Steve, to keep Hunter happy. [[Jack Branning]] ([[Scott Maslen]]) pursues Mel but Hunter sabotages Jack's car to prevent them from going to France. Before the club's re-opening, Hunter finds out Phil was involved in Steve's death and Hunter blames Phil, so he has sex with Louise (now played by [[Tilly Keeper]]) in the office, knowing Phil will see it on CCTV. Phil is enraged and threatens to attack Hunter with a baseball bat but Mel seduces Phil and threatens to show Sharon the CCTV footage of their kiss to stop him from hurting Hunter. Mel and Jack argue after Mel tries to reunite Billy and [[Honey Mitchell]] ([[Emma Barton]]) by claiming that Billy has moved on. The argument leads to passion and Jack and Mel have sex. Ian decides he wants to marry Mel again and constantly tries to woo her, including offering Hunter a job at his restaurant. However, his efforts always go in vain. Following the re-opening of E20, Mel offers a cleaning contract to [[Kat Slater]] ([[Jessie Wallace]]), her cousin [[Stacey Slater|Stacey]] ([[Lacey Turner]]), their grandmother [[Mo Harris]] ([[Laila Morse]]) and Stacey's mother [[Jean Slater|Jean]] ([[Gillian Wright]]).

Jack later proposes to Mel, and just as she is about to accept, her ex-husband, [[Ray Kelly (EastEnders)|Ray Kelly]] ([[Sean Mahon]]) turns up. It is revealed that Ray worked as an undercover cop and his relationship with Mel became strained due to his increasingly secretive behaviour, ultimately leading to their divorce. Mel confronts Ray at home, where her feelings for him resurface and she sleeps with him, causing Jack to break up with her. Although Ray insists that he will be there for her and Hunter and decides that he wants to remarry Mel, Mel becomes paranoid again and she frequently enlists Jack's help to gather more information about Ray. She finds out that Ray is a millionaire, much to her dismay. Furthermore, he goes by the alias, Simon. She is later stunned when she discovers that Ray is married to another woman called Maddie, and he has a son with her. She befriends Maddie, who thinks that Ray is Simon. Maddie, a fitness trainer, meets up with Mel to train her, but Mel reveals the truth about Ray. Mel and Maddie go to a house, where they think one of Ray's girlfriends lives. They pretend to be two police officers and are stunned when the woman turns out to be a teenager. It is revealed that the young woman they are talking to is Ray's daughter from yet another marriage. Mel and Maddie meet up with his third wife, Nicola, who is equally shocked at Ray's betrayal. Mel convinces Nicola and Maddie to join her in her plan to expose Ray on their wedding day, New Year's Day, 2019. They agree, but when the day arrives, Ray discovers Mel's scheme and strangles her with her wedding veil. Thinking he has murdered Mel, Ray stashes her body into a closet and arrives at the church. He is stunned when Mel turns up and declares that she still wants to go ahead with the wedding, in order to obtain Ray's money. Otherwise, she will show everyone her bruises that Ray inflicted. Ray and Mel get married, but just as they walk out of the church, Ray is confronted by Maddie and Nicola. Moments later, the police arrive and arrest Ray for [[bigamy]]. Ray escapes, later, Ray bundles an aggressive Hunter into the boot of his car, driving to Walford Common, where Mel appears knowing he has her son and confronts him with a gun. Following a heated discussion, Mel finally finds Hunter bound and gagged on the ground, then, Ray coming at them both with a shovel, they, panicking, quickly get into a car. Mel reverses into Ray and buries him, believing him to be dead; he grabs her leg and starts throttling her again. To stop him murdering his mother, Hunter shoots Ray, killing him.

Hunter is arrested and Mel enters a lengthy legal battle to release her son from prison, though to no avail; he is imprisoned and Mel visits him. She becomes more reclusive and stressed without Hunter and tries to avenge Hunter's imprisonment by blaming Jack. Mel is informed by the police that Hunter will be transferred to a prison in the [[North of England]] for his safety, before being told that during a crash involving the prison van escorting him, he has escaped. Hunter eventually returns to Walford, and she conceals him in a derelict flat, where she tries to treat his wounds sustained in the crash. She plans to obtain fake passports and return to Portugal for a fresh start. When Hunter is healed, Mel smuggles him in the boot of her car and prepares to leave when Lisa returns, wanting Mel's help to smuggle Louise and her fiancé, [[Keanu Taylor]] ([[Danny Walters (actor)|Danny Walters]]), out of the country; they agree for the five of them to move to Portugal. Mel learns that Hunter has escaped the car and taken her gun, Mel becomes panicked and tries to find him. In her search, she tries Jack's house, since Hunter wanted revenge on him for his imprisonment, and finds Jack's partner, [[Denise Fox]] ([[Diane Parish]]), unconscious on the floor after Hunter attacks her. She alerts the paramedics and goes to find Jack in The Queen Vic; she sees landlady [[Linda Carter]] ([[Kellie Bright]]) escorting him to the barrel store and realises that Hunter has ordered Linda to bring him there. Mel then cajoles Hunter in handing her the gun and they try to sneak him out of the pub unseen. When he is spotted, Hunter holds the pub hostage and shoots [[Ben Mitchell (EastEnders)|Ben Mitchell]] (Max Bowden); Mel tries to talk to him with no success and he takes Louise (now played by [[Tilly Keeper]]) hostage in [[Albert Square]] with armed police surrounding them. Hunter shoots Keanu and Mel urges him to stop his actions; Hunter threatens Louise's life; he is then shot dead by a police marksman and Mel cradles his body, devastated.

In the following weeks, Mel struggles in the aftermath and criticises Lisa for complaining about Louise when she is still alive. By way of apology for Ben and Louise, Mel takes flowers to the Mitchell home, where she keenly spots Keanu's overreaction to [[Lola Pearce]] ([[Danielle Harold]]) knocking a pregnant Sharon's stomach and, witnessing a secret conversation between Sharon and Keanu, she realises that Keanu is the father of Sharon's baby, not Phil. This follows Phil trying to disrupt Hunter's funeral and Sharon insulting Hunter during a row with Mel. Mel swears to Lisa, on Hunter's memory, vengeance against the Mitchells. She begins to blackmail Sharon with the knowledge of her baby's paternity. She asks for £20,000 and a villa in [[Portugal]], threatening Sharon by using her son [[Dennis Rickman (2012 character)|Dennis]] ([[Bleu Landau]]) to get to her. Over the coming weeks, Mel heightens her blackmail towards Sharon, who persuades Louise and Keanu to move in with Mel and Lisa. Mel sends Sharon away to find her a villa in [[Portugal]] for the four of them. Mel sells the club to [[Ruby Allen]] ([[Louisa Lytton]]) as well as getting Sharon to sell her share, which she eventually does. However, she tells Mel that she knows that Mel helped Hunter when he escaped prison, shocking her and leaving her unsettled. Mel continues getting closer to Louise's unborn baby, which frightens Lisa. Mel is upset when she finds out that Louise and Keanu do not want to move to Portugal but manages to manipulate Lisa and tells her that Sharon's unborn baby is not Phil's. Later, Mel looks at Hunter's old things and puts Louise's baby scan with it saying "Grandma Loves You". Mel continues to get closer to Louise and buys her a [[Citroën C3 Aircross]] for her 18th birthday. At the pub, Mel is shocked when Louise calls Sharon 'her second mum' and Mel pretends to poison Dennis when Sharon tells her to get over Hunter's death. Mel plans a party for Louise's 18th and Sharon's 50th, hinting that she will reveal everything there. Lisa later confronts Mel about her getting close to Louise and Mel hits her. On the day of the party, Lisa suggests that Mel sees a therapist but Mel refuses, telling her she's not mad like herself and tells Lisa it would've been better if she had killed herself. Mel leaves a voicemail to Phil, who is away, telling him that Sharon has sold the business; he subsequently decides to return on the next flight. Unknown to Mel, Sharon is furious and tells Keanu they need a plan as they both rush to the club to confront Mel, only to walk into her party where Louise is already there. Mel gloats at Sharon and is confronted by Lisa in the office, who unknown to Mel, has planned something with Sharon. Mel threatens to phone Phil and tell him everything. An altercation takes place and Mel's phone is smashed which results in both Mel and Sharon rushing to the airport to greet Phil first. Whilst driving, they encounter each other and Mel decides to phone Billy and tell him about Sharon and Keanu, telling him to put it on speaker and next to the microphone so that everyone at the party can hear, including Louise. However, she doesn't manage to announce it to everyone as she crashes into a broken down car. Mel's car overturns as Sharon looks on and the partygoers, including Lisa, listen in, horrified. Mel, still alive, and semi conscious inside the wreckage, believes that she can hear Hunter's voice calling to her. Sharon manages to pull Mel from the wreckage before her car explodes, but Mel keeps hearing Hunter's voice in her head. After Sharon pleads with her to end the feud, Mel accuses her of stopping her from going 'back to Hunter' and paces towards the car, where she believes Hunter to be. As she stumbles towards the burning car, Sharon looks on in horror as a lorry appears through the smoke from the wreckage, hitting Mel and killing her instantly. Sharon, Louise and Lisa are left horrified.

