EastEnders legend quits job in early iPlayer release - and lands another already
Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) has quit her job on the Bridge Street Market – and a new job offer has being handed straight to her.
Earlier this week, she excitedly told Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) that her boss, chief market inspector Mr Lister (Nick Wilton) was retiring after many years overseeing the traders, and she was eyeing up his position.
He'd basically promised that she'd be his successor, and Honey was thrilled at the prospect of becoming top dog.
However, in today's episode, Lister dropped a huge bombshell during their meeting.
Mr Lister – who has appeared in 61 episodes across several stints since 2008 – is often seen ensuring the locals have a market license, disciplining the traders and being a general nuisance.
He famously clashed with Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) on a number of occasions, and more recently, developed somewhat of an inappropriate affection for Honey.
Over lunch, he asked if she was single, before asking her to consider whether the love of her life was closer than she imagined.
He even said she could drop the formalities and start calling him Bob!
At the time, she'd just split up from Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), and he tried to suggest that she'd be better off with an older man. Luckily, Finlay Baker (Ashley Byam) came to her rescue, stepping in to announce that they were a couple.
Last year, amid Junior Knight's (Micah Balfour) plans to redevelop the market, he announced his intentions to retire. He wouldn't even support the residents campaign to save the institution.
However, the late Martin Fowler (James Bye) convinced him to stay in post and help fight.
Honey was preparing for a meeting with Lister when she bumped into Zack Hudson (James Farrar) in the Minute Mart.
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He was intrigued to hear that the inspector was moving on, and that Honey's job would be on the market (see what I did there?)
In the cafe, Mr Lister brushed around the subject, only for Honey to ask him outright when he was retiring.
Lister explained that he isn't in a position to retire – if ever – because a family member named Keith has invested his money.
His advice was to never trust a man named Keith. Noted. More Trending
Honey was beyond miffed, and while ranting to husband Billy (Perry Fenwick), expressed concern that the reason she hasn't been eyed up as a replacement is because she's a woman.
Mr Lister arrived and said he'd promised his job to someone from the rival Canal Street Market, when or if that might be.
Enraged, Honey then quit her job on the spot, with Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) swooping in to ask when she can start working at the shop. He even threw in an extra £2 per hour, and agreed she could have a week off before she started.
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It seems Lister ain't going anywhere!
MORE: End of an era as EastEnders icon announces retirement after years in early BBC iPlayer release
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Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think it's fantastic that older women are represented on screen. Also, why can't older women have affairs? Ok, I'm not condoning it, she did have an affair with her husband's stepson, which probably isn't a cool thing to do if you want to be accepted back into the family. But, you know what? Why not? Women of 60 can go and have affairs and I think people also want to see that on TV and I think that's really important. 'Soaps have always been really great in championing women, matriarchal figures and older women as well.' Michelle Collins plays Denise, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike in Motorhome Marilyn. | Lucy Hayes If Collins' career hadn't worked out the way it has, could she ever have seen herself going down the lookalike route? 'Oh God, I think I can. I remember getting a Kylie look alike for my daughter's birthday party. Yeah. There are people who have made careers out of doing something like that. But when I think of all the jobs I did when I was very, very young, it never really occurred to me to ever be a lookalike. Let's face it, anyone could be a Marilyn lookalike. Just get the blonde wig and iconic dress. Denise, my character says, 'Anybody can get the outfit on Amazon, but I'm different'. She feels she actually embodies Marilyn.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You know, I did go to America when I was 17 with a boyfriend who became a very successful production designer in the film world, and we stayed in Venice Beach and I had the most brilliant time and people said to me, 'stay here and be an actress in America.' And I was tempted, and I do think what would have happened if I'd stayed? But I hadn't finished college here and came back. Sometimes I think what if? I didn't get into drama school but I've worked a lot. Life for me is about successes that come out of failures. I think having to struggle makes you a better person and a stronger person.' 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Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
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X Factor's Honey G showcases impressive weight loss after 'life-changing' moment
X Factor alum Honey G is back with a brand new tune and took to social media to showcase her dance moves alongside TV presenter Hayley Palmer Former X Factor star Honey G has shown off her impressive weight loss as she shared her latest song release. The rapper, 44, rose to fame on the popular ITV talent show in 2016. She has since candidly revealed she has struggled with her weight previously. However, she has now proudly confessed that she has dropped from a size 18 dress size to a size 12 - and claims it has upped her "body confidence". Honey, whose real name is Anna Gilford, was seen dancing to her new track titled Nothing To Me on a roof terrace in London. She was alongside TV presenter Hayley Palmer. It comes as the full Strictly Come Dancing lineup has been confirmed. Honey shared the clip on Instagram. She captioned the upload: "Our take on the Nothing to Me dance. Mine & @hayleypalmer_presenter 's rendition – my new single - dropping this Saturday!' She also added the hashtags 'shake your booty' and 'bootylicious'. In the video, Honey wore a small pair of floral-patterned shorts and a vest top. She also donned an oversized pair of sunglasses as she danced to the tune. Fans were quick to praise the star for her fun post. One user in the comments section gushed: "honey g your [sic] still an icon." They added two flame emojis. Another user also added a comment of four flame emojis, while another added: "Aww check yooooo," with a raised hands emoji. The TV personality previously explained she had "changed her body" after a series of gym routines during the Covid pandemic. She added she had also taken up running. Speaking to Daily Star in 2023, the musician said: "I had a personal trainer for a year and a half, almost two years and we worked a lot on strength training and I started to see, coupled with all the running I was doing, I started to see my body change." Honey confessed at the time: "That's why not a lot of people recognise me in the street anymore, it says online I'm unrecognisable which is true. "But yeah, I'm not saying I miss being chased through a shopping centre by school kids, but seriously, in all honesty, when I started to see body shape change, it spurred me on even more.' She also told Closer magazine: "I used to wear loose and baggy clothes that went up to a size 18, but I've thrown most of them away as my taste has matured. Now I wear outfits I wouldn't have dreamt of wearing, and I can fit into nice underwear from Victoria's Secret." Despite not being a regular on television these days, Honey G has kept herself busy. She has been seen performing at clubs and festivals throughout the UK.
