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Theo Hawthorne is a major antagonist of the British soap opera EastEnders, appearing as one of the two main antagonists in 2023.

In his characterization, Theo is a school teacher who soon became acquainted with established character Stacey Slater. As time went on they bonded due to Theo's apparent respectful and supportive nature, but it later transpired that he had a sinister streak to the point where he began stalking Stacey for months before harassing her once she discovered his true nature.

He is portrayed by William Ellis.

Storylines[]

Theo Hawthorne first came to Albert Square in Walford, a fictional borough in East London, in early April 2023.

He is transpired to be a school teacher who had previously tutored former student Freddie Slater in the past, during which Theo bullied Freddie in school at the time. As such Freddie had recently experienced sadness when his grandmother, Jean Slater, implies that he is unintelligent; this had triggered memories of his past with Theo. It is then Jean takes it upon herself to find Theo and brings Freddie along. When confronted, Freddie musters the courage to stand up to Theo, recounting how he made him feel small by calling him names like thick, lazy, and stupid.

The next day, Theo coincidentally encounters Freddie at a café and takes the opportunity to apologize. He explains that his class was challenging and expresses regret for not being more supportive of Freddie's ADHD, even though Freddie denies having the condition. However, Theo suggests that Freddie might have ADHD, prompting Freddie to seek a diagnosis. Eventually, it is revealed that Freddie does indeed have ADHD.

Stacey Slater becomes furious upon discovering that Theo has bought Lily trainers. She refuses to let Lily keep the shoes and orders Theo to leave. However, when Lily goes outside, Theo discreetly hands her the trainers. Later, Lily proudly wears the trainers in front of her friends Amy Mitchell, Denzel Danes, and Davinder Gulati. They inquire about the source of the trainers, and Lily reveals that an older man gave them to her. Davinder and Denzel label the man a pervert, and Amy expresses her discomfort. Lily confronts Theo, questioning if he is a pervert based on her friends' statements. Theo understands why they might think that way but assures Lily that he is just a family friend. Amy later informs Stacey about Lily's trainers, leading Stacey to realize that Theo returned them. She confronts Lily in anger, demanding to know if Theo gave her the trainers back. Lily explains that she found them in the bin after Theo had discarded them, adding that she got rid of them and criticizes Stacey for being mean to Theo. Stacey, feeling remorseful, apologizes to Theo at The Queen Victoria. However, Theo starts monitoring Stacey and Lily from a distance.

Martin Fowler grows suspicious that Theo is attempting to groom Lily when Theo offers to tutor her for free. Martin's suspicions intensify upon learning that Theo gave Lily trainers, causing him to publicly accuse Theo of being a pedophile in front of Lily and Stacey. Eventually, it is revealed that Theo is not grooming Lily but is instead subscribed to Stacey on a secret camera and engaged in stalking behavior. While Lily is receiving tutoring from Theo, she experiences false labor (Braxton Hicks contractions). During this time, Theo sneaks into Stacey's room and smells her perfume. He then discovers Lily and rushes her to the hospital. Stacey and Martin are informed and rush to the hospital. A furious Martin confronts Theo, believing he is responsible for Lily's hospitalization. However, Lily reveals the truth, leading Martin to apologize to Theo, while Stacey expresses gratitude.

Jean later sets up Stacey and Theo on a date, but the encounter turns out to be awkward. Stacey confides in her friend Eve, mentioning that she had a dream about a man. Eve assumes it was about Theo and asks him to accompany Stacey as her plus one at Kathy Cotton and Tom Cotton's wedding. Stacey clarifies that the man she dreamt about was Martin and admits to feeling no spark with Theo during their date. Stacey becomes conflicted about who should be her plus one at the wedding. After getting drunk, she leaves a voicemail for Martin, asking him to be her plus one. Both Martin and Theo show up at Stacey's house. Stacey tells Martin that she doesn't remember leaving the voicemail and declares that Theo is her plus one for the wedding. However, Martin convinces Stacey to cancel with Theo and go with him instead. Despite Stacey's initial agreement, she ultimately reneges on their plan. At the wedding, both men vie for Stacey's attention, with Martin kissing her and boasting about it to Theo, while Theo kisses Stacey's hand in front of Martin. Stacey ultimately chooses Martin, telling Theo that they are just friends and apologizing if she gave him any mixed signals. Stacey and Martin then share a kiss and end up sleeping together.