Lisa seeks revenge for Mel's death by telling Phil he is not the father of Sharon's baby. A few weeks later, Louise gives her daughter the middle name 'Melanie' in honour of her. On Christmas Day, Mel's meddling finally comes to fruition as Phil discovers Sharon's affair and throws her out as well as orchestrating Keanu's murder. Mel is mentioned by Sharon in February 2020 following Dennis's death, as she contemplates how she must have felt following Hunter's death.

==Reception==
[[BBC News]] claimed in 2000 that Tamzin Outhwaite was one of ''EastEnders''' most popular stars and Mel was described as one of the most popular characters on the show.<ref name="marry"/><ref name=pay/> During her stint it was reported that the BBC offered to increase her salary various times to entice her to stay with ''EastEnders'' with suggestions that she was the highest-paid British soap star.<ref name=pay/> She was awarded 'Sexiest Female' at [[The British Soap Awards]] for three years running and 'Best Newcomer' at the [[National TV Awards]].<ref name="marry"/> Outhwaite has discussed her popularity: "When I came in as the vicar's sister, I had no idea Mel would be such a big character and the audience would take to her so quickly. I was surprised as I thought she was a bit plain and a flirt. But no matter what Mel does – going out with Ian, Dan, Steve, Phil – people still like her. Women wanted to be her mate and blokes wanted her as a girlfriend."<ref name="future"/> Outhwaite was reportedly told to tone down her performances as Mel in 2000, when her love scenes were branded "too realistic for family viewing." Viewers were only shown a censored version of her love scene with [[Dan Sullivan (EastEnders)|Dan Sullivan]]. Tamzin stated, "I was told that this was to be a scene in which I really wanted Dan and that it should be full on but because it was before the watershed they thought it was too much."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/OTR%3a+OFF+THE+RECORD%3b+Shock+soap+scenes+are+cut+Tamzin+too+sexy+for+TV.-a061786050|title=Shock soap scenes are cut Tamzin too sexy for TV|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] | date = 28 April 2000| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref>

The lead up to Mel and Ian's Millennium wedding included a hen/stag night celebration episode, which was filmed on-location in [[Amsterdam]], the [[Netherlands]]. The episode evoked criticism by the Broadcasting Standards Commission for its inclusion of "almost relentless drunken and promiscuous behaviour, sexual innuendo and drug-taking, before the watershed", which included Mel having to kiss various strangers.<ref name="amsterdam1">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/695141.stm|title=Watchdog attacks EastEnders|publisher=[[BBC]] | date = 29 March 2000| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> The BBC defended the episode, claiming that its content would have "come as no surprise to viewers" and adding that the depiction of this behaviour conformed to an ''EastEnders'' tradition – that questionable conduct "only leads to further trouble...One character's quest for drugs led to embarrassment and nausea and a drinking binge led to the calling off of [Barry and Natalie's] wedding while the prospects for [Mel and Ian's] became bleaker."<ref name="amsterdam">{{cite news|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-61038215 |title= Soap chiefs rapped for eastbender; plot too far |work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]] | author = Rick Fulton | date = 30 March 2000| access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref>

In 2019, Laura-Jayne Tyler from ''[[Inside Soap]]'' praised Mel's returning, writing, "When Mel was first brought back to ''EastEnders'', we were skeptical. Did we really care about her enough 16 years ago to give a flip now? But, if there is anything actress Tamzin Outhwaite has brought to the show, it's the ability to make us care about a character again. Tired as we are of hideous Hunter, he's given his mum a reason to channel her inner super-bitch. All hail, Queen Owen!"<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Tyler |first1=Laura-Jayne |title=Hits & Misses! |magazine=[[Inside Soap]] |date=27 April – 3 May 2019 |issue=17|page=98}}</ref> In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' placed Mel 18th on their ranked list of the Best ''EastEnders'' characters of all time, calling her a "vicar's sister with an unholy taste in men".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/eastenders-100-best-characters-ever-22183486.amp|author1=Sara Wallis|author2=Ian Hyland|title=100 Best EastEnders characters ever|date=12 June 2020|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of soap opera villains]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{EEcharlink|melanie-owen}}

{{EastEnders characters|past}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Mel}}
[[Category:EastEnders characters]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1998]]
[[Category:Fictional bartenders in soap operas]]
[[Category:Fictional criminals in soap operas]]
[[Category:British female characters in soap operas]]
[[Category:English female characters in television]]
[[Category:Female villains]]
[[Category:Fictional victims of domestic abuse]]
[[Category:Fictional blackmailers]]
[[Category:Fictional female gangsters]]
[[Category:Beale family (EastEnders)]]
[[Category:Fictional businesspeople in soap operas]]
[[Category:Fictional characters incorrectly presumed dead]]
[[Category:Fictional hostages and kidnapped people]]

Stepfamily

2025-05-20T10:50:44Z

2.98.185.40: /* Terminology */

{{Short description|Family where one parent has children that are not genetically related to the other parent}}
{{For|the Swedish television series|Bonus Family}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Close relationships}}

A '''stepfamily''' (sometimes called a '''bonus family''') is a family where at least one parent has children who are not biologically related to their [[spouse]]. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships or marriages. Two known classifications for stepfamilies include "simple" stepfamilies, where only one member of the family's couple has a prior child or children and the couple does not have any children together, and "complex" or "blended" families, where both members of the couple have at least one child from another relationship.

== Etymology ==
The earliest recorded use of the prefix ''step-'', in the form {{Lang|ang|steop-}}, is from an [[8th century|8th-century]] [[glossary]] of [[Latin]]-[[Old English]] words meaning {{Gloss|[[orphan]]}}. {{Lang|ang|Steopsunu}} is given for the Latin word {{Lang|la|filiaster}} and {{Lang|ang|steopmoder}} for {{Lang|la|nouerca}}. Similar words recorded later in Old English include {{Lang|ang|stepbairn}}, {{Lang|ang|stepchild}}, and {{Lang|ang|stepfather}}. The words are used to denote a connection resulting from the remarriage of a [[widow]]ed parent and are related to the word {{Lang|ang|ástíeped}} meaning 'bereaved', with {{Lang|ang|stepbairn}} and {{Lang|ang|stepchild}} occasionally used simply as [[synonym]]s for ''orphan''. Words such as ''stepbrother'', ''stepniece'' and ''stepparent'' appeared much later and have no particular connotation of bereavement. Corresponding words in other [[Germanic language]]s include [[Old High German]] {{Lang|goh|stiuf-}} and [[Old Norse]] {{Lang|non|stjúp-}}.<ref>{{cite dictionary|url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50237101|title=step-|dictionary=The Oxford English Dictionary|edition=2nd|date=4 April 2000|orig-date=1989|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=15 December 2006|via=OED Online|url-access=registration}}</ref>

== Terminology ==
A child is referred to as the stepdaughter or stepson of their biological or adoptive parent's new spouse, and the spouse is referred to as the stepparent (father or mother) of the child.

A stepparent is the spouse of someone's parent, and not their biological parent, [[stepfather]] being the male spouse<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=stepfather|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stepfather|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> and [[stepmother]] the female spouse.<ref>{{cite web|last=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|title=Stepmother|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stepmother|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref>

A step-grandparent is the step-parent of someone's parent or the parent of one's step-parent, and not someone's biological grandparent, stepgrandfather being the male one, and stepgrandmother the female one.

A step-uncle is the spouse of someone's parent's sister (aunt) or brother (uncle) and is not the father of someone's cousin, except when the sibling marries another and never has children (no cousins). The sister's niece/nephew should refer to a new spouse as uncle, not step-uncle. A step-aunt is the spouse of someone's parent's brother (uncle) or sister (aunt) and is not the mother of someone's cousin, except when the sibling marries another and never had children (no cousins). The sister's niece or nephew should refer to the newest spouse as aunt, not step-aunt. Similarly, a [[stepsibling]] is the offspring of a stepparent to whom one is not biologically or adoptive related, stepbrother being the male one and stepsister the female one. A stepgrandson is the grandson of someone's spouse who one is not biologically related to. A step-granddaughter is the granddaughter of someone's spouse to whom one is not biologically or adoptive related.

Alternatively, in Australia Under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), a "stepparent" in relation to a child is interpreted as a person who is not a parent of the child and is, or has been, married to or a de facto partner of a parent of the child, and treats, or at any time while married to or a de facto partner of the parent treated, the child as a member of the family formed with the parent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stepparents' Rights and Responsibilities in Australia|url=http://www.stepfamily.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Stepparents-Rights-and-Responsibilities-in-Australia2.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204000702/http://www.stepfamily.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Stepparents-Rights-and-Responsibilities-in-Australia2.pdf|archive-date=4 February 2014|access-date=6 April 2014|publisher=Stepfamilies Australia}}</ref> If one member of the couple has prior children but the couple have another child together, the ''complex/blended'' designation replaces the "simple" designation upon the birth of the new child.<ref>See, e.g., http://www.bccf.ca/professionals/blog/2012-09/canadian-stepfamilies-composition-and-complexity ([[B.C. Council for Families]]; source uses [[Canadian English]]).</ref> Any subsequent child born to the couple is a [[half-sibling]] of the respective members' prior children.

