in an early storyline, ray takes a disliking to derek branning (jamie foreman) when he stores illegal alcohol in the basement of the queen victoria. in may 2012, venn opined that tension between derek and ray "could come to a head at some point soon. there's only so much one man can take, especially when it comes to racial abuse. [ray will] know exactly when to attack, and won't hold back." venn also said he could imagine sasha's mother appearing on screen, saying, ""eastenders" likes to keep you guessing, and i think that's a storyline with legs."