List of East Enders Characters (2009) - Todd Taylor

Todd Taylor, played by Ashley Kumar, is introduced as a love interest for Whitney Dean. The pair meet at the laundrette on 10 February 2009 when they are doing their laundry. They are later reacquainted when coincidentally Todd is working for Ricky Butcher as a car valet and Whitney accidentally picks up and washed a pair of Todd's boxer-briefs.

Todd is shy but asks her out on a date. Whitney initially is not interested, but later changes her mind. Their first date starts well, but when Todd tells Whitney about his past relationship with another girl, he puts pressure on her, wanting to know about her past relationship too. Whitney runs away when she feels haunted over her sexual abusive relationship with paedophile Tony King. Todd later bumps into Whitney and asks her what was bothering her, but she storms off, although he finds her later again and immediately contact Ricky, where he discovers her drunk in a dark alleyway. The next day Todd visits the Whitney's home to check on her and drops off some chocolates for her. This makes a good impression on Ricky as he states that Todd is a mature person that cares for Whitney, unlike Tony who took advantage of her.

Todd appears two months later after his new boss Darren Miller buys the car lot back from Ricky's manipulative sister Janine Butcher. He meets Whitney again when he comes to play on his Xbox 360. However things do not end as expected when Tiffany Dean, Whitney's adoptive half-sister's pet caterpillar crawls into his clothes and he takes off his shirt in a panic. When Ricky walks into the room, he thinks that Todd is stripping for Whitney and kicks him out. Later on, Todd helped Whitney down from the swing in the playground and she stumbles onto him, which leads her to think he was about to kiss her. Todd later turns up at her home where Ricky apologises for the misunderstanding, along with Whitney making up with him. They go to play on the Xbox again but Todd accidentally stands on the caterpillar, much to Tiffany's dismay. Whitney and Todd decide to just be friends, but Whitney discovers a condom in his wallet, which he left behind by mistake, discovering that he is still thinking of being more than just friends. After trying to apologise to Whitney and telling her his mother made him carry a condom, he is threatened into leaving by Whitney's older brother Ryan Malloy.

He returns in December 2009 when he bumps into Ricky in The Queen Victoria, who thinks Todd may help Whitney take her mind off Tony's abuse trial. Todd goes to see Whitney to give her a Christmas card, saying he hopes they are still friends, and she lets him in. He cooks mince pies and says he wants to be a mechanic like Ricky. Whitney realises that Ricky has put him up to spending time with her but they later play darts together in the pub. However, the next time he invites her out, she turns him down and he embarrasses himself and leaves. Whitney starts ignoring Todd's calls, and she is upset when Ricky invites him to his and Bianca's engagement party on New Year's Eve. When he turns up, Whitney apologises and they kiss after midnight.

Todd and Whitney find Darren asleep on a park bench and help him, as he is freezing cold. Todd reveals he is a first aider. Lucy Beale invites Todd to a house party and he invites Whitney. At the party, Lucy comes onto Todd so Whitney takes him off to a bedroom. He tells her about a girl whose life he once saved when she was choking. They plan to have sex but then change their minds and decide to wait. At a meal with Whitney, Janine and Ryan, Ryan sarcastically makes fun of Todd's anecdotes. When Whitney's step-uncle Billie Jackson arrives for Bianca and Ricky's wedding in February 2010, Whitney shows a clear interest in him and once again starts shunning Todd, much to his jealousy. As her feelings for Billie start to deepen, she breaks up with Todd, despite his pleading with her to give him another chance, telling her that he loves her and that he will get a motorbike like Billie if that will impress her, but she remains cold with him, and he leaves the Square in tears.