Other types of stepfamilies include neotraditional, where both parents share the responsibility of their children, a matriarchal stepfamily, where an independent woman is in charge of the family with the stepfather becoming a mentor, and a romantic stepfamily, where both parents expect the combining of their separate families to run smoothly without realizing any possible issues.<ref>{{cite web |title=Is Your Stepfamily One of These 3 Common Types |url=http://smartcouples.ifas.ufl.edu/divorceremarriage/building-your-stepfamily/is-your-stepfamily-one-of-these-3-common-types/ |access-date=26 April 2018 |website=UF/IFAS Extension}}</ref>

== Challenges ==
According to James Bray, three of the challenges facing a stepfamily are financial and living arrangements, resolving feelings about the previous marriage, and anticipating parenting changes.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|last=Bray|first=James|title=Making stepfamilies work|url=http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stepfamily.aspx|access-date=6 May 2012}}</ref> Research has shown that parents who are constantly fighting with their ex-spouse tend to make their children suffer mentally and emotionally. However, parents who are close with their ex-spouse tend to make their new spouse insecure and anxious.<ref>{{cite web|last1=DeAngelis|first1=Tori|title=Stepfamily success depends on ingredients|url=http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec05/stepfamily.aspx|website=American Psychological Association|access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref>

Additional challenges that a step- or blended family face are those regarding the inherent bond that biological parents have with their children and vice versa. Stepparents often face significant difficulties when interacting with the biological parent of their gender. Often, biological parents feel as though the stepfather or stepmother will ultimately replace them in the mind(s) of the child(ren). This is a common feeling for a parent when faced with the new circumstance of blended families.<ref>Tartakovsky, M. (2011). Surviving and Thriving As a Stepfamily. Psych Central. Retrieved on 19 July 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/surviving-and-thriving-as-a-stepfamily/0005770</ref>

== Legal status ==
{{more citations needed section|date=August 2012}}
Although historically stepfamilies are built through the [[institution]] of marriage and are legally recognized, it is currently unclear if a stepfamily can be both established and recognized by less-formal arrangements, such as when a man or woman with children cohabits with another man or woman outside of marriage. This relationship is becoming more common in all Western countries.<ref>{{cite news|date=11 April 2014|language=en-US|title=New blends – the legal definition of step-parenting|newspaper=Family Law Partners|url=http://www.familylawpartners.co.uk/new-blends-the-legal-definition-of-step-parenting/|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>

There appear to be many [[culture]]s in which these families are recognized [[socially]] as [[de facto]] families. However, in modern Western culture it is often unclear as to what, if any, [[social status]] and protection they enjoy in [[law]].

The stepparent is a "legal stranger" in most of the U.S. and has no legal right to the minor child no matter how involved in the child's life they are. The biological parents (and, where applicable, adoptive parents) hold that privilege and responsibility. If the biological parent does not give up their parental rights and custody of the child, the other parent's subsequent marriage cannot create a parental relationship without the biological parent's written consent before a "child" reaches adulthood. In most cases, the stepparent can not be ordered to pay child support.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-sites/mary-ann-mason/books/all-our-families/|title=All Our Families|newspaper=Berkeley Law|language=en-US|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>

Stepparents generally do not have the authority to give legal consent to medical treatment for a stepchild, unless the stepparent has legally adopted the child or been designated a legal guardian. A child's parents or legal guardians may sign a statement authorizing a third party to consent to medical care.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stepfamilies.info/law-policy-faq.php#medical-care|title=National Stepfamily Resource Center {{!}} Law & Policy FAQ|website=www.stepfamilies.info|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>

If a stepparent legally adopts the partner's child or children, he or she becomes the child's legal parent. In such cases, the parents may stop using the terms ''stepparent'' and ''stepchild'' and instead refer to the child simply as their son or daughter; depending on the child's degree of affinity for the adoptive parent and/or approval of the legal proceedings culminating in the child's adoption, the child may likewise drop the "step-" designation from his or her description of the relationship. Even when all parties describe the relationship using the terms applied to biological and adoptive families, however, at least some of the emotional and psychological issues common to stepfamilies may or may not persist.
Thus, one possibility is that a stepfamily can be reconfigured, and thanks to the biological and adoptive links could leave the condition of a stepfamily.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

== Stepparent adoption ==
{{globalize section|date=December 2017}}
{{See also|Second-parent adoption}}

=== United States ===
In the world (including the United States), the most common form of [[adoption]] is adopting a stepchild.<ref>{{cite web|last=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services|title=Stepparent Adoption|url=https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/adoptive/family-type/stepparent/}}</ref> By adopting a stepchild, the stepparent is agreeing to be fully responsible for their spouse's child. The [[Noncustodial parent|non-custodial parent]] no longer has any rights or responsibilities for the child, including child support.

When a stepparent adopts a stepchild, either the other [[biological parent]] willingly gives up their parental rights to the child, the court terminates those rights, or the other biological parent is deceased. Reasons a court may terminate the non-custodial parent's rights include evidence of abuse or neglect, legal abandonment, or any other indications that a continued relationship between the child and that parent would be detrimental to the child. Grounds for legal child abandonment in most states is no contact between the parent and child for at least one year.<ref>{{cite web |title=For Adopting Parents: Before the Case – Reasons to End Parental Rights |url=http://www.cc-courthelp.org/default.aspx?Lang=ENG&Parent=101 |website=California Online Self-Help Law Center |publisher=Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa |ref=supeiorcourtca}}</ref>

=== Canada ===
In [[Canada]], one needs to put into writing what the child's circumstances are for being adopted. Some circumstances may include: the child's mental, physical, and emotional welfare, their background, religion, having a positive relationship, etc. If the child is an indigenous person, then the family must specify their plan to keep the child involved in their culture.<ref>{{cite web|title=Child and Family Services Act|url=https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statue/90c11#BK214|website=Ontario.ca|date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref>

== Abuse ==
{{Main|Cinderella effect}}
A common [[villain]] of classic fairy tales is the abusive stepmother, like the queen in ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', [[Lady Tremaine]] in ''[[Cinderella]]'', or Madame Fichini in ''[[The Trouble with Sophie]]'', which shows mother-in-law as cruel. She mistreats her non-biological child by locking them away, or trying to kill them in some cases, and treats her own children, if any, very well. In popular culture, phrases like {{qi|I'll beat you like a red-headed stepchild}} are uttered as a common threat that show just how aware people are about the assumed nature of stepfamily abuse. The thought is that the nonbiological child is more likely to be beaten because of the lack of kinship ties. The research on this topic shows that this issue is not so clearly defined. The image of the wicked stepmother is well known but much of the research available shows more of the abuse coming from stepfathers.
However, in children's stories, it is rare to find a bad father-in-law – yet there are several, such as Charles Francis Mistrane, a bad father-in-law, violent and hateful in the ''Eleonore'' tale, by R.J.P Toreille, published in France in 2018.

Stepfathers have been shown to abuse female stepchildren more than males. They are also shown to be more abusive towards female children than biological families, but less abusive than adoptive fathers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/male-perpetrators-child-maltreatment-findings-ncands#Key|title=Male Perpetrators of Child Maltreatment: Findings from NCANDS|date=2015-11-23|newspaper=ASPE|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref> The abuse studied with men in mind tends to focus on [[Physical abuse|physical]] or [[sexual abuse of children]] rather than [[emotional abuse]]. [[Child neglect|Neglect]] is also discussed as a qualifying method of [[child abuse]] by stepparents in general. In 2004 a U.S. study by Weekes and Weekes-Shackelford found that while biological fathers fatally abuse children five and under at a rate of 5.6 per million per year, stepfathers were found to have a rate of 55.9 per million per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toddkshackelford.com/downloads/Weekes-Shackelford-Shackelford-VV-2004.pdf|title=Methods of filicide: Stepparents and genetic parents kill differently|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref> A U.K. study done in 2000 had different results which found that many fewer children responded as being abused by a stepparent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moralpropositions.com/downloads/_Qb/evidence/general/victims/maltreatment2000.pdf|title=Child Maltreatment in the United Kingdom: a Study of the Prevalence of Abuse and Neglect.|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref> Economic factors could also play a role in the abuse of stepchildren. In places with higher levels of social strain, abuse may be more prevalent or more violent.<ref>{{cite journal
|last1=D'Alessio |first1=Stewart J. |last2=Stolzenberg |first2=Lisa |title=Stepchildren, Community Disadvantage, and Physical Injury in a Child Abuse Incident: A Preliminary Investigation |journal=Violence and Victims |date=2012 |volume=27 |issue=6 |pages=860–870 |doi=10.1891/0886-6708.27.6.860|id ={{ProQuest|1243100842}}}}</ref> Other studies of census data and child neglect and abuse records have found that stepparents may be over-represented in abuse figures. They have found that when the data is balanced, biological parents have a much higher rate of abuse than stepparents do.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://childmyths.blogspot.com/2012/02/whos-abusive-comparing-step-parents.html|title=CHILDMYTHS: Who's Abusive? Comparing Step-Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Others|last=Mercer|first=Jean|date=29 February 2012|website=CHILDMYTHS|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>

There is little research in the field of [[parental abuse by children]] in concern with stepchildren abusing stepparents. The abuse of [[Sibling abuse|stepchildren by their siblings]] is also a topic with little research.

