EastEnders are bringing a brand new family to Walford with stars from Holby City, Beyond Paradise and Doctors joining the soap - and their arrival will bring things crashing down for the Mitchells11:04, 31 Jul 2026Updated 11:34, 31 Jul 2026A new family is about to crash into Albert Square - and its bringing in stars from Holby City and Beyond Paradise. EastEnders fans, meet the Hawkins family.‌Holby City's Patricia Potter is joining the soap as Gemma Hawkins, the estranged sister of Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington). Fans have already heard Nicola talking about the ever-fracturing relationship with her sister. But following an impulsive phone call from her sister, Gemma is heading to Walford, with old wounds in tow.‌Speaking about joining the show, Patricia said: “I am so delighted to be joining this iconic show as part of a new family. What a joy and a privilege to be working with such talented actors and wonderful people. I couldn’t be more excited and grateful!”.‌One of the reasons Nicola and Gemma's relationship was so strained is because her parents always seemed to prefer Gemma. As such, many have been hoping to see their mother turn up too - and they're in luck. Marian McLoughlin, who was previously nominated for Villain of the Year at the British soap awards, will play Rose Hawkins.Marian's nomination came after she played Marina Bonnaire in Doctors. Marina was a health inspector that started dating one of the doctors, only to turn violent when they were alone. Her EastEnders character, Rose, was never violent, but when her husband was, she blamed her daughter Nicola, causing the family to split apart.‌“I feel so lucky to be joining such a brilliant cast and I can’t wait for the viewers to meet the Hawkins family," Marian said. "Now in my 70s, this is an opportunity I never expected, and I am incredibly grateful to be part of such a cherished drama”.The two will be joined by Beyond Paradise's Jamie Bamber, who plays Gemma's husband Ned Roper, and Felix Uff, who plays their son, Ryder. Jamie shared that having a role in EastEnders was a childhood dream: "When 12-year-old me rushed home from school in 1985 to catch the very first episode of EastEnders, I could never have dreamed that one day I’d be walking onto the iconic Albert Square as a character myself. It’s a privilege I don’t take lightly, and I’m thrilled to be making my mark on this crown jewel of my beloved BBC”.‌Finally, the family will be joined by Anna Constable as Jodie, Nicola's youngest and rarely heard of sister. Anna, who has a rare condition called Noonan Syndrome, said: “Growing up watching EastEnders I never thought a disabled actress like me could ever land a role like this. But here I am loud and proud and taking no prisoners in mine or Jodie’s wake”.Noonan Syndrome can affect the body's development and cause heart defects. Those with it often have hearing loss, vision problems, and suffer from seizures and chest pain. The condition affects roughly one in every 1,000-2,500 babies.‌Teasing the chaos the Hawkins family could bring to the soap, EastEnders' executive producer Ben Wadey said: “The Hawkins family are a fantastic addition to Walford. While the family share a fierce loyalty to one another, decades of complicated history and Nicola's estrangement from them has left fractures within the family that are far from healed. We’re all very excited for what we have planned for the family, and we can’t wait for the audience to meet them”.This is the first family to join EastEnders since Nicola herself joined in 2024. When Nicola arrived, she turned up to Walford alongside her husband Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian) and their sons Harry (Elijah Holloway) and Barney (Lewis Bridgeman). Teddy's link to the Square was his brother Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick), who had been in Walford for over two decades.Article continues belowSince arriving, Nicola and Teddy have divorced. She has gone on to have a child with George Knight (Colin Salmon), while he went to prison, having taken the fall for a murder Harry committed following months of false imprisonment.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.