Patsy Palmer: where is Bianca Jackson from EastEnders now?

She first arrived in Walford 30 years ago

eastenders patsy palmer bianca jackson now

by Brooke Pollock |
Published on

Bianca Jackson is still one of the most iconic characters to ever grace EastEnders' Albert Square and she even has one of the most recognisable lines, “RICKAYYYY”.

She first arrived in Walford 30 years ago, so here's what the Walford resident and soap star is doing now.

Who is Patsy Palmer?

Patsy, whose real name is Julie Anne Merkel, is well known for her big break when she joined the cast of EastEnders in 1993.

patsy palmer
patsy in 1995 ©Getty Images

However she has been acting since 1983 and starred in The Bill, The Catherine Tate Show and Grange Hill as Natasha between 1985 and 1987.

Who was Patsy Palmer in EastEnders?

She portrayed mouthy Bianca Jackson, and oh, how we miss her.

What happened to Bianca Jackson?

What didn't happen to Bianca?

After she arrived in Albert Square in 1993, she flirted and tried to kiss David Wicks but then discovered that he's her biological father. She had an affair with Dan Sullivan - aka her mum's fiancé - and had a turbulent relationship with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen).

eastenders bianca ricky
bianca and ricky had an iconic relationship ©BBC

Bianca left Walford in 1999 but three years later, she had a one night stand with Ricky and fell pregnant with Tiffany Butcher- although, Ricky was unaware of his second child.

She then returned to Walford in 2008 with her stepdaughter Whitney Dean, Liam Butcher, Tiffany and Morgan Jackson-King.

She discovered that her fiancé Tony King was a paedophile and had been sexually abusing Whitney, she grieved after her brother Billie Jackson died from alcohol poisoning and was arrested after attacking Connor Stanley (Billie's best friend) who had an affair with Carol.

eastenders whitney dean bianca jackson
bianca with her stepdaughter whitney ©BBC

She briefly returned in 2019 to attend Whitney and Callum Highway's (Tony Clay) disastrous wedding. The last we heard of Bianca, she and her mum Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) visited Tiffany in Germany.

Did Ricky and Bianca end up together?

Unfortunately, despite their love overcoming a lot, including affairs and getting married twice, Ricky and Bianca didn’t get their happy ever after. Although we think they were always meant to be.

Is Patsy Palmer returning to EastEnders?

When she appeared on The One Show in January 2023, she was asked whether she would return and she said, "We have a job to do currently on Sunday [Dancing on Ice[... so.”

eastenders patsy palmer
patsy palmer in 2023 ©Getty Images

It was a bit awkward, to say the least, so we don’t think she’s in a hurry to go back to Albert Square.

What is Patsy Palmer doing now?

After quitting EastEnders to 'crack Hollywood', Patsy has a boujee life in LA, she's a DJ, hangs out with Luca Bish and she's launched her wellness brand Good and Proper Hair.

Patsy has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing (which was for Children in Need in 2005), The Masked Singer and Dancing on Ice.

How old is Patsy Palmer?

Patsy is 51 years old. She was born on 26 May 1972.

Is Patsy Palmer married?

Yes, she has been married to her husband Richard Merkell since 2000.

She was previously married to film director Nick Love.

Does Patsy Palmer have social media?

She sure does. You can follow her on Instagram @patsypalmerofficial. She also has Twitter@patsypalmerx.

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