'EastEnders' casts Emily Atack's mum Kate Robbins in guest role

Kate Robbins as music agent Jen Glover in EastEnders.
Coming to Walford: Kate Robbins will play music agent Jen Glover in EastEnders. (Image credit: BBC)

Actress, singer, comedian, and impressionist Kate Robbins has landed a guest role in EastEnders

The 58-year-old star, mother of actress and TV personality Emily Atack and famously the cousin of Sir Paul McCartney, will play music agent Jen Glover. 

Jen is called to The Queen Vic by old friend Rocky (Brian Conley), who reckons he has found the next big singing sensation on Bridge Street market — none other than Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty).

EastEnders Whitney Dean

Star in the making: Jen thinks Whitney (Shona McGarty) could make it big. (Image credit: BBC)

Described as 'an old school rocker' and 'no-nonsense', Jen is determined to make Whitney a star. Is Whit set to have her name in lights? Or, will she decide that a career in show business isn’t for her?

Says Robbins, “I am so excited to be joining EastEnders as Jen. We had a ball filming the scenes. 

“It was surreal to be sat in The Queen Vic for my first scenes with some of the legends of Albert Square. Working alongside the team was a dream, and I can’t wait to see the scenes on screen.”

Kate Robbins as Jen Glover in EastEnders.

Kate Robbins is thrilled to be making a guest appearance in EastEnders.  (Image credit: BBC)

Robbins’ first-ever TV acting role was way back in 1980 in another soap - Crossroads - in which she played a character called Kate Loring.

She went on to become one of the lead artists on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image; providing the voices for the likes of the Queen, Joan Collins and Cherie Blair.

In the 1980s, she also starred alongside her brother Ted in the comedy television series The Kate and Ted Show and had her own sketch show The Kate Robbins Show

Later, she appeared in both series of Victoria Wood’s sitcom Dinner Ladies, and more recently has had roles on Holby City, Citizen Khan, and Hold The Sunset

EastEnders Karen Taylor Caren

Sister act: Kate Robbins' younger sister Amy guest-starred in EastEnders in 2019 as Karen Taylor's girlfriend, Caren. (Image credit: BBC)

Her role in EastEnders comes two years after sister Amy starred in the BBC1 soap as Karen Taylor’s girlfriend, Caren.

Kate Robbins' scenes will appear on screen next month.

EastEnders airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.35pm and Fridays at 8.30pm on BBC One - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also watch all of this week’s episodes on BBC iPlayer now. 

Alison Slade
Soaps Editor
Alison Slade has over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist and has spent the vast majority of that time as Soap Editor of TV Times magazine.  She is passionate about the ability of soaps to change the world by presenting important, issue-based stories about real people in a relatable way. There are few soap actors that she hasn’t interviewed over the years, and her expertise in the genre means she has been called upon as a judge numerous times for The British Soap Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

When she is not writing about soaps, watching soaps, or interviewing people who are in soaps, she loves going to the theatre, taking a long walk or pottering about at home, obsessing over Farrow and Ball paint.