EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet teen soap opera, available on BBC Online, the official website of the BBC. The series is a spin-off from the long-running soap opera EastEnders and was created by Diederick Santer. The series is set in Walford, a fictional borough of London, and follows the stories of teenagers who arrive and reside at Walford's community called Albert Square in their bid to strive in overcoming from various problems.

For series 1, open auditions were held at Theatre Royal Stratford East, followed by recalls until the possible actors were reduced to eight and then four. The first series follows the characters of Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny), Fatboy (Ricky Norwood), Mercy Olubunmi (Bunmi Mojekwu) and Leon Small (Sam Attwater), who meet in the first episode and decide to squat together in a flat at 89b George Street. Leon, Fatboy and Zsa Zsa also appeared briefly in EastEnders in January 2010 before EastEnders: E20 started, and returned as regular characters when EastEnders: E20 ended. It was since announced that due to positive reaction to the character, Mercy would also join EastEnders later in 2010.

The second series follows four new characters, Asher Levi (Heshima Thompson) and his brother Sol (Tosin Cole), Naz Mehmet (Emaa Hussen), and Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes), who move into the flat above the beauty salon at 10 Turpin Road. The third series follows Mercy's sister Faith Olubunmi (Modupe Adeyeye), Donnie Lester (Samuell Benta) and Ava Bourne (Sophie Colquhoun). Faith also appears in EastEnders for a short period before the start of the series. The three begin squatting in 3 Albert Square. Additionally, many EastEnders characters make cameo appearances in all three series.

Cast table Character Portrayed by Series Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Main Zsa Zsa Carter Emer Kenny Fatboy Ricky Norwood colspan="2" Mercy Olubunmi Bunmi Mojekwu Leon Small Sam Attwater Asher Levi Heshima Thompson Sol Levi Tosin Cole Naz Mehmet Emaa Hussen Stevie Dickinson Amanda Fairbank-Hynes Faith Olubunmi Modupe Adeyeye colspan="2" Donnie Lester Samuell Benta colspan="2" Ava Bourne Sophie Colquhoun colspan="2" Recurring Lucy Beale Melissa Suffield colspan="2" Mo Harris Laila Morse colspan="2" Lucas Johnson Don Gilet colspan="2" Ian Beale Adam Woodyatt colspan="2" Andy Steve North colspan="2" Morgan Butcher Devon Higgs Zainab Masood Nina Wadia colspan="2" Benjamin Damien Lynch colspan="2" Masood Ahmed Nitin Ganatra colspan="2" Heather Trott Cheryl Fergison Jane Beale Laurie Brett Malcolm Small Paul Trussel colspan="2" Shirley Carter Linda Henry colspan="2" Caroline Levi Sandra Yaw Olly Manthrope-Hall Joshua McGuire Mr Mehmet Nayeef Rashed Ekin Beg Hemi Yeroham Skolla Tony Adigun Pippa Roxanne McKee Janine Malloy Charlie Brooks colspan="2" Richard Vance Sam Phillips colspan="2" Riley Lester Eliza Newman colspan="2" Tracey Bennett Kelly Clarkson

Main characters Series 1 Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny). She is the blue-haired niece of regular EastEnders character Shirley Carter (Linda Henry). She is a beautiful, funky and outspoken tomboy who is very bright, but does not like to accept anyone's help. She has a dislike of authority and does not care about other people. Zsa Zsa is similar to Shirley, though the writers said they did not plan this. The character changed greatly during the writing process and the writers were unsure who she was until filming started. She makes a cameo appearance in episode 1 of series 2 and is a regular character in EastEnders between January and September 2010. Fatboy (Ricky Norwood). He avoids being his real self by creating personas for himself, as he dislikes his real name and puts on a mask with his current and most sustained persona, Fatboy, a brash wheeler-dealer. He uses a lot of street slang, gets on well with his parents and gets what he wants from them. Fatboy also appears as a recurring character in series 2 of EastEnders: E20, and is one of four characters from the second series to have an official account on social networking site Twitter. He also appears in series 3. Fatboy was a regular character in EastEnders between January 2010 and December 2015. Mercy Olubunmi (Bunmi Mojekwu). She lives with her grandmother, from whom she is keeping a huge secret. A "good girl", she felt abandoned when her parents moved back to Nigeria. She is strong-willed, bound within her faith and motherly, but takes on other people's problems too much. She makes a cameo appearance in episode 1 of series 2 and is a regular character in EastEnders from May 2010 to June 2011. Leon Small (Sam Attwater). He is a boxer with a lack of respect for authority and is quick to anger, but is also described as effortlessly cool, strong-minded and sexy. His mother died when he was a child and he was left in charge of his alcoholic father, with whom he has a rocky relationship, which Attwater said is the character's weakness. He makes a cameo appearance in episode 1 of series 2 and is a regular character in EastEnders between January and September 2010.