== In research ==
In her book, ''Becoming a Stepfamily'', Patricia Papernow (1993) suggests that each stepfamily goes through seven distinct stages of development, which can be divided into the early, middle, and late stages. The early stages consist of the fantasy, immersion, and awareness stages. In the fantasy stage, both children and parents are typically "stuck" in their fantasies or wishes for what their family could be like. The developmental task for this stage is for each member to articulate their wants and needs. In the Immersion stage, the family is typically struggling to live out the fantasy of a "perfect" blended family. In this stage, it is critical for the "insider spouse" (i.e. the biological parent who typically forms the emotional hub of the family) to understand that the feelings of the "outsider spouse" and children are real. The task of this stage is to persist in the struggle to become aware of the various experiences. This stage is followed by the awareness stage, in which the family gathers information about what the new family looks like (e.g., roles, traditions, "family culture") and how each member feels about it. The tasks of this stage are twofold: individual and joint. The individual task is for each member to begin to put words to the feelings they are experiencing, and to voice their needs to other family members. The joint task is for family members to begin to transcend the "experiential gaps" and to try to form an understanding of other members' roles and experiences.{{Sfn|Papernow|1993}}

The middle stages consist of the mobilization and action stages. In the mobilization stage, the stepparent can begin to step forward to address the family's process and structure. The tasks of this stage are to confront differences in each member's perception of the new family, as well as to influence one another before shaming or blaming begins to take action to reorganize the family structure. The goal here is to make joint decisions about new stepfamily rituals, rules, and roles. The focus in this stage is on the stepfamily's unique "middle ground" (i.e. the {{qi|areas of shared experience, shared values, and easy cooperative functioning created over time}}{{Sfn|Papernow|1993|p=39}}), and on balancing this new middle ground with honoring of past and other relationships.{{Sfn|Papernow|1993}}

The later stages consist of the contact and resolution stages. In the contact stage, the couple is working well together, the boundaries between households are clear, and stepparents have definite roles with stepchildren as "intimate outsiders." The task for this stage is in solidifying the stepparent's role, and in continuing the process of awareness. Finally, in the resolution stage, the stepfamily's identity has become secure. The family accepts itself for who it is, there is a strong sense of the stepfamily's middle ground, and children feel secure in both households. The task for this stage is to nourish the depth and maturity gained through this process, and to rework any issues that might arise at family "nodal events" (e.g., weddings, funerals, graduations, etc.).{{Sfn|Papernow|1993}}

In her book, ''Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do'', social researcher [[Wednesday Martin]] takes an anthropological approach to examining stepfamily dynamics.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

== Education ==
The prevalence of stepfamilies has increased over the past century with the increase of divorce and remarriage. According to the Step Family Foundation, {{qi|over 50% of US families are remarried or recoupled.}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Stepfamily Statistics|url=http://www.stepfamily.org/stepfamily-statistics.html|website=The Step Family Foundation}}</ref> These families are unique in their experiences facing many challenges which first-married families do not. For example, role ambiguity, dealing with stepchildren, and ex-spouses are only a few of the issues which are unique to these families. In response to these families' desire for assistance, stepfamily education has become an increasingly common topic among scholars and educators. Although still a relatively new facet within the marriage education realm, stepfamily education provides important information which may not be addressed in traditional marriage or relationship education curriculum. As discussed by Adler-Baeder and Higginbotham (2004)<ref>Adler-Baeder,F. & Higginbotham, B. (2004). Implications of remarriage and stepfamily formation for marriage education. ''[[Family Relations (journal)|Family Relations]]'', 53(5), 448–458.</ref> a number of curricula are currently available to stepfamilies and family life educators; however, further research is needed in order to determine best practices for the field. One way in which this gap is being filled is through the current implementation of Healthy Marriage Demonstration Grants<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/funding/index.html|title=ACF Healthy Marriage Initiative: Funding Opportunities|publisher=Acf.hhs.gov|access-date=11 August 2010|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727181558/http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/funding/index.html|archive-date=27 July 2010}}</ref> in the U.S. As part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, grants for healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood, which include at-risk and diverse populations such as stepfamilies, are providing important information on the evaluation of stepfamily programs and their effectiveness in servicing stepfamilies.

== See also ==
* [[Half-sibling]]
* [[Cinderella effect]]
* [[Phaedra complex]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
* {{Cite book |last=Papernow |first=Patricia L. |title=Becoming a Stepfamily: Patterns of Development in Remarried Families |date=1993 |publisher=Jossey-Bass |location=San Francisco}}
* {{Cite book |last=Warner |first=Marina |author-link=Marina Warner |title=From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers |date=1995 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0-374-15901-6 |location=New York}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tatar |first=Maria |title=The Hard facts of the Grimm's fairy tales |date=1987 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-06722-3 |location=Princeton, NJ}}
* {{Cite book |last=Tatar |first=Maria |title=The annotated classic fairy tales |date=2002 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0-393-05163-6 |location=New York London}}

== Further reading ==
* [[Wednesday Martin|Martin, Wednesday]], PhD (2009). ''Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do''. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
* Ulrike Zartler, Valerie Heinz-Martin, Oliver Arránz Becker (Eds.) (2015). ''Family Dynamics After Separation: A Life Course Perspective on Post-Divorce Families''. Special Issue ZfF, Volume 10, Barbara Budrich, {{ISBN|978-3-8474-0686-0}}.

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|step-|stepfamily}}

{{Family}}
{{Parenting}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Stepfamily| ]]
[[Category:Family]]
[[Category:Adoption, fostering, orphan care and displacement]]

Randolph Quirk

2025-04-20T19:59:09Z

2.98.185.40:

{{Short description|British linguist (1920–2017)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Inline|date=December 2017}}

{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name = The Lord Quirk of Bloomsbury
|image = Lord Quirk 2016.jpg
|caption = Lord Quirk in 2016
|honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|FBA}}
|office1 = [[Member of the House of Lords]] [[Lord Temporal]]
|term_start1 = 12 July 1994
|term_end1 = 20 December 2017
|office2 =[[List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of London|Vice-Chancellor of University of London]]
|term_start2 = 1981
|term_end2 = 1985
|predecessor2 = [[Noel Annan, Baron Annan|Lord Annan]]
|successor2 = [[Brian Flowers, Baron Flowers|Lord Flowers]]
| birth_name = Charles Randolph Quirk
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|07|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Isle of Man]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|12|20|1920|07|12|df=y}}
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| occupation = Linguist
| education = [[St Ninian's High School, Douglas]]
| alma_mater = [[Yale University]] [[University College London]] [[Michigan State University]]
|allegiance = {{flag|United Kingdom}}
|branch ={{unbulleted list|{{air force|UK}}}}
|serviceyears = 1940–1945
|rank = [[Squadron leader]]
|unit = [[ Bomber Command]]
|spouse =
}}

'''Charles Randolph Quirk, Baron Quirk''' (12 July 1920 – 20 December 2017) was a British academic and politician.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NKglAAAAIBAJ&pg=3510,1043000&dq=randolph-quirk&hl=en|title=More important? Or Importantly?|last=Safire|first=William|date=24 April 1982|work=[[Miami News]]|page=15A|author-link=William Safire|access-date=29 July 2011}}</ref> He was the [[Quain Professor|Quain Professor of English language and literature]] at [[University College London]] from 1968 to 1981. He sat as a [[crossbencher]] in the [[House of Lords]].

==Life and career==
{{moresources|section|date=December 2017}}
Quirk was born at his family's farm, Lambfell, near [[Kirk Michael]] on the [[Isle of Man]], where his family farmed, the son of Thomas and Amy Randolph Quirk.<ref name=interview>{{cite web|title=Interview, 2001|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/about/quirk.htm|access-date=8 August 2013}}</ref> He attended [[Douglas High School for Boys]] on the island and then went to [[University College London]] (UCL) to read English (the department relocated to [[Aberystwyth]] due to the [[World War II|war]])<ref name=interview/> under [[Albert Hugh Smith|A.H. Smith]]. His studies began in 1939 but were interrupted in 1940 by five years of service in [[Bomber Command]] of the [[Royal Air Force|RAF]],<ref name=interview/> where he rose to the rank of [[squadron leader]].

Quirk became so deeply interested in explosives that he started an external degree in chemistry,<ref name=interview/> but his English undergraduate studies were completed from 1945 to 1947 (with the department back in [[Bloomsbury]]) and was then invited to take up a research fellowship in Cambridge; however he took up a counter-offer of a junior lectureship at UCL, which he held until 1952.<ref name=interview /> In this period he completed his [[Master's degree|MA]] on [[phonology]] and his PhD thesis on [[syntax]], and in 1951 became a post-doctoral [[Harkness Fellowship|Commonwealth Fund]] fellow at [[Yale University]] and [[Michigan State University]].<ref name=interview /> Shortly after his return from the US in 1952, he moved to the [[Durham University|University of Durham]],<ref name=interview/> becoming [[Reader (academic rank)|reader]] there in 1954, and professor in 1958.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} He returned to UCL as professor in 1960 and in 1968 succeeded Smith as [[Quain Professor]], a post he held until 1981.

