Bobby Beale

**Robert "Bobby" Beale** (previously **Hobbs**) is the son of Ian and Laura Beale, the adoptive son of Jane Beale, brother of Peter and Lucy, the adoptive brother of Steven and foster brother of Cindy. After being caught and doing time in prison for Lucy's murder, Bobby since has redeemed himself.

## Storylines

### 2003-2014: Early life

It is initially believed that Bobby was the son of Garry Hobbs because of Laura Beale's drunken fling with him and Ian has had a vasectomy as he didn't want more children. Ian throws Laura out because of this, but when Bobby needs a blood transfusion, Garry is the wrong blood group, so Bobby must be Ian's son.

Ian rejects Bobby and Laura, but Garry (who doesn't know the truth of Bobby's paternity) is happy being the father of Bobby. Later in the year after Laura's death (caused by one of Bobby's toys), Pat Evans finds Bobby's birth certificate, which states Ian is the father after all and Garry is heartbroken. Garry sadly hands Bobby to Ian.

Bobby takes part in the children's talent show, but he can’t sing. Ian invites Bobby's friend, Colin for tea and Jane, who believes it is Bobby, is impressed when she overhears. Dotty Cotton discovers that Bobby is cheating during the contest and unplugs the microphone and Bobby is humiliated.

After when Jane leaves in 2009, Bobby takes it badly and he starts to bully his cousin Tiffany Dean. When Tiffany confronts Bobby while fighting, he shouts at her, and she shout at him back and Ricky and Ian try to restrain their children away from each other. When Ian tries to calm Bobby down, but Bobby yells at him saying he wants his mother and not him and goes missing. Jane returns to help look for Bobby, who says he was looking for her.

In 2011, Shenice Quinn accidentally tells Bobby that Jane has died, but Ian later told him that she was wrong and that he will ring Jane to prove it. Mandy Salter, Ian's new girlfriend, moves in and Bobby starts to like her but he still goes to find his mum Jane. Jane decides to remain in Walford until she starts her new job in Wales.

When Mandy and Ian are about to marry in 2012, Mandy realises she is forcing herself to love Ian and leaves him. Ian later goes missing when he suffers a nervous breakdown, leaving Bobby in his half sister's Lucy’s care. Bobby terribly thinks Ian is dead, but Ian returns weeks later after being homeless, but Lucy rejects him out of hers and Bobby's life, which make Bobby more furious.

When Bobby returns in 2013 for Ian's birthday and Denise Fox gives Bobby some free candles, he also starts a relationship with Tiffany Butcher and they use walkie talkies in secret. When Bianca trashes Ian's restaurant, he agrees not to go to the police in exchange for their children not seeing each other, but the pair still meet each other in secret. On Bobby's birthday, he and Tiffany finally got caught, and Bianca confronts Tiffany that Bobby's not her type and Ian is obsessed of Bobby, that he's a bright lad, and doesn't want him seeing Tiffany again.

In 2014, Bobby takes part in the school spelling bee and he is delighted when Jane is there. Ian puts pressure on Bobby to do well for Jane, but Bobby gets stuck on a word and runs off stage. Jane isn't happy when she realises that Ian used Bobby so that she would stay, so Jane decides that she will take Bobby to Cardiff and live with her.

### 2014-2017: Lucy's murder

Bobby is distraught when his sister, Lucy dies, like the rest of his family. Whilst Ian is grieving, he becomes angry and sends Cindy back to Plymouth to her aunt Gina. Ian also tells Bobby that he and Jane are getting back together, which annoys Jane. Bobby understands that his dad is upset and tells him that he is here for him, but Ian snaps and tells Bobby that he will never be Lucy. After a conversation with Shabnam Masood, Bobby arrives at the door and Jane decides to take Bobby away from the Square. After Bobby packs his things, he says bye to Ian. Bobby returns for Lucy's funeral.

In November 2014, Bobby has gone missing from Birmingham and a frantic Jane arrives at Ian's and asks where Bobby is. Jane explains how Bobby said he was coming to see him and she put Bobby on a train that morning. Jane then tells Ian he hasn't been answering his phone, but Ian reveals he hadn't heard from Bobby in over a week.

DI Samantha Keeble visits the Beale's the following day as she was in the area and she tells Ian and Jane how Bobby set a false e-mail in Ian's name and it seems that he had a plan. She asks Ian and Jane if Bobby had any adult friends from his old place, such as youth workers or teachers and Cindy takes it that she means a paedophile. Meanwhile at Carol's, she gets a voicemail from Bianca and Carol tells Sonia to check her e-mail, which has a message from Tiffany about Bobby. Carol takes the laptop to show Ian and Jane.

