What happened to Joe Swash’s forgotten EastEnders family 21 years after TV debut?
It's been 21 years since we were introduced to Joe Swash and the manic Miller family, which included his real-life sister and an on-screen sibling, who would later become his girlfriend
It’s been 21 years since we were introduced to Joe Swash and the manic Miller family (Image:Press Association/BBC)
After a year of chirpy chancer, Micky Miller, gracing our screens in 2004 – EastEnders bosses decided the character, played by Joe Swash, needed a family.
Joe, who is now married to Stacey Solomon and carving out a lucrative career in reality TV, shot to fame playing wide boy Mickey and was so well-liked in the role that producers made him a household name and gave him some relatives.
And in true Walford style, one of the new cast was Joe’s real-life sister while another of his onscreen siblings later became his girlfriend. Here’s what happened to the forgotten family…
-
1 of 5Darren Miller – Charlie G Hawkins
Darren Miller was the longest-standing of the family, lasting a an impressive seven years in Albert Square. In April 2011, actor Charlie shocked producers when he announced he wanted to quit – and admitted it was one of the toughest decisions of his life.
He told the Mirror he could “barely remember life before EastEnders” and said he was leaving so he could “chill out and enjoy being a normal 20-year-old”.
Since then, he has appeared in Casualty, wrote an episode of Eastenders spin-off E20 and co-hosted American football podcast Ice The Kicker with pal Tom Deacon.
(
Image:BBC)
-
2 of 5Keith Miller – David Spinx
Work-shy Keith, who was jobless and spent his days on the sofa watching TV documentaries, was happily sat on his bum from 2004 to 2008. Sadly, David was axed at the same time as Joe because the writers felt the characters had ‘run out of steam’.
After leaving EastEnders, David has appeared on Come Dine With Me, Casualty and indie movie South of the River.
He has also taken up painting and posts some of his masterpieces on X.
(
Image:BBC)
-
3 of 5Rosie Miller – Gerry Cowper
Gerry played Mickey’s tigress mum, Rosie, who was fiercely protective of her family and regularly had ding-dongs with Pauline Fowler. Rosie ended up having an affair with her ex Mike – Mickey and Dawn’s dad – then got back with Keith and planned to get married.
Since she was axed from the soap in 2006, the actress has been seen in ITV drama Law & Order: UK in 2014.
(
Image:BBC)
-
4 of 5Dawn Swann – Kara Tointon
Dawn Swann was Mickey’s half-sister, who was living with their biological dad Mike in France. Actress Kara went on to star in a host of TV and theatre shows as well as date Joe, before she settled down with her now ex-fiance, Marius, with whom she shares two sons.
Now living in Norway, Kara underwent a preventative double mastectomy after discovering she had the BRCA1 gene and bravely shared her story to raise awareness.
(
Image:BBC)
-
5 of 5Demi Miller -Shana Swash
Albert Square was awash with Swashes as Joe was joined by his actual younger sister, Shana. Shana beat Lacey Turner to the role of pregnant 13-year-old Demi, before she was cast as the iconic Stacey Slater.
Shana had stage roles and appeared in an episode of Doctors in 2018, but the actress decided to ditch showbiz and started running a coffee shop with her carpenter partner, Nick Jones.
In December 2023, the couple welcomed their first child together; a daughter named Kitty Frances Swash-Jones.
(
Image:BBC)