Quirk lectured and gave seminars at UCL in [[Old English]] (Anglo-Saxon) and the History of the English Language. These two disciplines were part of a ten-discipline set of [[final examination]]s in the undergraduate syllabus. At that time Old and Middle English, along with History of the English Language, were all compulsory subjects in that course. He also worked closely with [[A. C. Gimson]] and [[J. D. O'Connor]] of the Phonetics Department, sometimes sitting in as an examiner for Phonetics oral examinations.

In 1985, he was awarded the honorary degree of [[Doctor of Letters]] by the [[University of Bath]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/ceremonies/hongrads/ |title=Honorary Graduates 1989 to present|publisher=[[University of Bath]]|work=bath.ac.uk|access-date=18 February 2012}}</ref>

==Survey of English Usage==
In 1959, Quirk founded the [[Survey of English Usage]], working with Valerie Adams, Derek Davy and [[David Crystal]]; they sampled written and spoken [[British English]] produced between 1955 and 1985. The corpus comprises 200 texts, each of 5,000 words. The spoken texts include dialogue and monologue, and the written texts material intended for both reading and reading aloud.<ref name=survey>{{cite web|title=Survey of English Usage|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/about/history.htm|access-date=9 August 2013}}</ref>

The project was to be the foundation of ''[[A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language]]'', a widely used reference grammar and the first of English in real use rather than structured by rules derived from [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] and [[Latin]] models.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}} Quirk and his collaborators proposed a descriptive rather than prescriptive grammar, showing readers that different groups of English speakers choose different usages, and argued that what is correct is what communicates effectively.{{cn|date=December 2017}} The work was groundbreaking; one proposed flaw is that the examples used were written by the scholars, not collected from texts, as preferred by one of the tutors at the Summer School, Edward Black. {{cn|date=September 2021}}

==Summer School of English==
{{unsourced|section|date=December 2017}}
One of Quirk's favourite enterprises was the London University Summer School of English, where the above-mentioned colleagues and other budding scholars and friends of his came to teach for a month. It was considered{{by whom?|date=October 2017}} the most eminent body of English teachers anywhere in the world. The resident students were foreign academics, teachers and students. He threw himself into the social life with gusto and enjoyed singing Victorian ballads in a [[Cockney accent]] over a "couple of pints". When the School moved away from Queen Elizabeth College to New Cross, numbers fell rapidly. The next and last successful director was the phonetician J. D. O'Connor.

==Awards==
Quirk was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[1976 New Year Honours]],<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46777|date=1 January 1976|page=9 |supp=y}}</ref> and was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 1985.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50078|date=29 March 1985 |page=4500}}</ref> He had openly been a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] supporter all his life, although he sat in the [[House of Lords]] as a [[cross-bench]] peer.<ref name="parliament.uk">According to [http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-quirk/3254 this official biography on the UK Parliament website], accessed 3 February 2014.</ref> He was President of the [[British Academy]] from 1985 to 1989 and became a [[life peer]] as '''Baron Quirk''', of [[Bloomsbury]] in the [[London Borough of Camden]] on 12 July 1994.<ref name="parliament.uk"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=53736|date=18 July 1994|page=10227}}</ref> He sat on the boards of Pearson Education and the Linguaphone Institute.<ref name="parliament.uk"/>

==Personal life==
Until his death, in 2017, he resided in Germany and England. His second wife was the German linguist Gabriele Stein. She died on 6 March 2020.<ref>[https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Stein_Gabriele Gabriele Stein], Academia Europaea.</ref>

==Publications==
===Books===
* {{cite book|last=Quirk|first=Randolph|last2=Wrenn|first2=Charles Leslie|author-link2=Charles Leslie Wrenn|title=An Old English Grammar|publisher=Taylor & Francis, p. 166|year=1957|isbn=0-416-77240-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IsAOAAAAQAAJ|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Quirk|first=Randolph|last2=Greenbaum|first2=Sidney|last3=Leech|first3=Geoffrey| author-link3=Geoffrey Leech|last4=Svartvik|first4=Jan|year=1985|title=A comprehensive grammar of the English language|location=Harlow|publisher=Longman, p. 1779|isbn=0-582-51734-6|url=https://archive.org/details/comprehensivegra00quir|url-access=registration|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last=Quirk|first=Randolph|title=Words at work: lectures on textual structure|publisher=NUS Press, p. 137|year=1986|isbn=9971-69-102-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hEzccqoFalEC|ref=none}}
* {{cite book|last1=Greenbaum|first1=Sidney|author1-link=Sidney Greenbaum|last2=Quirk|first2=Randolph|title=A Student's Grammar of the English Language|publisher=Addison Wesley Publishing Company, p. 496|year=1990|isbn=0-582-05971-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AiN5AAAAIAAJ|ref=none}}
===Forewords===
* [[Jan Marsh]], ''Spoken, Broken and Bloody English: The Story of George Bernard Shaw, Linguaphone and Eliza Doolittle'', London: Linguaphone Institute, 2002.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/about/pics/gof4c1970.jpg Photograph, 1970, with Greenbaum, Svartvik and Leech]
*[http://www.ucl.ac.uk/english-usage/about/pics/gof5c1983.jpg Photograph, 1983: Svartvik, Crystal, Greenbaum, Leech and Quirk]
*{{YouTube|EwR4_xxawdA|Randolph Quirk on NHK, 1989, part 1}}
*{{YouTube|FiVJN76Vgxg|Randolph Quirk on NHK, 1989, part 2}}
*[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-professor-sidney-greenbaum-1349972.html Obituary Sidney Greenbaum, 1996]
*[https://www.theyworkforyou.com/peer/lord_quirk Parliamentary record]

{{S-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{Succession box
| before = [[Noel Annan, Baron Annan|Lord Annan]]
| title = [[List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of London|Vice-Chancellor of University of London]]
| years = 1981–1985
| after = [[Brian Flowers, Baron Flowers|Lord Flowers]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quirk, Randolph}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon studies scholars]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College London]]
[[Category:20th-century British linguists]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:Crossbench life peers]]
[[Category:Fellows of King's College London]]
[[Category:Harkness Fellows]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:20th-century Manx writers]]
[[Category:Michigan State University alumni]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:Linguists of English]]
[[Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of London]]
[[Category:People educated at King William's College]]
[[Category:Presidents of the British Academy]]
[[Category:Academics of University College London]]
[[Category:Fellows of the British Academy]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force squadron leaders]]

Sarbel

2025-04-13T01:42:24Z

2.98.185.40:

{{BLP sources|date=April 2008}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist 
| name = Sarbel
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{Lang|el|Σαρμπέλ}} {{lang|ar|شربل}}}}
| image = Image-ESC 2007 Greece - Sarbel-Yassou Maria (cropped2).jpg
| caption = Sarbel performing in the Eurovision Song Contest
| image_size = 
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Charbel Michael
| alias = Sarbel
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|5|14}}
| birth_place = [[Southgate, London]], England
| origin =
| instrument =
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Laïko|modern laika]]
| occupation =
| years_active = 2004–present
| label = [[Sony Music|Sony Music Greece]] (2004–2008) 4Music (2009–2011)
'''HoneyBel Music''' (2011 – present)
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|http://www.sarbel.com/}}
}}

'''Charbel Michael'''<ref>https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/categories/34/?name=Charbel_Michael&birth=1981_london-london-england-united+kingdom_85535&birth_x=1-0-0</ref> ({{langx|el|Σαρμπέλ Μιχαήλ}}; {{langx|ar|شربل ميهل}}; born 14 May 1981) known mononymously as '''Sarbel''', is a [[Greeks in the United Kingdom|British-Cypriot]] [[Pop music|pop]] singer. His singles include "[[Se Pira Sovara]]", and albums ''[[Parakseno sinesthima]]'', ''[[Sahara (Sarbel album)|Sahara]]'' and ''[[Kati san esena]]''. Ηe represented Greece in the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2007]] with "[[Yassou Maria]]".

==Biography==
===Early life===
Sarbel was born and raised in [[Southgate, London]], England, to [[Maronite Cypriot]] parents; his father, Elias, was a singer and [[bouzouki]] player while his mother was a lawyer. Sarbel's family made frequent summer trips to [[Greece]] and [[Cyprus]]. He received a Jesuit education at [[St Ignatius' College]] in [[London Borough of Enfield|Enfield]]. Sarbel studied music (voice), drama, art, and [[performing arts]]. From the age of 5 to 16 he performed at the [[English National Opera]] and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and has recorded Tosca in English for Chandos Recordings as the shepherd boy.<ref name="sonybmg.gr">[http://www.sonybmg.gr/page/artist/artists_greek.asp?art_id=41] {{dead link|date=July 2020}}</ref>

He was named after the Maronite Saint [[Charbel Makhluf|Charbel]]. His name is correctly pronounced "Sharbel", but since standard [[Greek language|Greek]] lacks a "sh" sound, Greeks pronounce the name "Sarbel" in accordance with the Greek transliteration ("Σαρμπέλ").