Meanwhile, Masood is passing through Walford Common, when he spots Bobby sleeping in a suitcase. Back at home, the Beales and DI Keeble watch the video Bobby sent to Tiffany and Carol tells them how Tiffany told Bianca that she and Bobby had planned to run away to London together.

Jane gets a phone call from Masood and he tells her he found Bobby on the common and the police go to pick him up. Masood tells Bobby that people were worried and Bobby says he wanted to be close to Lucy. When Bobby arrives home, Ian and Jane are delighted.

Jane shows Ian a file of newspaper reports about Lucy's death, which Cindy found in Bobby's bag. Jane reveals how Bobby wanted to talk about it, but she wasn't ready for it and she believed Bobby was playing his *Harry Potter* game whilst in his bedroom. Ian and Jane later discuss it with Bobby and Bobby's reasons for doing it was because he felt no one was doing anything and it was something to do.

Bobby tells Ian and Jane that he hated it in Birmingham with no friends and he hated the school. Ian asks what he is saying and Bobby reveals he wants to come home with Jane. After a conversation with Phil Mitchell, Jane tells Bobby that they are moving back to London.

Bobby is going for a tour of Walford High School and Jane tells Bobby to borrow a tie of Peter's. When he returns, he tells Ian that it was alright and that it has an AstroTurf pitch, unlike his previous school and he tells Cindy how he saw a teacher of hers.

When Bobby returns from the café with Cindy, he asks his parents if it is true that Peter is a drug dealer. Cindy notices Jane and Bobby's bags packed and Bobby presumes they are going back to Birmingham. Bobby tells Jane he likes it in Walford and being an uncle to Beth. Jane explains to Cindy and Bobby that Peter isn't a drug dealer, but he was trying to protect Lucy from bad people and now Ian won't allow Peter to live with them.

On the night of Jane and Ian's remarriage, it is revealed in a flashback episode that Bobby had accidentally killed Lucy ten months before, after attacking her with a jewellery box out of frustration at her actions, Jane tells a heartbroken Ian, Peter, and Cindy that she killed Lucy, but Ian realises that she is lying and that Bobby is the culprit.

Jane admits that she had moved Lucy's body, and convinced Bobby that he had not caused Lucy's death. The Beale family (with the exception of a disgusted Peter) then agree to keep the circumstances of Lucy's death a secret from Bobby, the police, and the residents of Walford. Peter later makes peace with Bobby before emigrating to New Zealand.

Afterwards, Bobby continuously walks in between Ian and Jane's conversations about him killing Lucy, where they nervously shake it off and tell him they were discussing something else. When Bobby's half-uncle Ben Mitchell is arrested for Lucy's murder, Jane reveals to Ian that she kept the phone and purse that Ben stole from her. Bobby soon finds them and takes them to the police station, but is stopped by Ben's father Phil Mitchell who sees the objects and takes Bobby back home.

Phil demands of Jane where she got the objects, and as he threatens her, Bobby brandishes a golf club and threatens Phil. Ian rushes in and takes the club from Bobby. Ben is soon released when Lucy's former love interest Max Branning is arrested for the killing. Now convinced that Max killed Lucy, Bobby tries to smash his car with a brick, but is stopped by Cindy and taken home where she berates him as nothing more than a "stupid little boy", which makes Bobby angry and pushes her.

As Bobby loses his temper and pushes Cindy as Jane walks in, causing Cindy to graze her head and land where Lucy died. Cindy snaps at Ian when Bobby leaves the room and her words convince Jane to confess to Carol the truth of Lucy's death. Left alone, Cindy then tells Liam that Bobby had killed Lucy. Bobby is increasingly confused by Jane's behaviour but the revealing video message Cindy sends him is opened by Sharon Mitchell and deleted by Ian.

Bobby is furious when his paternal grandmother Kathy Beale returns to Walford and Ian and Jane decide to move her into Bobby's bedroom and move Bobby into Lucy's old bedroom. Jane catches Bobby trying to swap the rooms back in secret and a physical scuffle ensues, which results in Bobby deliberately pushing Jane down the stairs.

After she regains consciousness, Kathy arrives and Jane lies that she tripped and fell when helping Bobby move the last items from his bedroom. However, after hearing Kathy and Jane talking later, Bobby accidentally reveals to Kathy that he pushed Jane down the stairs, leaving Kathy shocked at his violent streak. Bobby starts a feud with Sharon's son, Dennis Rickman Jr., which escalates when Bobby cruelly kills Dennis's pet spider.

