Family Affairs - 2001

2001

In 2001, the Warrington clan was extended to include their relatives, the Webb and Ellis families, comprising Nikki's brother Matt Ellis (Matthew Jay Lewis), his girlfriend Karen Ellis (Tanya Franks) and Karen's brother Jim Webb (Joe Dow), and her nephew Paul Webb (Martin Delaney). Young rebel Paul Webb had many clashes with other characters and broke up the relationship between Benji and Gemma.

Meanwhile, with their storylines gradually dwindling, the characters of Gabby Johnson and Clive Starr quietly departed. Their places in their flat were taken by a succession of attractive young residents, including Polly Arnold (Juliet Cowan) and the bossy Dr Tanya Ayuba (Laila Rouass). Polly romanced Declan Byrne but when her brother Gavin Arnold (Neil Roberts) arrived in town, she resumed her illicit love affair with him. A disgusted Declan ended his romance with Polly and left Charnham. In other developments, the establishment of a youth refuge on the street angered some residents, however, Roy soon became a highly involved volunteer on the project.

Jim Webb became Cat's reluctant second husband. Meanwhile, Paul Webb paired up with Gemma Craig, who continued to live with her well-meaning but increasingly, meddlesome foster mother Fern. Fern had married Roy's father Vince (Stephen Yardley). Karen then embarked upon a controversial lesbian affair with her child's surrogate mother, Sadie's niece from Australia Kelly Hurst (Nicky Talacko). This storyline also featured the brief appearance of Kelly's father and Sadie's brother-in-law Barry, portrayed by Tony Booth. At Christmas, Paul Webb discovered that Jim was his real father after believing he had been adopted by strangers as a baby.