Sarbel sang yearly at [[St Ignatius' College|St Ignatius]] and other talent shows.

==Music career==
At the age of 18, Sarbel went to [[Crete]], where he sang at the Heraklion Palladium.<ref>[http://www.musiccorner.gr/extras/dream/05_sarbel.html MusicCorner article about his biography].</ref> At the age of 21, still living on the Greek island of Crete, he was signed on by Sony BMG (Greece) on a six-year recording contract.

===2004–2005: ''Parakseno sinesthima (Παράξενο Συναίσθημα)''===
In 2004 he recorded the Arabic hit "[[Sidi Mansour (song)#Se Pira Sovara|Se Pira Sovara]]" featuring Greek singer [[Irini Merkouri]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musiccorner.gr/nees_kyklof/05/sarbel.html|title=Σαρμπέλ "Παράξενο συναίσθημα"|website=Musiccorner.gr|access-date=2020-07-05}}</ref> The song is based on an Arabic song called "[[Sidi Mansour (song)|Sidi Mansour]]" by [[Saber Rebaï]]. On the same CD (a CD single) he released a second duet with Merkouri called "Agapi Mou Esi" ['My love']. In 2005, he released his first solo album, entitled ''[[Parakseno sinesthima]]'' (in [[Greek language|Greek]] Παράξενο συναίσθημα). This album went Gold and was re-released with the Wella-sponsored song "Thelo na Petaxo" ['I wanna fly'] and a bonus track of "Boro Boro", which he made famous during his MAD Award Ceremony appearance. The songs "Se Pira Sovara", "Sokolata" ['Chocolate'], and "Thelo Na Petakso" are some of his notable songs.
{{clear}}

===2006: ''Sahara''===
In July 2006, he released his second album, ''Sahara''. That same year he recorded a duet with Greek singer [[Natassa Theodoridou]] called ''Na' Soun Thalassa'' ['Wish you were sea] which was also included as a bonus song on the album. The album includes "Taxe Mou" ['Promise me'], "Sahara" and "Enas Apo Mas" ['One of us'].
{{clear}}

===2007: Eurovision and ''Sahara: Euro Edition''===
[[Image:ESC 2007 Greece - Sarbel-Yassou Maria2.jpg|thumb|right|Sarbel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007]]
[[Image:Image-ESC 2007 Greece - Sarbel-Yassou Maria.jpg|thumb|right|Sarbel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007]]
Seeing his growing popularity, Greek television ERT asked Sarbel to compete for a ticket to represent Greece in the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] in Helsinki, Finland. Sarbel had to compete against established singer [[Christos Dantis]] and fellow newcomer singer [[Tamta]]. Sarbel enlisted the help of Greek-Swedish composers [[Alex Papacostantinou]], [[Marcus Englof]], and Mack to write his song, who are responsible for many of Greek singer [[Elena Paparizou]]'s hits. They wrote the song "[[Yassou Maria]]", which is performed in English with only the word 'yassou' (and the name 'Maria') being Greek. There is also a version released in a mix of Greek and English.

On 28 February 2007, Sarbel performed the song live against the two singers for the ticket. Although the performance had some sound problems, he went on to receive 39.69% of the combined televotes and jury votes, winning the contest.

In an interview in March 2007, Sarbel made it clear that he doesn't want an international career by saying "I don't care either being famous abroad or starting an international career. I only care for Greece. I grew up abroad but choose to live in Greece. I can't tell you whether Eurovision helps my career or not, because I don't know. It's very dangerous. However, it is an experience I want to live. I want to have fun in the Contest and do my best.".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oikotimes.com/site/index.php?id=8368|title=Oikotimes interview about his international ambitions}}</ref>
Following the win, Sarbel toured Europe to promote his song. He also filmed the video clip for the song and changed the scene performance around a bit. The song eventually placed 7th at the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2007]].

On 12 March 2007, ''Sahara'' was re-released as ''Sahara: Euro Edition'' and feature the "[[Yassou Maria]]" CD single as a bonus. The CD single for "Yassou Maria" was released on 7 March 2007. The CD single includes "[[Yassou Maria]]", "Yassou Maria (Greeklish version)", "Enas Apo Mas (Special Holiday Mix)" and a duet with Persian singer [[Cameron Cartio]] called "Mi Chica" which was recorded in a mixture of Greek, English, Spanish and Persian and is Latin in style with Greek pop elements.

===2008–2012: ''Kati san esena''===
Sarbel started singing at Votanikos club in Athens, at 2008, along with [[Natassa Theodoridou]] and [[Nikos Kourkoulis]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Who's performing where? | url = http://www.lgr.co.uk/music/news/12146/whos-performing-where/ | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080418232850/http://www.lgr.co.uk/music/news/12146/whos-performing-where/ | archive-date = 18 April 2008 | df = dmy-all }} London Greek Radio. Retrieved on 23 March 2008</ref>

The new single "Eho Trelathei" [Greek for 'I have been driven crazy'] was introduced at the Greek National Final 2008 on ERT.<ref>{{cite web | title = Live from Athens; and the winner is Kalomira (of course) | url = http://www.oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=2736 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120311095007/http://www.oikotimes.com/v2/index.php?file=articles&id=2736 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-03-11 }} Oikotimes. Retrieved on 23 March 2008</ref> It is a blend of oriental elements with the main chorus being rock. This was followed by the release of the album ''[[Kati san esena]]''.

To promote his new album amongst his fellow Londoners, he performed at the two-day Cyprus Wine Festival of London in 2008. Sarbel felt that "My performance at the Cyprus Wine Festival (in London) is my chance to give something back to my community." And both performances brought tears to his friend's and family's eyes that still live in London.<ref>[http://www.lgr.co.uk/music/news/13011/sarbel-in-conversation/ ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905173644/http://www.lgr.co.uk/music/news/13011/sarbel-in-conversation/ |date=5 September 2008 }}</ref>

In July 2009, Sarbel released a two track CD-single titled "Mou Pai" under his new signing with E.DI.EL record label. The second track on the CD called "So Perfect" is a song written by Sarbel.


Sarbel toured internationally performing alongside [[Giorgos Mazonakis]] in Sydney, [[Melbourne]] and [[Adelaide]] in Australia and other various solo appearances and [[Egypt]].

His new CD album was released in the Spring of 2011. The first single from this CD Album was the pre-release from the album and was called "Kafto Kalokairi" with the initial performance at the Pavilion on the 18 March 2011. The release was accompanied by a music video for the single filmed on the cruise ship Cristall. The following single was "Pou Na Girnas" released in November 2011 and was penned by Greek composer Alexis Serkos. The video clip was released in conjunction with single to launch Sarbel's winter tour of [[Dubai]] and the [[Persian Gulf]] region.

===2012–present===
After a tour of Dubai, and other Arab countries, Sarbel went back to the studio and recorded a new single "Proti Ptisi" [Greek for 'First Flight'] which was released in early 2013 and followed up with a tour in Crete, Athens, Beirut and Cyprus. He was also involved in his new record company Honeybel Music which produces lounge music predominantly bought and used in Dubai. Sarbel was a guest as well at the London Eurovision Party which took place in the Shadow Lounge in Soho. The event was organised to promote the representatives for this year's Eurovision Song Contest and Sarbel as an earlier contestant was invited to perform by public demand.

==Discography==

===Studio albums===

All the albums listed underneath were released and charted in [[Greece]] and [[Cyprus]].
{| class="wikitable"|width=100%
|- "
! style="width:20px;" rowspan="2"| Year
! style="width:235px;" rowspan="2"| Title
! style="width:235px;" rowspan="2"| Title in [[Greek language|Greek]]
! style="width:100px;" rowspan="2"| Certification
|-
!
|- style="background:#f0f8ff;"
|2004
|''[[Parakseno sinesthima]]''
|''Παράξενο συναίσθημα''
| style="text-align:center;"| Gold
|-
|2005
|''[[Parakseno sinesthima|Parakseno sinesthima Special Edition]]''
|''Παράξενο συναίσθημα (Special Edition)''
| style="text-align:center;" | Platinum
|- style="background:#f0f8ff;"
|2006
|''[[Sahara (Sarbel album)|Sahara]]''
|''Σαχάρα''
| style="text-align:center;"| –
|-
|2007
|''[[Sahara (Sarbel album)|Sahara (Euro Edition)]]''
|''Σαχάρα (Euro Edition)''
| style="text-align:center;" | Gold
|- style="background:#f0f8ff;"
|2008
|''[[Kati san esena]]''
|''Κάτι σαν εσένα''
| style="text-align:center;"| –
|}

===CD singles===
{|class="wikitable"|width=100%
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! style="width:25px;" |Year
! style="width:235px;"|Title
! style="width:100px;"|Notes
|-
|style="background:#f0f8ff; text-align:center;"|2004
|align="left"|"[[Se Pira Sovara]]" (in [[Greek language|Greek]] Σε πήρα σοβαρά)
| style="text-align:center;"| Gold
|-
|2007
|style="background:#f0f8ff; text-align:left;"| "[[Yassou Maria]]" (in [[Greek language|Greek]] Γεια σου, Μαρία)
| style="text-align:center;"| Platinum
|}

