jj, played by daniel anthony, is a teenage runaway who breaks into the abercorn bed & breakfast, disturbing the proprietor patrick trueman (rudolph walker) and his fiancée, yolande duke (angela wynter). when confronted, jj tells the couple that he is 16 and is living on the streets, so they soften, letting him stay when he offers to help out around the place. patrick's stepson paul trueman (gary beadle) takes a dislike to jj and is suspicious of him. when yolande offers to wash jj's jacket, he is evasive and it is revealed he stole some jewellery from her. paul informs jj's social worker, mattie george (chizzy akudolu), who arrives to collect jj and reveals he is only 14 and has run away from care. patrick and yolande are furious with paul and later visit jj in care and learn that his mother is in prison. this experience leads to their decision to foster.