Sharon tells Kathy that Bobby is evil and needs help, and Kathy tells Sharon that Bobby pushed Jane down the stairs, so Sharon decides she will report Bobby to the police about Lucy's killing but agrees to wait until after Christmas. Dennis tells Bobby that he killed Lucy, having overheard it from Sharon and Phil. Ian and Jane soon realise that Bobby knows the truth, and Ian does a deal with Phil to stop Sharon going to the police. Bobby then tells Ian what he knows and Ian confirms it is true.

Jane then decides they should go to the police, as they are no longer protecting Bobby from the truth, but Ian comes up with another plan to help Bobby's anger issues and the family agree to send him to boarding school. He leaves late in January after Ian bribes the school to take him early.

In May 2016, Bobby returns home from school for the holidays, happy having won a hockey award. Ian decides against selling the family restaurant when he comes under pressure from the market traders which means they cannot afford to continue paying Bobby's school fees. Bobby overhears Jane talking about this and lashes out, smashing her car wing mirror with his hockey stick.

The next day, the 20th May, Jane catches Bobby packing a bag and he says he is returning to school, and when Jane picks up the phone to call Ian and tell him this, Bobby attacks her; hitting her around the head with his hockey stick. He hits her twice more, striking her legs then leaves her unconscious in their home, going into the Queen Vic and confessing in front of everyone there that he has killed Jane and he killed Lucy too. Ian attempts to get Bobby away from the scene but Mick Carter stops him, and instead Ian, Sharon, and Kathy go to the house and find Jane critically injured. Ian accompanies Jane in the ambulance but denies Bobby access. He is later arrested by PC Julian Walsh after confessing to attacking Jane. Bobby then also confesses to DS Howard South that he killed Lucy and reveals to Samantha Keeble that he has the murder weapon in his school locker. He is released pending charge for Lucy's murder.

Ian and Steven are told by doctors that Jane nearly died as a result of her injuries and that she will never walk again. Bobby is sharply rebuked by Ian for this attack but he seems genuinely upset about Jane and says that by confessing, he is seeking help.

Bobby is charged with unlawful killing and denied bail by the Youth Court judge. He is kept in a youth detention centre until a preliminary hearing in Crown Court the following week. In court, Bobby pleads guilty to causing grievous bodily harm upon Jane with intent and unlawfully killing Lucy. He is given a custodial sentence of three years for killing Lucy and one year for the attack on Jane, with both sentences to run concurrently.

After being sentenced to prison until June 2019, Bobby feels confident he can be released when Ritchie informs him of potential to appeal, but following Jane's wishes, Ian convinces Bobby to avoid doing so, saying that he needs to accept what he did and carry out his punishment like he deserves. When Jane has begun to recover from her injuries, she wishes to visit Bobby, but Ian tells her that Bobby does not want to see either of them.

Months later, Ian visits Bobby off-screen to inform him of Steven's death and Jane being injured in a fire. When Ian returns from the visit, he informs Kathy that he is disappointed that Bobby did not seem to respond to the news the way he expected and he walked out the visiting room without saying a word. The following month, Max threatens Jane into leaving Walford. However, Kathy's rapist James Willmott-Brown forces Max to ensure that Jane leaves without Ian. Therefore, Max shows Jane a video of Bobby being harassed by someone he does not recognise in his cell, and threatens to harm Bobby if Jane does not leave Walford alone.

### 2019 to present: Return and redemption

Sixteen months later, Ian receives a letter saying that Bobby will be released in a matter of months, but he believes that Bobby will be better off with Jane. However, Kathy encourages Ian to tell Peter that Bobby is coming home and to be a father to Bobby and bring him back to Walford. Bobby is later released from prison in June and is greeted by Kathy at home. However upon returning to Walford, he is not given a warm welcome back by the residents, especially Max, who never forgave him for watching him being wrongly sent to prison for Bobby's crime of killing Lucy, which led to ruining his relationship with his daughters, ultimately causing Abi's death and Lauren's departure.

Bobby meets up with Imran Qureshi, a friend that he met in the Young Offenders Unit. It is revealed that Bobby is converting to Islam to help find peace in his past. Imran gifts him a Quran. It’s revealed that Bobby is attempting to convert to Islam. Ian has a hard time accepting this at first, but eventually comes round to the idea.