====Full singles discography====
* 2004: "[[Se Pira Sovara]]"
* 2005: "Sokolata"
* 2005: "Thelo na petaxo"
* 2006: "Sahara"
* 2006: "Takse mou"
* 2006: "Enas apo mas"
* 2007: "[[Yassou Maria]]"
* 2008: "Eho trelathei"
* 2009: "Mou pai" ['It suits me']
* 2011: "Kafto Kalokairi" ['Hot summer']
* 2011: "Pou Na Girnas" ['Why come back?']
* 2013: "Proti Ptisi"

====Music videos====
* 2004: "Se pira sovara"
* 2005: "Sokolata"
* 2005: "Thelo na petaxo"
* 2005: "Boro Boro/Chiculata" (Mad Music Awards) [feat. [[Chrispa]]]
* 2006: "Thriller"/"Pano stin trella mou" (Mad Music Awards) [feat. [[Vanesa Adamopoulou]]]
* 2006: "Taxe mou"
* 2006: "Enas apo mas"
* 2007: "Yassou Maria" (ERT Promo Video)
* 2007: "Yassou Maria" (Official Video Clip)
* 2008: "Eho trelathei"
* 2009: "Mou paei"
* 2011: "Monaxa esy"
* 2011: "Kafto Kalokairi"
* 2011: "Pou Na Girnas"
* 2013: "Proti Ptisi"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sarbel.com/ Official site]

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box
| before=[[Anna Vissi]] with ''[[Everything (Anna Vissi song)|Everything]]''
| title=[[Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest]]
| years=2007
| after=[[Kalomira]] with ''[[Secret Combination (song)|Secret Combination]]''
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Sarbel}}
{{Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest|state=collapsed}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2007|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sarbel}}
[[Category:1983 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British Eastern Catholics]]
[[Category:English people of Lebanese descent]]
[[Category:English people of Cypriot descent]]
[[Category:English people of Greek Cypriot descent]]
[[Category:English pop singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Cypriot male singers]]
[[Category:MAD Video Music Awards winners]]
[[Category:Modern Greek-language singers]]
[[Category:People from Southgate, London]]
[[Category:People educated at St Ignatius' College, Enfield]]
[[Category:Singers from the London Borough of Enfield]]
[[Category:Sony Music Greece artists]]
[[Category:21st-century British singers]]
[[Category:21st-century British male singers]]
[[Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants]]

Suma Chakrabarti

2025-03-10T13:54:09Z

2.98.185.40: He is formerly a civil servant, not formerly British.

{{Short description|British civil servant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sir Suma Chakrabarti
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the Bath|KCB]]
| image = SirSuma.jpg
| caption =
| office = President of the [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]]
| term_start = 3 July 2012
| term_end = July 2020
| predecessor = [[Thomas Mirow]]
| successor = [[Jürgen Rigterink]] (Acting)
| office1 = [[Clerk of the Crown in Chancery]] [[Permanent Secretary]] to the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]]
| term_start1 = December 2007
| term_end1 = 2012
| primeminister1 = [[Gordon Brown]] [[David Cameron]]
| minister1 = [[Jack Straw]] [[Kenneth Clarke|Ken Clarke]]
| predecessor1 = [[Alex Allan]]
| successor1 = [[Ursula Brennan]]
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1959}}
| birth_place = [[Jalpaiguri]], West Bengal, India
| nationality = British, originally Indian
| spouse =
| alma_mater = [[University of Oxford]]
| color =
}}
'''Sir Sumantra "Suma" Chakrabarti''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB}} (born 1959) is a British former civil servant who served as president of the [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (EBRD) from July 2012 to July 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ebrd.com/news/2012/ebrd-shareholders-elect-uks-sir-suma-chakrabarti-as-next-president.html|title=EBRD Shareholders elect UK's Sir Suma Chakrabarti as next President}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ebrd.com/news/2016/ebrd-governors-elect-sir-suma-chakrabarti-president-for-four-more-years.html|title = EBRD Governors elect Sir Suma Chakrabarti President for four more years}}</ref> He was previously the highest ranking Indian in Britain's civil service,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/opinion/the-new-tournament/cid/889565|title=THE NEW TOURNAMENT|website=The Telegraph|location=Kolkata|access-date=2 December 2018}}</ref> serving as [[Permanent Secretary]] to the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]] and [[Clerk of the Crown in Chancery]] from late 2007<ref>{{cite journal|title=Warrants Under the Royal Sign Manual|journal=[[The London Gazette]]|date=21 December 2007|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/58550|accessdate=16 February 2021|publisher=[[Government of the United Kingdom|HM Government]]|quote=The Queen has been pleased by Royal Warrant bearing date 10 December 2007, to appoint Sir Sumantra Chakrabarti K.C.B. as the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery.}}</ref> until 2012.

==Early life and education==
Chakrabarti was born in 1959 in [[Jalpaiguri]], West Bengal, India. He was educated at [[City of London School]]; [[New College, Oxford]] (BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics); and the [[University of Sussex]] (MA in Development Economics).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebrd.com/who-we-are/ebrd-president-sir-suma-chakrabarti.html|title=Sir Suma Chakrabarti}}</ref>

== Career in the civil service ==
{{BLP sources section|date=December 2022}}
Chakrabarti joined the UK's Overseas Development Administration (ODA), the predecessor to the [[Department for International Development]], in 1984 as a senior economic assistant working on macroeconomics issues and UK aid projects. He previously worked in [[Botswana]] on an [[Overseas Development Institute]] Fellowship. He was seconded by the UK government to the [[International Monetary Fund]] and the [[World Bank]] in the 1980s. On returning to the ODA in London, he became [[Private Secretary]] to the Conservative [[Lynda Chalker]], then [[Minister of State]] for Overseas Development based at the Foreign Office. Chakrabarti subsequently became Head of Aid Policy and Resources.

He moved to [[H.M. Treasury]] in 1996 before taking a [[Cabinet Office]] post responsible for creating the new central Performance and Innovation Unit to support the Prime Minister, [[Tony Blair]], co-ordinating reviews of long-term issues that cross public sector institutional boundaries. Still in the Cabinet Office, he headed the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat, also maintaining a foot in the then [[Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions|Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions]].

In 2001, returning to the Department for International Development (DfID), the successor body to the ODA, Chakrabarti became DfID Director-General for Regional Development Programmes, managing 1,200 staff in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. On 8 December 2009, he [[List of witnesses of The Iraq Inquiry#December 8|gave evidence]] to [[The Iraq Inquiry]], discussing preparations for the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref name="BBC XII">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8401001.stm|title=Iraq details for aid workers 'were scanty before war'|date=8 December 2009|publisher=[[BBC News]]|accessdate=28 January 2010}}</ref>

From 2007 to 2012, he served as a [[Permanent Secretary]] (senior civil servant) to the UK's [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]]. During that period, he also held office as [[Clerk of the Crown in Chancery]], and, as such, was responsible for the running of the Crown Office, under the directions of the [[Lord Chancellor]]. He was appointed on 15 November 2007.<ref>[http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/cmb-chakrabarti.htm Suma Chakrabarti – Ministry of Justice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704113503/http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/cmb-chakrabarti.htm |date=4 July 2008 }}</ref>

== President of the EBRD ==
Chakrabarti served two full terms as president from 2012 to 2020.<ref name="twoterms">{{cite news |title=Sir Suma Chakrabarti leaves EBRD Presidency after second and final term |url=https://www.ebrd.com/news/2020/sir-suma-chakrabarti-leaves-ebrd-presidency-after-second-and-final-term.html |agency=EBRD}}</ref> In his last weeks as EBRD President, Chakrabarti made a number of think tank appearances where he discussed the current state of international development and its principal actors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/27/us-not-speaking-up-on-global-development-multilateral-bank-president-says-284936|title = U.S. Abdicating global leadership role, leader of European development bank says|website = [[Politico]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ebrd-complaint-exclusive/exclusive-ebrd-head-faces-investigation-call-over-dossier-on-directors-idUSKCN1MF2CZ|title = Exclusive: EBRD head faces investigation call over dossier on directors|newspaper = Reuters|date = 6 October 2018|last1 = Jones|first1 = Marc}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ebrd-president/ebrd-says-president-cleared-in-information-gathering-investigation-idUSL8N1YI3JK|title = EBRD says president cleared in information gathering investigation|newspaper = Reuters|date = 13 December 2018|last1 = Jones|first1 = Marc}}</ref>

== Later career ==
By the end of his term at EBRD, Chakrabarti denied any immediate plans to return to the UK civil service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.easterneye.biz/exclusive-former-top-asian-civil-servants-worry-at-turmoil-in-the-service/|title=Exclusive: Former top Asian civil servant's 'worry' at turmoil in the service|date=22 July 2020}}</ref>

