David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC TV soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Michael French. The character originally appeared from 23 December 1993 until 21 November 1996. French returned temporarily from 1 January to 13 January 2012 ahead of a permanent return the following year on 26 September 2013. On 17 May 2014, it was announced that French would depart for a third time, last appearing on 30 May 2014. In July 2024, it was announced that French would reprise the role, appearing from 3 to 10 October 2024.
David has been involved in various storylines, such as his troubled and dysfunctional reconciliation with his children Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Joe Wicks (Paul Nicholls), his volatile and equally dysfunctional relationship with his mother Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement), an affair with his sister-in-law Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), reuniting with Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) and struggling to cope with her diagnosis of breast cancer.
Development Departure It was announced in February 1996 that French and Michelle Collins had decided to quit their roles of David and Cindy in order to pursue other roles. An EastEnders insider said that Cindy is desperate for David to leave the Square with her and the children and is said to "rock the square". Producers were reportedly trying to keep French with the show but only managed to persuade him to stay for another few months. French was rumoured to have "cracked up" when filming his final scenes as David. He broke down during filming and said to the cast: "I can't go on". An insider said that French repeatedly kept getting one line wrong and later stormed off set and refused to continue until crew members were able to calm him down.
Reintroduction (2012–2013) On 7 July 2011, it was announced that St. Clement had quit EastEnders. In October 2011, it was rumoured that David and Simon were to return to EastEnders for Pat's departure storyline. The Sun reported producers were working to get French and Berry on board. A BBC spokesperson declined to comment on the report, saying "There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Pat's departure, however we are not going to comment on rumours at this stage as we don't want to spoil the storyline for viewers." On 13 November 2011, it was confirmed French would be reprising his role as David after an absence of 15 years. French returned to EastEnders as David Wicks in 2012 after more than 15 years away for the departure of Pam St Clement, who played his on-screen mother, Pat Butcher. His return was aired on New Year's Day 2012 and he again departed the soap on 13 January 2012. In All About Soap Awards 2012, Michael French won the Best Comeback award for his brief return as David Wicks. David and Carol reconcile. Coulson explained "Carol thinks, 'Why not?' David makes her feel good and she's not thinking very far ahead. She's in the moment. It's not just a sex thing, it's about having somebody love her again."Daniel Kilkelly (6 January 2012) "'EastEnders' Lindsey Coulson ponders Carol, David plot future . Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 October 2012. She continued: "Carol will be very brittle if she loses David after this. She'll put up all her defences and think, 'That's it – nobody is going to destroy me again'." However, David tries to make peace with Derek but it fails and the plan backfires.Kilkelly Daniel (10 January 2012) "POTD: 'EastEnders' David plan backfires. Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
Eighteen months later, shortly after leaving the BBC drama Casualty, French reprised the role full-time in September 2013.
Second departure In May 2014, it was announced that French was leaving the soap for a third time. His last episode was broadcast on 30 May 2014, which involved David leaving Walford following the breakdown of his relationship to Carol.
Return (2024) On 16 July 2024, the show announced that French would return to the role of David for a short stint later in the year. French expressed excitement, commenting he was "honoured" to be asked to reprise the role, reminding viewers that "it may only be a brief visit, but we know from his past that David never fails to create a lot of drama in a very short time". Executive producer Chris Clenshaw was "thrilled" to hear French would return to the soap, teasing: "David's character was never shy of drama during his previous stints, and I can assure you this return will be no different". David returned to screens in episode 6990, broadcast on 3 October 2024 and departing a week later on 10 October 2024.
Storylines Backstory David Wicks was born on 21 April 1962, conceived by his mother Pat Harris (Pam St Clement) and her first husband Pete Beale (Peter Dean). A few years later when David was growing up in 1966, his parents divorced and they subsequently went on to embark on a second marriage to their respective partners; Pat got remarried to her second husband Brian Wicks (Leslie Schofield), which led to the birth of their son Simon (Nick Berry); and meanwhile Pete got remarried to Pat's future best-friend Kathy Hills (Gillian Taylforth), who in turn gave birth to Pete's other son named Ian (Adam Woodyatt). From then onwards David was living with Pat and Simon before the family moved away from Walford in 1976, with Pete having no further contact with David in the process.
