Boris Johnson

**Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson** (born 19th June 1964 in New York City, USA) is a British politician and writer who made a cameo appearance in *EastEnders*, playing himself on 1st October 2009.

Boris served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018 and as Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Uxbridge and South Ruislip from 2015 to 2023, having previously been MP for Henley from 2001 to 2008.

On 1st October 2009, Boris ambled into Albert Square as part of a storyline that saw Peggy Mitchell decide to stand as a local election candidate. The scene for his arrival was set with an irate Peggy saying she’d “give him a piece of her mind” if she ever clapped eyes on him.

Lo and behold, a “bicycle puncture” soon sees Boris appear at the Queen Victoria – or, as he called it, the Old Vic – briefly propping up the bar to deliver all but four brief lines, starting with: “Oh please, call me Boris”. As Peggy says she nearly became involved in politics herself, Boris replies: “If you have any ideas for how I could help Walford, here’s my card”. “I wouldn’t dream of telling the mayor of London what to do,” Peggy laughs, before promptly taking the card from him.

## Notes

* Boris Johnson was the Mayor of London at the time of his cameo appearance on *EastEnders*. Boris commented on his appearance: "It was, of course, a tremendous honour to step inside that most venerable of London landmarks, The Queen Vic, and share a scene with another of the capital's icons, the fabulous Barbara Windsor." As the first time a serving politician had appeared on a UK soap, his appearance drew some controversy. It came just days before the Tory Party conference, where the Conservatives set out their austerity agenda ahead of an election that saw them regain power after 13 years in opposition to Labour.
* His cameo in the show would later resurface after Boris became Prime Minister in July 2019.
* Boris was among several people to pay tribute to Barbara Windsor after her death in December 2020, saying "So sad about Barbara Windsor, so much more than a great pub landlady & Carry On star. She campaigned for the lonely and the vulnerable - and cheered the world up with her own British brand of harmless sauciness & innocent scandal. Thoughts with Scott and all her family & friends."
* Boris announced the first national lockdown in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning *EastEnders* would not be able to continue filming any time soon.
	+ In real life, Boris' response to the COVID-19 pandemic was heavily criticised. In the Partygate scandal it was found that multiple parties had been held at 10 Downing Street during national COVID-19 lockdowns, and COVID-19 social distancing laws were breached by 83 individuals, including Boris, who in April 2022 was issued with a fixed penalty notice. This ultimately played a role in Boris' resignation as prime minister in July 2022, as well as his resignation as an MP in June 2023 after was unanimously found that he had lied to the House of Commons on numerous occasions.