Bobby begins to hallucinate Lucy around the Square and the house, and almost resorts to committing arson on 45 Albert Square, but Max stops him. After a conversation with Rainie Branning, Bobby takes drugs, and wanders onto the train tracks; he is saved by Callum Highway. Bobby begins making friends with Habiba and Iqra Ahmed, who encourage him to embrace Islam, and invite him to celebrate Eid with them.

Bobby officially converts to Islam in February 2020, but is enraged when Ian attempts to turn it into an event to promote himself as councillor. Ian chucks Bobby out of the house, and he goes to live with Habiba and Iqra. Bex Fowler later moves in as well.

After Bobby attacks Dennis Rickman, Dennis starts posting Islamophobic abuse online about Bobby, which is spotted by Bex. Bobby is attacked on the way to mosque with Habiba and Iqra, and is strangled. He ends up going to hospital with a bleed on his brain, needing emergency surgery. Peter returns yet also not happy about what Bobby did to their sister and Jane.

In 2021, Bobby found a girl on Foxcatcher, Dana Monroe, who later became his girlfriend. He originally lied about his identity to her, stating he owned Walford East and was named Rob. However, he later comes clean and tells Dana the truth and his best friends are Iqra Ahmed and Imran Qureshi. In July 2021, at Bobby’s eighteenth birthday, Dana’s dad, Harvey Monroe, arrives after Dana invited him, however he doesn’t know the truth and still beloved that Bobby does charity walks. Tom Cotton, Kathy and Bobby later help Dana and Harvey move in to 5D Albert Square. later that month, Where Rocky accidentally reveals to Harvey that Bobby is a Muslim and killed Lucy, after which he storms into the Beale’s house and takes Dana home, however the two continue their relationship despite Harvey’s anger. Harvey Eventually comes round to Bobby and Dana being together, and in September Bobby makes a promise to Harvey to reassure him he will protect her, unfortunately later that day, Dana is attacked by a gang after her, Bobby, Kioni Marwa and Iqra are victims of racist comments, Iqra and Kioni had already walked away before Dana tripped, leaving her and Bobby with the gang. Bobby freezes on the spot and watches on until Harvey shows up and saves her. She survives with a injured arm and bleeding lip, however Harvey is fuming and attempts to make Dana break up with Bobby, which she doesn’t. After this, she decides to defer from going to university in Glasgow, and Harvey is unable to get through to her so asks Bobby to talk to her. After Harvey asks Bobby to make Dana reconsider her place at university after she decided to stay in Walford instead, she dumps him on her doorstep as she is tired of men trying to control her life and throws the charm Bobby got her back at him. Later, After leaving work and telling Bobby the oven is off for cleaning, she realises how harsh her actions were after she notices bobby’s OCD is back as he is turning the oven on and off again. After a heart to heart, Bobby and Dana rekindle their relationship. After Dana’s Brother, Aaron, arrives, Bobby and Dana are constantly criticised by him, however, they brush it off and Dana briefly stays at 45 to get a break from him. She moved back into 5D before Christmas. When Neil Hughes plants a bomb in the Argee Bhajee and forced Aaron to detonate it, he backs out because he cannot bring himself to detonate it while his little sister is in The Albert, which The Argee Bhajee backs onto, as it would result in her being in danger. After this, Bobby sees Aaron and Neil talking after Neil calls him a race traitor. After telling Dana, she refuses to believe it and after some manipulation by Aaron, she returns the Hijab Bobby got her for Christmas and calls the relationship off.

In January 2022, Bobby tells Iqra that despite her being scared, she’ll be fine in Bristol for her new job and that Mila and Kioni will join her once the custody hearing has happened. Iqra listens to him and leaves. Later that month, Dana fears she might be pregnant, and Bobby proposes to her after this. She declines and reveals she wasn’t pregnant. The two are distant for months until Tom Cotton’s birthday party, where Ben Mitchell reveals that he saw Dana and Peter having sex in the kitchen at Walford East. Bobby is heartbroken, and Bobby and Dana have a few arguments over time, with Dana saying she didn’t cheat and their not together, but Bobby still wanted her to apologise as she knew it would hurt him. When Dana is preparing to leave, she and Bobby meet in the Vic, and after Tom tried to pair the two up, both of them reveal they want to stay friends.