Series 2 Asher Levi (Heshima Thompson). He is described as charming and sexy with the talent to make him a star. Thompson described the character as very confident and said that looking after his younger brother Sol has "taken a toll on him." He finds it difficult to refuse easy money as his brother and mother complicate things for him. Prior to his arrival in the series, he has been recently released from jail for theft, but has become a street dancer to keep him away from crime. Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes). She is the privately educated daughter of rich parents who have abandoned her to go travelling. She is creative, empathetic, quirky, forward, lovely, eccentric, naïve and a daydreamer who lacks common sense but has bursts of assertiveness and intelligence. Stevie is one of four characters who has an official profile on social networking site Twitter. Naz Mehmet (Emaa Hussen). She is of Turkish descent and is described as being "torn between two worlds". Hussen described her as a family girl but wants to have fun, and said she is confident, but is also a daddy's girl. She is the apple of her father's eye and he sees her as a perfect student. Naz is one of four characters who has an official profile on social networking site Twitter. Naz also appears in series 3, along with Sol. Sol Levi (Tosin Cole). He is Asher's younger brother and is described as shy and loyal but has a bad temper and hides his feelings with violence. Cole described him as thoughtful, soft, easily hurt and dependent, and said he is reserved, finds it difficult to function without Asher and likes his family to be together. Asher has looked after Sol all his life and as a result, Sol finds it difficult to establish his own identity. Sol also appears in series 3, along with Naz.

Series 3

Faith Olubunmi (Modupe Adeyeye). She is Mercy's younger sister, who was sent to Nigeria by their grandmother "to get back on the straight and narrow, but she is back and worse than ever!" She is described as someone who can be "an incredible amount of fun and excitement, and she has a cheekiness that charms most people. But she's not nearly as bright as she thinks she is—she can sometimes be reckless and downright dangerous. When Faith runs into Donnie and Ava, she sees it as her chance to cause even more mischief!" Faith also has a profile on Twitter. Donnie Lester (Samuell Benta). His mother is absent from his life and his father is in prison, meaning he has spent a lot of time in care. He is described as "a boy of few words, but it'd be a mistake to get on the wrong side of him as he's got a temper. All Donnie wants is to get out of the system and look after his little sister Riley. However, when he meets Ava, something inside him changes—suddenly Riley isn't the only one he wants to care for..." Ava Bourne (Sophie Colquhoun). She is described as "a closed book [who] can look after herself." She has spent time in care, but because she comes across as certain, definite and hard, people think she is stuck up. She has a cool and brittle façade, but has a secret past which she is constantly trying to get away from. In the series is it revealed that her real name is Olivia Bryan and she was involved in an arson attack on a house she thought was empty. She is also raped by her keyworker, Richard.

Recurring characters and EastEnders character cameos

Introduced in series 1 Andy (Steve North) – the ex partner of Zsa Zsa's mother (Tina Carter, introduced to EastEnders in 2013). In episode 1 he chases after Zsa Zsa and assumes she is inside 89b George Street. He shouts that he wants his money and dumps her belongings in the street, dropping his satellite navigation system. Lucy points out where Zsa Zsa is hiding, so Andy chases after her again. He is beaten up by Leon, allowing Zsa Zsa to get away. Returning to his car, he realises his sat nav has gone. When he sees Zsa Zsa, Leon, Mercy and Fatboy, he chases them in his car as they run into 89b George Street, and demands his sat nav back, which Fatboy found. Zsa Zsa throws it out of the window and tells Andy to leave. Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia) – Zainab appears in episode 1 when Zsa Zsa runs past her, then Andy, who is chasing Zsa Zsa, runs into her. She also appears in series 2, where in episode 3, she attends a dance class run by Roger, but assumes Asher is Roger as Roger is late. When Roger arrives, Asher runs off with the money and Zainab finds him, telling him to keep the money but advising him to stick to dancing rather than stealing. In series 3, Zainab is against a hostel being in her neighbourhood, and forces Faith, Donnie and Ava to clean up after two of them cause mayhem across Albert Square. Benjamin (Damien Lynch) – The church's youth minister who works with Mercy on her project to bring younger people to the church. In episode 1 he is disappointed when Fatboy shows his website plans. In episode 2 Fatboy greets him and his wife Celia in the church, and in episode 3 he visits Mercy in the café and says her grandmother is worried about her spending so much time with her new friends. She then asks him to lend her £20. In episode 8 he speaks to Mercy about her project. Fatboy speaks to him about Mercy being in trouble, which Benjamin thinks means she has a new boyfriend. Later, Mercy tells him she is pregnant by him. In episode 10, he approaches Mercy saying they need to talk, but she sends him away. When Mercy suffers a miscarriage, Fatboy brings Benjamin to the flat but Mercy is already on her way to the hospital. At the hospital in episode 11, Benjamin tells Mercy it worked out for the best, leaving her annoyed. He tells her not to worry about the website as she has been through a lot. Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) – Lucas holds services and Bible classes at the Community Centre in episodes 1 and 2. Lucy Beale (Melissa Suffield) – In episode 1 Lucy is in 89b George Street with Leon. They kiss passionately until they are interrupted by Andy looking for Zsa Zsa. Lucy points out where Zsa Zsa is, upsetting Leon, who says they are over. In episode 2, the gang attempt to steal Lucy's keys by pretending that Mercy is drunk so that Lucy drops her bag, which Zsa Zsa returns when Lucy is in the café's toilet. Zsa Zsa tells Lucy she hates her. Celia (Marsha Henry) – Benjamin's wife, who appears alongside him at the church in episodes 1 and 2. Mo Harris (Laila Morse) – In episode 1, Fatboy attempts to sell Mo items he found on the street that actually belong to Zsa Zsa, and she is interested until Fatboy offers her an old toy. In episode 12, she sees Fatboy, Zsa Zsa and Leon leaving Albert Square in a milk float they have stolen.