The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2001, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke. The first character to be introduced was Jill Marsden, a detective chief inspector who investigates the shooting of local hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). April saw the introductions of: Ritchie Stringer (Gareth Hunt), an associate of Phil, Paul Trueman (Gary Beadle), the son of Audrey Trueman (Corinne Skinner-Carter) and brother of Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey), and Donna Andrews (Alison Senior; Paula Jennings), the mistress of Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns). Harry Slater (Michael Elphick), the brother of Charlie Slater (Derek Martin), and Gary Bolton (Bruce Byron), the father of Robbie Jackson (Dean Gaffney), made their debuts in May, whereas Margaret Walker (Susan George), a love interest for Terry Raymond (Gavin Richards), and Angel Hudson (Goldie), a gangster, made their first appearances in June.

Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker), the former husband of Audrey and replacement parental figure for Paul and Anthony, was introduced in September. Belinda Peacock (Leanne Lakey), Charlie's daughter, and Viv Slater, Charlie's deceased wife, appear for guest stints in October. October also saw the arrival of Janine Butcher's (Charlie Brooks) pet dog, Terence. November saw the only baby being introduced, Louise Mitchell (Rachel Cox), the daughter of Phil and Lisa Fowler (Lucy Benjamin). Also, November saw the first appearances of: Nathan Williams (Doug Allen), the illegitimate son of Roy Evans (Tony Caunter), Nita Mistry (Bindya Solanki), a love interest for Robbie, Jane Williams (Ann Mitchell), Nathan's mother, and Derek Harkinson, the childhood friend of Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard). Roxy Drake (Tracy Brabin), a pimp who grooms Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), Kelly Taylor (Brooke Kinsella), a prostitute groomed by Roxy, and Tom Stuart (Shaun Dooley), a vicar, were introduced in December.

Sue Miller

Sue Miller, played by Sadie Shimmin in 2001 and Victoria Willing in 2002, is the adoptive mother of Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy) and Martin Fowler's (James Alexandrou) daughter. Sonia gave birth to baby Chloe in 2000, but decided to give her daughter up for adoption. Chloe was placed with Sue and her husband Neil (Robin Sneller), a childless couple. Martin's mother, Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard), Sonia and Martin are seen visiting Chloe occasionally at the Millers' house Sue and Neil changed Chloe's name to Rebecca.

In 2002, Sonia kidnaps Rebecca while Neil and Sue are out. Sonia tells their babysitter that she is a family friend, and snatches Rebecca, taking her to Walford. Neil and Sue work this out and trace her. While Sonia barricades herself inside her house, the Millers give Dot Branning (June Brown) fifteen minutes to persuade Sonia to hand Rebecca over before they phone the police. Just before the Millers are about to call the police, Dot successfully persuades Sonia to hand Rebecca over.

Sonia reads in a newspaper in 2005 that Sue and Neil have died in a car accident. This leads to her gaining contact with Rebecca again.

Neil Miller

Neil Miller, played by an uncredited actor in 2001 and Robin Sneller in 2002, is the adoptive father of Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy) and Martin Fowler's (James Alexandrou) daughter. Sonia gave birth to baby Chloe in 2000, but decided to give her daughter up for adoption. Chloe was placed with Neil and his wife Sue (Sadie Shimmin), a childless couple. Neil and Sue changed Chloe's name to Rebecca.

Neil is first seen in January 2001, when Martin and his mother Pauline (Wendy Richard) visit Rebecca. In 2002, Sonia kidnaps Rebecca while Neil and Sue (now Victoria Willing) are out. Sonia tells their babysitter that she is a family friend, and snatches Rebecca, taking her to Walford. Neil and Sue work this out and trace her. While Sonia barricades herself inside her house, the Millers give Dot Branning (June Brown) fifteen minutes to persuade Sonia to hand Rebecca over before they phone the police. Just before the Millers are about to call the police, Dot successfully persuades Sonia to hand Rebecca over.

Sonia reads in a newspaper in 2005 that Neil and Sue have died in a car accident. This leads to her gaining contact with Rebecca again.

Jill Marsden

Detective Chief Inspector Jill Marsden is played by Sophie Stanton. She makes her first appearance on 5 March 2001, when she investigates who shot Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) which is part of the whodunit storyline, Who Shot Phil?. She returns in 2002 and 2003, and returns again in 2009 for another whodunit storyline, Who Killed Archie? and returns again on 5 January 2012 for her third whodunnit storyline, 'Who's Stalking Phil?'.

When brought back in 2009, Marsden feelings are further explored in a segment of the BBC EastEnders homepage entitled 'Marsden's Video Diaries', documenting the character's thoughts on the storyline she is involved in. Marsden's relationship with Phil has been explored since her first appearance, the BBC describing their relationship as "romance in negative" and "Her ultimate dream is that some day she'll get [Phil]… behind bars."