On July 2, 2020, ODI announced the appointment of Chakrabarti as its next Chair of the Board of Trustees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.odi.org/news/17127-statement-sir-suma-chakrabarti-new-chair-odi-board|title = Statement: Sir Suma Chakrabarti new Chair of ODI Board}}</ref> Also in 2020, he was appointed by the [[World Health Organization]]’s Regional Office for Europe to serve as a member of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development, chaired by [[Mario Monti]].<ref>[https://www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/sections/press-releases/2020/announcing-the-pan-european-commission-on-health-and-sustainable-development-rethinking-policy-priorities-in-the-light-of-pandemics Announcing the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development: Rethinking Policy Priorities in the light of Pandemics] [[World Health Organization]], Regional Office for Europe, press release of August 11, 2020.</ref>

Chakrabarti serves as deputy chairman of the Council for Reforms for the [[Republic of Kazakhstan]].<ref name="reformCouncil">{{cite news |title=President Tokayev Creates Supreme Council Dedicated to Reforming Kazakhstan |url=https://astanatimes.com/2020/09/president-tokayev-creates-supreme-council-dedicated-to-reforming-kazakhstan/ |agency=The Astana Times}}</ref>

He is also an adviser to the [[President of Uzbekistan|President of the Republic of Uzbekistan]] on economic development, good governance and international cooperation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Abdulaziz |first=Abdurakhmon |date=2023-08-08 |title=Shavkat Mirziyoyev receives Suma Chakrabarti - adviser on economic development, good governance and international cooperation |url=https://daryo.uz/en/2022/07/05/shavkat-mirziyoyev-receives-suma-chakrabarti-adviser-on-economic-development-good-governance-and-international-cooperation/ |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=Daryo.uz}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Chakrabarti is married and has one daughter.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

== Offices held ==
{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef | before= [[John Vereker (governor)|John Vereker]]}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Newsletter 2002, Issue No 8 |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20070701122455/http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutDFID/opd/opdnewsletter2002.pdf |publisher=Overseas Pensions Department |date=September 2002}}</ref>
{{s-ttl | title = [[Permanent Secretary]] of the [[Department for International Development]] | years= 2002–2008}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Minouche Shafik]]}}
{{s-bef | before= [[Alex Allan]] '''''Permanent Secretary of the [[Department for Constitutional Affairs]]''''' }}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Permanent Secretary]] of the [[Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Justice]] | years= 2008–2012}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Ursula Brennan]]}}
{{s-civ}}
{{s-bef | before= [[Thomas Mirow]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = President of the [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] | years= 2012–2020}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Odile Renaud-Basso]] '''''President''''' }}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090606125636/http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/chakrabarti.htm Profile on Ministry of Justice website]
* [http://www.ebrd.com/who-we-are/ebrd-president-sir-suma-chakrabarti.html EBRD website]
* [https://www.odi.org/ ODI website]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chakrabarti, Suma}}
[[Category:People educated at the City of London School]]
[[Category:Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for Justice]]
[[Category:Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for International Development]]
[[Category:Civil servants in the Ministry of Overseas Development]]
[[Category:Civil servants in the Cabinet Office]]
[[Category:Private secretaries in the British Civil Service]]
[[Category:Members of HM Government Economic Service]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of New College, Oxford]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Presidents of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to England]]
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:English people of Bengali descent]]
[[Category:People from Jalpaiguri]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]

Monastir Synagogue (Thessaloniki)

2025-01-27T14:23:14Z

2.98.185.40:

{{short description|Former Orthodox synagogue in Thessaloniki, Greece}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Monastir Synagogue
| native_name = {{langx|he|קהל קדוש מונאסטירליס}}
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| image_upright = 1.4
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| caption = Exterior of the former synagogue, in 2007
| religious_affiliation = [[Orthodox Judaism]] {{small|(former)}}
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| functional_status = '''Inactive'''
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| location = 35 Sygrou Street, [[Thessaloniki]]
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| country = [[Greece]]
| map_type = Greece Thessaloniki
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| architect = {{ubl|(Eli) Ernst Loewy {{small|(1927)}};|Elias Messinas and KARD Architects {{small|(2016)}}}}
| architecture_type = [[Synagogue architecture]]
| architecture_style = [[Art Deco architecture|Art Deco]]
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| funded_by = Ida Aroesti
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| footnotes = <ref name=CJA>{{cite web |url=https://cja.huji.ac.il/mhs/browser.php?mode=set&id=5506 |title=Monasterioton Synagogue in Thessaloniki |work=Historic synagogues of Europe |publisher=Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] |date=n.d. |access-date=10 July 2024 }}</ref>
}}
The '''Monastir Synagogue''' ({{langx|he|קהל קדוש מונאסטירליס}}; [[Judaeo-Spanish]]: ''Kal de los Monastirlis'') is a former [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] [[Judaism|Jewish]] congregation and [[synagogue]] of the once vibrant [[History of the Jews in Thessaloniki|Jewish community]] in [[Thessaloniki]], [[Greece]].

==History==
Commenced in 1925, the synagogue was completed in 1927. The funding was provided by Jews from [[Bitola|Monastir]] in the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]], chiefly by Ida Aroesti, in the memory of her late husband Isaac, and the families Camhi, Joseph Nahmias, Massot, Barouch, Halevi, Israel, Calderon, Faradji, and Meir. The synagogue was designed by Ernst Loewy (1878-1943)<ref name=Messinas>{{cite book |author=Messinas, Elias |year=2022 |title=The Synagogues of Greece: A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace: With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece |location=Seattle |publisher=KDP |isbn=979-8-8069-0288-8 |pages=72-73 }}</ref> from [[Buchau]], in Austria-Hungary. Loewye was based in Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia, visiting Thessaloniki often as the engineer for the Austrian company that built that railway line between Thessaloniki and Vienna. Loewy moved to Thessaloniki in 1938. The consecration by the ''[[locum tenens]]'' Chief Rabbi of Thessaloniki, Haim Raphael Habib, took place on September 24, 1927 (Eloul 27, 5687).

Families fled Monastir during the [[Balkan Wars]] (1912-1913) and [[Greece during World War I|World War I]] and established themselves in Thessaloniki creating their own kehila (community) within the greater Jewish Community.

The Monastir synagogue is the last traditional synagogue of Thessaloniki in the great tradition of Salonican synagogues bearing in their name the place of origin of the congregation members (Ashkenaz 1376, Majorka 1391, Provincia 1394, Italia Yashan 1423, Guerush Sefarad 1492, Kastilia 1492–3, Aragon 1492–3, Katalan Yashan 1492, Kalabria Yashan 1497, Sicilia Yashan 1497, Apulia 1502, Lisbon Yashan 1510. Portugal 1525, Evora 1535, Lisbon Hadash 1536, Otranto 1537, Ishmael 1537, Sicilia Hadash 1562, Italia Hadash 1582, Majorka Sheni 16th cent., Katalan Hadash 16th cent., Italia Sheni, 1606, Mograbis 17th cent.){{cn|date=July 2024}}

During [[World War II]], the synagogue was saved by being requisitioned by the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]]. In June 1978, the structure of the building was severely damaged by an earthquake. It was restored by the Greek government and today is used primarily during the high holidays.

In 2016 the historic restoration<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/49295346/Restoration_of_the_Central_Synagogue_Monastiriotes_Thessaloniki_Greece/ |title=Restoration of the Central Synagogue Monastiriotes Thessaloniki, Greece |work=Restoration Report Based on the Nomination to the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards |year=2018 |publisher= |access-date= }}</ref> of the synagogue was completed by architect Elias Messinas and KARD Architects, Dimitris Raidis and Alexandros Kouloukouris.<ref name=Messinas/> The restoration project was supported by the Federal Republic of Germany.

The synagogue is no longer in regular function. There is a new synagogue shared with the Rabbinate and the offices of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki at Tsimiski Street downtown. The [[Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki]] is also near the Tsimiski Street location.

==See also==
{{stack|{{portal|Greece|Judaism}}}}
* [[Judaism in Greece]]
* [[History of the Jews in Thessaloniki]]
* [[History of the Jews in Monastir]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite book |author=Μεσσίνας, Ηλίας |title=Οι Συναγωγές της Θεσσαλονίκης και της Βέροιας |publisher=Εκδόσεις Γαβριηλίδης |year=1997 |isbn=960-336-010-4 |lang=el }}

== External links ==
{{commons cat-inline|Monastir Synagogue (Thessaloniki)}}
* {{cite web |url=https://kardarchitects.com/projects/monastir-synagogue/ |title=Monastir Synagogue |work=KARD Architects |year=2023 |access-date=July 11, 2024 }}

{{Synagogues in Greece}}
{{Jews in Greece}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monastir Synagogue, Thessaloniki}}
[[Category:1927 establishments in Greece]]
[[Category:20th-century synagogues in Greece]]
[[Category:Art Deco architecture in Greece]]
[[Category:Art Deco synagogues]]
[[Category:Former synagogues in Greece]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Thessaloniki]]
[[Category:Jews and Judaism in Thessaloniki|Synagogue]]
[[Category:Greece–North Macedonia relations]]
[[Category:Sephardi Jewish culture in Greece]]
[[Category:Sephardi synagogues]]
[[Category:Synagogues completed in 1927]]

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