Aunt Sal was a recurring fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Anna Karen Introduced in 1996, she has appeared sporadically from 21 March 1996 until 29 December 1997, then from 28 September 2001 until 17 September 2004, 19 July 2007 until 4 April 2011 and 22 November 2013 to 20 January 2017. She appears for just a few episodes at a time and has been collectively featured in 57 episodes of the show. She has, on occasion, been credited as Sal Martin, which is her and Peggy's maiden name; Sal's married name is not known to viewers.