Her appearance was officially announced on 21 October 2006, but the character was seen on a storyboard in a backstage picture in "First" magazine in the week before the announcement. Li is first seen in Walford Videos, where she sells Cantonese DVDs to Mickey Miller (Joe Swash). She continues doing business with Mickey, and attracts the attention of Mickey's teenage brother Darren (Charlie G. Hawkins), who tells her that Mickey wants to cook dinner for her, when in fact Darren wants to seduce her. Li ties Darren to his bed, writing "Loser" on his head in lipstick. After that she gets together with Mickey, who seems scared of her "sex madness". She is later seen at Tanya Branning's (Jo Joyner) birthday party, and exposes a rival to Mickey's affections, Preeti (Babita Pohoomull), who has enhanced her breasts with padding. Li later borrows £200 from Darren and provides stock for Preeti's Ann Summers-style party. Li fails to sell any stock, and the party ends with her fighting with Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin). Li's relationship with Mickey progresses and they both eventually move into Gus Smith's (Mohammed George) flat. It is revealed there that Li is growing cannabis, much to Mickey's fury but she tells him that she wouldn't have to do it if he had good work. When Mickey fails to get the job of a post boy at Bradley Branning's (Charlie Clements) office, Li advertises him as an escort without him knowing, but Gus finds out and informs Mickey. Mickey then warns Li to cancel the ad. Li leaves when Mickey admits that he wants more from their relationship. In shock, Li packs her bags and leaves Walford. Linda Clarke, played by Lynda Baron, is the mother of Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) and Christian Clarke (John Partridge). She appeared for two episodes in 2006, and then regularly from November 2008 to February 2009. On 8 April 2016, it was announced that Linda will return for a Beale family storyline later in the year. She returned on 26 May 2016, departing on 10 June the same year. Linda surprises her daughter by coming to Walford for Jane's wedding to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). Linda instantly causes controversy when she calls Ian a bad father after she hears his daughter, Lucy (Melissa Suffield), talking to her friend, Lauren Branning (Madeline Duggan), about strippers.