Mo Harris (also Porter, also known as Big Mo), is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo was also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 spin-off, Pat and Mo, delving into her past with her sister-in-law, Pat Evans (Pam St Clement/Emma Cooke).
Mo is a highly comical character and her tendency for dodgy deals bring much of the show's light entertainment. In July 2012, Morse's contract was not renewed, but she was not immediately written out of the series and continued to make occasional appearances until 21 January 2016. Mo's reintroduction was announced in December 2017 and she returned full-time on 16 March 2018. On 6 February 2021, it was announced that Morse would be leaving the role once again and she departed on 3 June 2021. On 28 June 2022, it was announced that Mo would return for a short stint later in the year. Mo returned on 10 August 2022 and departed on 14 September 2022. On 28 February 2024, it was confirmed that Mo would be making a permanent return to EastEnders alongside her great-grandson Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier); their return was broadcast on 20 May 2024.
Development Creation, casting and introduction
In 2000, EastEnders executive producer John Yorke decided to introduce the "classic" Slater family. He felt the show needed to go back to its roots and bring back some traditional values. BBC's head of drama, Mal Young commented, "We do not have enough solid families in the soap, there were a lot of fractured families and people who were alone." The family were created as a replacement for the di Marco family, who were axed by Yorke. The family consisted of, grandmother Mo (Laila Morse), father Charlie Slater (Derek Martin), his four children, Lynne Slater (Elaine Lordan), Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth), Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), as well as Lynne's boyfriend Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves).
The character of Mo and the rest of the Slater family were created during workshops with Tony Jordan and John Yorke. London actors were invited to improvise in groups, and the characters were created during these improvisations."Seven move in to Albert Square ", BBC News, 2000-09-30. URL last accessed 2008-02-16. Laila Morse was cast as Mo, and made her first on-screen appearance on 18 September 2000. She was named "Arrival of the Year" by TV critic Ian Hyland in 2000.
Characterisation Mo has been described as "a very strong person [who] loves the family [and] wouldn't have anything said about them" by Morse. She has been said to "hold the family together ... [acting] as a surrogate mum to her granddaughters".Soaplife Issue 14, 2000-08-29. Her criminal activity has led to her being described as a "female Fagin or Del Boy" and the "queen of knock-off". Mo has also been described as a "tough cookie" and a "fighter". Another writer from The People said that Mo is "tough-talking".
Feud with Pat Evans
Mo's main link to Albert Square, before her arrival, was her former sister-in-law Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement). There is animosity between the two as Pat believes that Mo cheated on her late brother, Jimmy Harris (Alex King) and still holds a grudge. On Mo's return to the square, she stokes the flames on her long-running argument with Pat, which began three decades earlier. Their backstory was further elaborated on in the spin off Soap "Bubble" Pat and Mo, set in the 1960s featuring a teenage Pat and Mo, played by Emma Cooke and Lorraine Stanley, respectively.
Departure and guest appearances (2012–2016)
Morse's contract was not renewed in July 2012, but she was not immediately written out of the series and continued to make occasional appearances. Mo made her final appearance on 21 January 2016, but Morse said in June 2017 that she had never officially left the cast, saying, "All of a sudden my character disappeared and I wasn't in it any more, but I've never officially left the show—I've never had a leaving party or a present. I hope Big Mo comes back. I like all the cast, they're lovely people, so it would be good to film with them again."
Reintroduction (2018)
On 20 December 2017, it was announced that Morse would reprise the role in early 2018. Mo's reintroduction was announced alongside that of Kat Slater (Wallace) and Jean Slater (Wright). Morse expressed her joy at returning and stated that fans would regularly ask about Mo. She commented, "I can't wait to see everyone and get stuck back into life in Walford." Yorke, who returned as the show's executive consultant in 2017, called the Slater family "one of the all-time great families in EastEnders" and opined that the show is very different without them. On their reintroduction, Yorke commented, "It has been a real joy to find a way to bring them back together and we're incredibly excited about where we are taking them next." Yorke also revealed that new Slater family members would be introduced too.
On 6 February 2021, it was announced that Morse would be departing from the role of Mo again. Her departure was aired on 3 June 2021.
Subsequent returns
On 28 June 2022, it was announced that Mo would return for a short stint later in the summer. Mo returned on 10 August 2022 and departed on 14 September 2022, when she returned home to Essex. It was announced on 28 February 2024 that Mo would return full time to the soap in the Spring alongside her great-grandson Freddie (Bobby Brazier).