On 29 August 2022, Dana begins preparing to leave as her last week in Walford begins. Dana and Harvey talk with Bobby in the cafe, and Dana says she got her first choice accommodation confirmed for Glasgow, and Harvey says it has en-suite bathrooms. Dana reveals to Bobby she’s moving up at the end of the week to settle in, which upsets Bobby. Harvey says they can’t wait, but he is upset by it too. Bobby later speaks to Dana after she has a talk with Harvey that doesn’t go well. Bobby asks if she’s ok, and Dana says it’s Harvey she’s worried about. Tom Cotton later pulls him aside and asks what’s wrong. Tom later convinces Bobby to host a party for Dana before she leaves. The next day, Bobby talks to Harvey, saying Dana is still worried about her. Bobby then tells Harvey about having a party, but Harvey picks up a phone call. Harvey finishes his call and says he’d like to have the party. Bobby and Tom later convince Sam Mitchell to let them host the party at her club, Peggy's. Bobby, Harvey and Mitch later talk about who to invite. Bobby mentions he’s invited some of her old friends from sixth form and suggests Jean, but Harvey says it might be too soon. The following day, Bobby collects food from Mick for the party. Dana then finds Bobby in the Vic, and tells Bobby about Harvey. Mick and Bobby assure her Harvey will be ok, but Dana says when her mum left he wouldn’t leave the house for days. Bobby reminds her that Harvey has Mitch, Tom and himself and that he’ll be fine. Dana is infuriated by both of them, and storms out. Later, Harvey is able to trick Dana into going to the party at Peggy’s, during which, Dana and Bobby talk, with Dana thanking him for the party. She reveals that meeting Bobby made her life so much better, saying if she never met him she’d never be able to move away as it feels so grown up. Bobby tells her not to forget them, with Dana saying she never could. Dana tells him never to hide who he is again, as when he finds the right girl, he’ll be amazing before kissing him on the cheek.

On 6 September 2022, Bobby is helping Kathy at the cafe and cleaning the windows when Freddie Slater steals a bap from Stacey’s van and Bobby chases him. Bobby isn’t able to catch him, and when Honey says he only had a bap, Bobby jokes about calling the police, with Whitney joining in. Billy says that if he was Bobby’s age, he would’ve caught him, with Bobby, Whitney and Finlay Baker laughing at him. Bobby later finds Freddie at the tube station, where he is being confronted for jumping the barriers. Bobby covers for Freddie, paying for the ticket he was meant to have. Freddie asks about Billy, and Bobby reveals his name to Freddie before leaving.

On 12 September 2022, Bobby is in charge of booking a car for Phil and Kat’s wedding. Him, Harvey and Tom work together on it, and are horrified when the car shows up nothing like they were expecting. Jean tells Tom and Harvey to fix it and they were the ones who got Bobby to book the first car available. Freddie Slater then steals the car so he can go and buy Janet Mitchell a hat for the wedding, with Bobby in the back seat. Freddie later returns with Bobby and Janet’s hat, with Bobby being disoriented, saying he smells like baby oil and bad life choices.

Later in September, Bobby and his new housemate, Dotty Cotton struggle to live together, but the two make up when cooking dinner for Kathy and Tom, a recipe from Suki. On 20 September 2022, Bobby Dotty struggle to get on, so Tom Cotton suggest they play a game. Bobby gets a game from his bedroom and Bobby, Dotty, Tom and Kathy play it to get to know each other more. Bobby later gives Freddie a trial shift at the chippy.

On his first day at the chippy, Freddie asks Bobby if he’ll have to gut the fish, and Bobby tells him he won’t have to, but he should know that after all his experience in chippy’s. Freddie then suggests a battered banana, But Bobby dismissed the idea. Freddie ignores Bobby and puts the banana he has in batter and outs it in the frier, serving it to the next customers that come in. Bobby apologises, but the two agree to try it. The banana is a success, and the two launch a deep fry day where they deep fry anything the customers bring. Honey brings in Will and Janet for it, and Janet wants a pick and mix, and Will wants a tuna melt. Bobby then makes Freddie permanent. Later in the Vic, Freddie tells Honey and Billy about his day, saying Bobby is great. On 28 September 2022, Bobby gives Freddie his work rota in the cafe.

When Freddie comes into the cafe drunk looking for Billy, Bobby helps calm him down and take him out. Bobby takes Freddie home and tells Stacey he’s in the shower, but also tells her that Bert and Ernie Moon are having a paint fight. Stacey thanks Bobby for looking after Freddie, and he says he needs a friend right now and puts the kettle on for him.  Bobby brings Freddie his drink and Freddie apologies for missing his shift. Bobby says it’s fine and recalls his experience of having his mum saying another man was his dad, saying after his mum dad his adopted mum looked after him and that maybe his mum has a good reason and that Billy is a good man and Freddie should hear him out. Freddie says Bobby is wise and says he might have to start calling him Gandalf. Billy then arrives to talk to Freddie with Kat.