DS Thomas Burton

DS Thomas Burton, played by Cyril Nri, is a policeman who assisted his fellow chief detective Jill Marsden (Sophie Stanton) with investigating the shooting of Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) (see Who Shot Phil?) — the criminal hardman of Albert Square, a local community of the borough Walford in East London. The events of Phil's shooting occurs on 1 March 2001 after he antagonized several of his neighbours and fellow residents by the time his archenemy, Steve Owen (Martin Kemp), marries his wife Mel Healy (Tamzin Outhwaite) — who had a one-night stand with Phil on Christmas Day 2000. At the point where DS Burton joins Marsden in questioning Steve and Mel over Phil's shooting, he encounters Phil's cousin Billy (Perry Fenwick) and grows curious with his belief over the identity of two other suspected assailants; Phil's stepson Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and love rival Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) over different reasons.

Nonetheless, Steve is implicated as the prime suspect. However, it is soon revealed the following month after Phil's shooting that the assailant is fact his ex-girlfriend Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin). After gradually forgiving Lisa for the incident, Phil decides to frame his fellow nemesis Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass) for the crime, after Dan tries to extort money from Phil and his godson Jamie (Jack Ryder). His plan to do so is halted when Burton visits Phil at his home to try and get information on who shot him, but Phil stalls him by claiming to have no idea about the identity his shooter. Once Burton leaves, Phil contacts Dan's old crime boss Ritchie Stringer (Gareth Hunt) and they hatch a plot to incriminate Dan. Later on that night, Phil phones DS Burton, telling him that Dan was the shooter and he is planning to finish him off for good. Dan corners and threatens to shoot Phil and extort money from him and Jamie again but Burton and an armed police unit rush over to the scene to take charge of the situation. Their presence alerts Dan who is armed, and he is consequently arrested. Burton and Marsden later charge Dan for Phil's shooting. Burton reappears at New Year 2002 when Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth) confesses to striking her abusive husband Trevor (Alex Ferns) over the head with a clothes iron during an argument and he and Marsden charge her with attempted murder

Ritchie Stringer

Ritchie Stringer, played by Gareth Hunt, is a mob boss who knows Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). He first appears in April 2001 when Phil contacts him to request a favor; conspiring with Phil against their mutual acquaintance, Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass). It transpires that Dan had worked for Ritchie in the past, and so he does not suspect anything untoward when Ritchie provides him with a gun to do a raid on Phil. However, it is all part of Phil's plan, and Dan is caught by the police in the middle of the armed robbery. It soon becomes clear that the gun Ritchie had given Dan is the same gun that was used to shoot Phil, even though Dan never shot Phil and the gun itself had belonged to their common nemesis Steve Owen (Martin Kemp); earlier on, it was revealed that the shooter was in fact Phil's ex-girlfriend Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin). Nonetheless, Dan is consequently blamed for the shooting when Phil confirmed this to the police without exposing Ritchie's involvement behind the crime.

Ritchie Stringer was 10/3 at Ladbrokes bookmakers as the culprit in the "Who Shot Phil?" storyline, despite not being one of the named suspects."Gareth will have you hooked?", BBC. Retrieved 14 March 2007. When the BBC announced that actor Gareth Hunt was appearing in EastEnders, there was a massive betting flurry on Ritchie being the culprit. Bookmakers William Hill even "closed the book". William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe commented that there were "dozens of calls" within half an hour of a 16/1 price being quoted and the bookmakers had nearly been "knocked over in the rush of punters wanting to place bets of hundreds of pounds on the actor"."Betting flurry on EastEnders killing", BBC. Retrieved 14 March 2007. William Hill decided to reopen the book later in the week after "information from unofficial BBC sources had convinced them that [Gareth Hunt's] character [was] not the killer.""Hunt 'ruled out' of EastEnders shooting", BBC. Retrieved 14 March 2007.

Paul Trueman

Paul Trueman, played by Gary Beadle, appears between 2001 and 2004. Paul is introduced as part of the already established Trueman family. He is portrayed as a bad boy. Beadle left the role in 2004, following a suspension, reportedly for failing to learn his lines. In his exit storyline, Paul becomes a drug dealer, and Beadle has been critical of the storyline, suggesting it played into black, racial stereotyping. It is implied that Paul is killed upon his exit, though his death is not screened.

Donna Andrews

Donna Andrews, played by Allison Senior (2001) and Paula Jennings (2002), is the mistress of Trevor Morgan (Alex Ferns), who first appears on 24 April 2001.

Donna first appears when Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) spots her and Trevor entering Donna's house. A few days later, after much agonising over whether to tell Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth), Trevor's wife, Billy takes Little Mo to see for herself. On 28 August, Little Mo's sisters, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) and Lynne Hobbs (Elaine Lordan), reveal that Donna is pregnant with Trevor's baby. Little Mo visits Donna several days later, and is urged by her not to let Trevor hurt her any more.

The following summer, Donna appears at Little Mo's trial for assaulting Trevor with an iron and gives evidence against Trevor. This proves fruitless as Little Mo is found guilty and given a prison sentence, although her conviction for attempted murder is quashed on appeal and she is released from prison within weeks of the verdict.

Donna next appears in October, when Trevor forces his way into her home in Swindon, attacks her and kidnaps their son, Sean. On his return to Walford, Trevor also captures Little Mo and attempts to kill them all in a house fire, only for Little Mo and Sean to be rescued, but Trevor and local fireman Tom Banks (Colm Ó Maonlaí) die in the resulting explosion, leaving Donna feeling Little Mo should be grieving for Tom, rather than Trevor. Donna makes her last appearance on 8 November, a week after Trevor's death.

Harry Slater