Storylines 2000–2016 Mo, who previously lived in Walford, returns there after almost forty years away, with her son-in-law, Charlie Slater (Derek Martin) and granddaughters, Lynne Slater (Elaine Lordan), Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), although Zoe is later revealed to be Kat's secret daughter, making her Mo's great-granddaughter. Mo's rivalry with her former best friend Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) arises, but they reconcile at the grave of Mo's former husband and Pat's brother, Jimmy Harris (Alex King). Much of Mo's time is spent selling poor quality stolen goods and she trades with Fat Elvis (Shenton Dixon). She is assisted by Mickey (Joe Swash) and Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) and for a while sets up a sex chatline. She also works with Charlie's great-niece Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) on her market stall, selling clothes, and Stacey begins referring to Mo as her grandmother. She has a brief relationship with Bert Atkinson (Dave Hill), but ends it because Bert is also seeing her friend, Ina Foot (Ina Clare). They reconcile, but break up again when Bert's ex-wife, Evie Brown (Marji Campi), arrives in Walford, terminally ill. Mo begins selling cigarettes that she bought in Spain and two of her customers turn out to be Revenue and Customs officers. She is sentenced to 100 hours of community service, for tax evasion. After Stacey marries Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements), Mo tries to sell their wedding gifts.
Mo sees Charlie's partner, Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan), embracing another man at the tube station, but the man is Brenda's brother, Clive Robinson (Col Farrel). Brenda reveals to Mo that she is moving to Madeira with her family and Mo convinces Charlie not to let her go. However, Brenda and Charlie leave together, leaving Mo devastated. She begins drinking heavily and protests against the sale of Charlie's taxi. Charlie returns to Walford with a woman called Orlenda (Mary Tamm), but Mo does not trust her. Orlenda leaves, after admitting she was scamming Charlie but returns his money. Mo takes charge of a children's nativity play but fails to keep the children under control. In a raffle, she wins Max Branning's (Jake Wood) car, but sells it, to Max's dismay. When Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) is murdered (see Who Killed Archie?), Mo starts a betting circle on who killed him. She runs when she sees a police officer, but later, another officer appears behind her and she asks him if he wants to place a bet. She goes on holiday to Spain with Fat Elvis and when she returns, she is surprised to discover that Bradley is dead. Mo attempts to sell Lucas Johnson's (Don Gilet) bibles to the public, as gruesome souvenirs of the killer. Her insensitivity gets her thrown out of The Queen Victoria public house. Mo receives a phone call from Kat, who wants Zoe's birth certificate. Mo meets Kat at a café and gives her the certificate. Kat admits to Mo that she conned a man and needs a new identity. Kat also lies to Mo, claiming that her husband, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), is dead. Mo persuades Kat to come home and Kat reluctantly agrees, but when they get home, men are waiting for Kat and her money. However, Alfie sends them away. Mo is shocked to learn that Kat is pregnant and Alfie is not the father. When Kat goes into labour, Mo delivers her son, Tommy Moon, on the floor of The Queen Vic's barrel store. On the same day, Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) gives birth to a baby boy, James Branning. On New Year's Eve, Ronnie finds that James has died and she swaps him with Tommy. Alfie and the family find the deceased baby and believe it is Tommy.
After Kat blames Charlie for Tommy's death, Charlie decides to go and live with Lynne, despite Mo begging him not to go. Left living alone, Mo asks Kat if she can move into The Queen Vic and let No. 23. Kat refuses initially but later agrees when Mo reminds her that she never complained about living with Kat's bad habits. Mo continues with her dodgy deals while staying at the pub, including persuading Stacey's mother, Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) to serve "turkey" for pub lunches, which turns out to be swan meat. When a benefit fraud officer declares that Jean has been illegally claiming benefits while working at the pub, Mo admits to Jean and Kat that she has been claiming benefits in Jean's name. Jean agrees to take the blame, as Mo has previous convictions. When Mo learns that her old enemy, Pat, is terminally ill, she visits her in hospital and they end their long-standing feud. When Pat later dies, Mo returns Pat's Miss Butlin's sash, that she stole years ago, out of jealousy. When Mo learns that Charlie has suffered a stroke, she leaves Walford to look after him. Several months later, Jean visits them and Mo returns to The Queen Vic when she believes that Jean is hiding something from her. Her suspicions are confirmed, when she discovers that Alfie is allowing Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) to stay in The Queen Vic. Mo continues to disapprove of Roxy's presence in The Queen Vic, after Kat and Alfie split up. It is later revealed that Mo has rented a villa in Devon, owned by "a mate".
Mo returns to collect rent from Kat, Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) and Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks). She demands Alice pays by the end of the day, or she will evict her. Kat later convinces Mo to give up her keys to the house. Three months later, Jean discovers that Mo is stealing vegetables from the Walford allotments and Mo convinces Jean's new partner, Ollie Walters (Tony O'Callaghan), a police officer whom Mo knows, not to report her, as she is Jean's family. At Christmas, Mo and Charlie visit Walford, where it is revealed that Kat is pregnant with twins. Two months later, Alfie calls Mo, after dealing with some serious family issues, raised by the re-appearance of Stacey after a four-year absence, to which Mo plans to spend more time in Walford to support her family. Mo is delighted when Kat and Alfie's twins, Bert and Ernie Moon (Freddie and Stanley Beale), are born, but the family's joy is cut short when a fire starts at their house and when it reaches a supply of knock-off hairspray, which Mo had intended to sell, a huge explosion destroys everything that they own. Kat is badly injured and Mo is wracked with guilt, briefly moving in with Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra), before taking an extended holiday in Lanzarote with Charlie.