Lisa Fowler (also Shaw) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lucy Benjamin. The character was introduced as a "home-wrecking blonde" by executive producer Matthew Robinson on 7 December 1998. The character made her initial departure on 3 October 2002, when she was written out by producer Louise Berridge. Berridge later reintroduced the character on two occasions in 2003. Despite several reports stating she would return, Benjamin did not reprise the role until 2010 when Bryan Kirkwood brought the character back for a single episode on 5 August 2010. The actress reprised the role again in 2017 for a brief stint, returning on 21 July 2017 and departing on 3 August 2017. On 27 May 2019, it was announced that Benjamin would once again be reprising the role for a "specific storyline" and Lisa returned on 2 September 2019. She departed once again on 24 January 2020. Lisa is characterised as "a loyal, romantic Earth Mother" who is "feisty, independent and ambitious". Initially, show scriptwriters and BBC controller of drama, Mal Young, doubted Benjamin's casting in the role. However, after a volatile relationship with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), Lisa became an "eternal victim". The characters became instrumental in one of EastEnders most highly publicised and anticipated storylines, dubbed Who Shot Phil? in 2001, where an unknown assailant guns down Phil. An estimated 22 million viewers watched Lisa confess to Phil's attempted murder, causing the third-largest power surge on record. Other storylines included; Lisa's pregnancy with Phil's child although opted not to tell him and claimed that her partner, Mark Fowler (Todd Carty), is the father, giving birth to Louise Mitchell (Rachel Cox/Brittany Papple/Tilly Keeper) and in the show's Christmas 2001 episodes, Louise's parentage is revealed. During her most recent stint, storylines have centred around her daughter Louise's pregnancy, falling out with and coping with best friend Mel Owen's (Tamzin Outhwaite) death, a feud with Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) and making amends with Phil.