eleanor "ellie" trueman (real name amber) is the result of a one-night stand between paul trueman (gary beadle) and a woman called amy. amy leaves the baby on paul's doorstep and he struggles to cope as a single parent. he names the baby eleanor, after the mother of his stepfather, patrick trueman (rudolph walker). as paul starts to cope with looking after eleanor, amy decides she wants her back, and social services collect her, leaving paul heartbroken.