In his teenage years, David had a relationship with Carol Branning (Lindsey Coulson) and ended up getting her pregnant at the age of 14. It was then David and the rest of the Branning family tried to persuade Carol to have an abortion, before her eldest brother Derek (Terence Beesley, later Jamie Foreman) retaliated by severely beating David up. The Wicks family left Walford, due to Derek's aggression so David never knew if Carol had the abortion or not. For the next few years, David - along with his brother and their mother - suffered abuse at the hands of Brian during Pat's turbulent marriage with him. Pat also proved to be a negligent mother due to her alcoholism and constant promiscuity. In 1979, the 17-year-old David moved to live with his girlfriend, Lorraine Foster (Jacqueline Leonard) and she ends up getting pregnant at an early stage. They married in a quick wedding ceremony before 1980 came when their son, Joe (Paul Nicholls), was born by the time David was 18-years-old. This was followed by a daughter named Karen in 1982. However, David was a restless man as the years went on. He often felt tied down and ended up cheating on Lorraine multiple times with several romantic dalliances. In 1988, he eventually left his wife and their children.
1993–1996
David arrives for the funeral of his biological father Pete after the latter died in a car crash two weeks earlier; David initially does not interact with anyone. A few weeks later he moves in with Pat and soon goes into business with her stepson Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) with a car lot that they name "Deals on Wheels". David receives a stark reminder of his past in the form of Carol and her large brood of children, who have just moved into Albert Square. She is very hostile towards him and is horrified when David begins to fall in love with her oldest daughter Bianca (Patsy Palmer). As such, his growing flirtatious affections towards Bianca often leaves Carol deeply concerned about their closeness. This results in Carol telling David that Bianca is his daughter in March 1994. David is horrified and agrees to keep his distance from Bianca, much to her chagrin.
The truth is revealed to an embarrassed Bianca in March 1995 when, after drunkenly trying to kiss David after he rescues her from being mugged, David is forced to confess that she is his daughter. Despite being initially hostile towards David over his absence during the majority of her life, Bianca has a change of heart and is keen to bond with her father. But the relationship is further complicated, when during July 1995, David confides in the Samaritans charity (unbeknownst to any of his family) that he still feels sexually attracted to Bianca despite the knowledge that he is her biological father. A case of GSA, this was one of EastEnders most controversial and daring storylines at this point in the show's history. There is further tension when Bianca makes David uncomfortable by dating his stepbrother Ricky. Though David's unexplained strange behaviour towards Bianca is never fully explained to an unaware and confused Bianca, they eventually form a close bond naturally as a father and daughter. David's estranged son Joe arrives in Walford in April 1996. With him comes the news that his daughter Karen died in a car accident nine months previously. Joe's return causes many problems for David, and at first David rejects the idea of having his son back in his life. However, after Joe runs away and arrives back at David's again, he becomes more receptive to Joe and the idea of having him in his life again. Eventually Joe and Lorraine move down to London from Bolton and Joe moves in with David. However, Joe seriously blames himself for Karen's death, and this leads to Joe developing schizophrenia. Joe exhibits increasingly strange behaviour that gets progressively worse. This is one of the main reasons that David eventually leaves Walford.
By then, David has proven to be a notorious womaniser. He first dated Ricky's ex-wife Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook) in an initial attempt to make Ricky jealous. Thereupon he clashed with Sam's two overprotective brothers, Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant (Ross Kemp), when they warned him to stay away from her. It was then Sam convinced her mother Peggy (Barbara Windsor) that she likes David, who appears to recuperate her feelings until they later break up. David continues to feud with the Mitchell Brothers when they accuse him of taking advantage of their best friend, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), at one point. In an earlier incident, Grant punches David for flirting with Grant's wife Sharon (Letitia Dean) in the pub. When Grant and Lorraine later begin to grow romantically close, David attempts to warn her off and Grant later trashes his flat in retaliation.
By 1996, David has started to bond with Ian following their father's death. However, it was at that point he got acquainted with Ian's wife Cindy (Michelle Collins) as well. Soon enough David and Cindy embarked on a passionate affair behind Ian's back for over a year. In September 1996, Ian eventually finds out the truth about Cindy's affair and David and confronts them about it; Cindy becomes obsessed with the idea of running off with David, and hires a hit man to kill Ian when he threatens to take custody of their children. Ian is shot but survives, and when David finds out he ends the relationship, but not before helping Cindy escape with her two sons. Shortly after, David has a fling with ex-partner, Carol. Eventually, the truth is revealed about David's affair with Cindy and his fore-knowledge of the attempted murder of Ian. The loss of friends and alienation of his family, together with Joe's worsening mental condition with schizophrenia, leads David to decide in leaving Albert Square for Milan. David leaves in a torrent of tears after telling Joe that he is going.
2012–2014 In 2010, Bianca receives £10,000 for her wedding from David, as he is unable to attend. In December 2011, Pat phones David after she learns that he has had an affair with his brother Simon's partner, Miriam. Pat argues with David on the phone about his infidelity, and ends the call on bad terms.