Martin expresses his desire to reconcile with Stacey, but she initially avoids giving him a straight answer. Stacey confides in Eve, admitting her fear of ruining things with Martin again. Eve reassures her that fear is normal in relationships. Stacey decides to see Martin and the two reconcile. However, their reunion is short-lived when Martin overhears Stacey talking to one of her clients and storms out in anger. The argument escalates at The Queen Victoria, resulting in a physical altercation. Martin tells Stacey that he cannot handle her work as a cam performer, leading Stacey to break up with him. Once Martin sobers up, he and Stacey have a conversation where she explains that her cam work is non-sexual and involves only conversations with clients, suggesting that her client is likely just a supportive listener. Martin realizes his mistake and apologizes to Stacey, acknowledging that he overreacted. They decide to give their relationship another chance, with Martin promising to be more understanding and supportive.

Meanwhile, Jean Slater becomes increasingly worried about Freddie's ADHD and seeks advice from the school. She discovers that there are resources available to support children with ADHD, including accommodations in the classroom and strategies to help them focus and manage their behavior. Jean decides to have a conversation with Freddie about his ADHD and explains that it's not a reflection of his intelligence but rather a neurological difference that can be managed with the right support.

Freddie opens up to Jean about his struggles in school and how Mr. Hawthorne's bullying affected him. Jean assures Freddie that she believes in his abilities and encourages him to embrace his strengths. She also promises to advocate for him at school to ensure he receives the necessary accommodations and support for his ADHD. Freddie feels relieved and grateful for Jean's understanding and support.

As the storyline progresses, Freddie's teachers and the school administration work together with Jean to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for Freddie. The IEP outlines specific accommodations and strategies tailored to Freddie's needs, such as preferential seating, extra time for assignments, and breaks to manage his energy levels. With these supports in place, Freddie's confidence and academic performance improve, and he begins to feel more accepted and valued at school.

The storyline continues to explore Freddie's journey with ADHD, highlighting the importance of understanding, empathy, and appropriate support for children with neurodevelopmental differences. It also emphasizes the impact of a supportive and caring family environment in helping children overcome challenges and thrive.

Stacey gets Theo in court for putting up posters of her OnlyFans page. The court ultimately rules that it is a "waste of police time," infuriating Stacey. She and Lily bump into Theo on the street. Lily scolds Theo for being a deranged lunatic and Theo is seen in the pub browsing Stacey's OnlyFans page. Freddy confronts Theo in the pub but the confrontation ends with Freddy leaving. Theo later stalks Stacey outside, and menaces her. Stacey angrily says she has never loved him and marches back home, locking herself in. However, she doesn't lock the back window, which Theo uses to his advantage and breaks into the house. Stacey sees him and gets a knife, but he wrestles that away from her. He says how she's always been an infatuation of his and how she's going to "love" what he has in store for her. He forces himself on her but is interrupted by Freddy coming back to make up for the argument he had with Stacey earlier. Freddy enters the kitchen and sees Theo attempting to rape Stacey, so the two get in a fight, but Freddy eventually knocks Theo to the floor and pounds him unconscious, leaving Theo presumably deceased.

Later, after a lot of stress involving Freddy being falsely jailed for manslaughter, Jean comes in to bail Freddy out of jail when it turns out not to be manslaughter. Theo's life hangs in the balance for a few hours until he finally does revive in hospital. Of course, he gives a contradictory statement tryng to suggest Stacey is at fault. It is unknown how this storyline will continue to play out but its suspected Theo may be involved in the big crime happening at the forthcoming Christmas episode.

Trivia[]

• It remains unknown when Theo was born exactly.
• The total list of Theo's appearances on the show also remain unknown.

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