List of East Enders Characters (2006) - SJ Fletcher

Sarah-Jane "SJ" Fletcher was played by Natasha Beaumont. SJ moved to England from Australia (a few years before her arrival in Walford) to work in a gentleman's club, but needed somewhere to live because her landlord was selling up. She made her first appearance on 16 June 2006 when her car's tyre deflated in Albert Square. The mechanic, Minty Peterson, helped her out by changing her tyre, and she took him to lunch to say thank you, but 'forgot' her purse.

Soon after, Minty and his flat mate Garry were shocked to see SJ in Scarlet nightclub working as a stripper. They let SJ stay at their flat, although Garry was apprehensive about SJ and didn't want her to stay permanently. Minty was extremely keen on SJ. He enjoyed her company and didn't seem to mind that she rarely paid her way. Garry began to feel pushed aside by his best mate and a certain level of animosity arose whenever SJ was around. Minty was initially oblivious to this and invited SJ on a 2006 FIFA World Cup holiday in Germany that he had planned with Garry. SJ was extremely excited, however but decided not to go on the trip when Garry and Minty started to argue over her. After further arguing, SJ was eventually asked to leave Garry and Minty's flat, she departed for a while but upon her return, she began renting a flat of her own in Walford.

Garry became infuriated with SJ manipulating Minty out of his money, feeling she was little more than a user. Minty would pay SJ's rent, continuously buy her gifts and drinks, give her money and take her out to dinner. Garry also suspected SJ was sleeping with her visitor Sid Clarke, a fellow Australian. SJ denied the allegation and claimed that Sid was her brother, even producing photographic evidence of her and Sid together as kids to prove she wasn't lying. Minty believed her explanation, however it later became clear that SJ was deceiving him and Sid was actually her boyfriend.

Sid and SJ constructed a plan to keep Minty keen on SJ so they could continue to pilfer his money. SJ would flirt and lead Minty on, but the relationship never went further. Nevertheless Minty was quick to believe that there was a possibility he and SJ could eventually be together, so he was more than willing to ply her with money, even if it meant his own life suffered as a result. However, on 2 October 2006, Minty got fed up of SJ using him to buy her drinks in The Queen Vic and shouted at her in the Square. Realising that she was about to lose her 'meal ticket' SJ changed tack. She and Minty reconciled, and started a relationship. The relationship was a sham, as SJ was still seeing Sid, but Minty was over the moon. He became infatuated with SJ, ruining his friendship with Garry and losing his job at the arches in the process, and what little money he did have was quickly squandered by SJ.

After months of using Minty, SJ began to feel guilty. She made it clear to Sid that she cared for Minty and didn't want to keep hurting him, but Sid could only think of the money that he would lose if the scam stopped. SJ tried to convince Sid to go home to Australia with her, so they could have a baby. Sid explained that he couldn't fulfil her needs and SJ ordered him to get out, but quickly changed her mind and ended up in bed with him at the same time she was due to meet Minty for a romantic meal. Meanwhile Garry had discovered that SJ and Sid were an item and while Minty was waiting for SJ to arrive for their meal, he went to his flat to declare that he had seen SJ and Sid kissing. Minty refused to believe him, and in order to prove that he was lying he went to SJ's, entered her flat and was shocked to see her having sex with Sid. The next morning, SJ and Sid had disappeared.