List of EastEnders characters (1994)
Geoff Barnes is played by David Roper. Geoff is introduced as a love interest for the long running character, Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully), in 1994. He is much older than Michelle, and their age difference causes most of the major problems in their relationship. They plan to marry, but in the end Geoff realises that Michelle doesn't really love him. He ends the relationship and moves to Scotland in April 1995, but returns in September as part of Michelle's exit storyline. His last appearance is in October 1995.
Diane Butcher
Subsequent storylines featuring Diane included involvement in the plight of pregnant runaway Disa, whom Diane brought back to Walford to bond with her baby—Disa had initially abandoned the baby on Diane's doorstep on Christmas Day 1990. The bulk of the character's narrative concerned a blossoming romance with one of "EastEnders"' original characters, Mark Fowler (Todd Carty), who returned to the serial as a regular character in 1990 after a three-year absence. The relationship was never consummated however, because in January 1991 Mark revealed to Diane that he was HIV positive—he was the first mainstream soap opera character to be diagnosed. The episode, written by Tony McHale, has been described as the "important" beginning to Mark's HIV storyline, as Mark's secret HIV status was finally revealed to the audience as well as Diane. In the on-screen events, Diane tried to be supportive to Mark and persuaded him to have counselling at the Terrence Higgins Trust, though their relationship was never quite the same again; when Mark, prompted by his mother Pauline, asked Diane to marry him, she turned him down and left the serial to move to France shortly after.