List of East Enders Characters (2008) - Melinda

Melinda, played by Siobhan Hayes, is the fiancée of Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen). She appears between 1 April and 4 April 2008. Melinda comes to Walford with Ricky for funeral of his father, Frank Butcher (Mike Reid). Throughout the day, she spends most of the time on the telephone to her father asking him for £25,000 as a property deposit, which he later fails to provide for her. She makes several attempts to introduce herself to Pat Evans (Pam St. Clement) and is dismissive when Ricky mentions his ex-wife Bianca Jackson's (Patsy Palmer) absence from the funeral. At Frank's wake, it becomes clear that Melinda is only interested in what Frank has left to Ricky in his will. There is no financial gain, so Melinda quickly leaves in a bad mood. Later, Ricky announces that he and Melinda have split up, and Bianca tells Pat that Melinda was responsible for Ricky's lack of contact with their son Liam Butcher (James Forde).

Speaking of the announcement of Melinda's arrival, an EastEnders source told Digital Spy: "Ricky returns to the Square for his dad Frank's funeral and turns up with Melinda—but is it true love or just a fling between them?" An insider told The Sun that Melinda is "a classy bird, not at all like Ricky's mouthy old flame Bianca. But she's also really spoilt, a daddy's girl. Frank's funeral is the first time Ricky's family has met her and things don't go well."