KILL Gray KILLS Chantelle!
THE LAWYER’S VIOLENT BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS HIS WIFE HAS HORRIFIC CONSEQUENCES…
Eastenders’ hard-hitting domestic abuse plot featuring Gray and Chantelle reaches a stunning conclusion this week, as Chantelle finally plucks up the courage to leave her violent husband – and his fury leads to her tragic death! It’s a truly horrific turn of events that’s set to leave Eastenders viewers numb with shock. But as Toby Alexander-smith (Gray) and Jessica Plummer (Chantelle) join us to chat through this gritty plot, they insist that this was the way the story had to end…
This week’s scenes will be harrowing to watch. What was your reaction when you heard the story would end with Chantelle’s death?
Toby It will certainly be a shock for viewers, and I think it’s important that it concludes in such a tragic way. We’re encouraging women to speak out before that happens, as sadly it is happening more and more frequently. Since lockdown, there has been a staggering increase in deaths. So for Gray, lockdown just catapulted his behaviour into becoming as bad as it could be. It’s not just the fact that Gray kills Chantelle, it’s all the other incidents along the way; we’ve covered the whole of that spectrum, not one single bit of his behaviour has been acceptable.
Jess, why do you think Chantelle isn’t able to confide in her parents about what Gary has been doing to her? Jessica Chantelle’s parents have a relationship with her husband, so for her to tell them is to potentially not escape. Gray is clever, he’s smart and he’s not going to let her just walk out the door. I think it’s easier for her to run.
But Mitch has never liked Gray – what’s stopping her from telling him the truth?
Jessica She loves her dad, and is probably the closest to telling him this week. But at the same time, she knows her dad would probably kill Gray, so she wants to protect Mitch too. Even though she probably loves her mum more, Chantelle is quite resentful about the fact that Karen always comments on how perfect her life is, and that her mum hasn’t noticed that something’s very wrong. Whereas her dad, even though she’s not as close to him, picked up on it straight away.
How important is it for
Eastenders to highlight such an important topic?
Toby The importance of this storyline is to give women the courage to talk, and to know that people are listening, that
Gray isn’t going to let Chantelle just walk out the door”
JESSICA
there are services out there to help. As shocking as it is to watch, hopefully it will give the survivors out there the courage to reach out and get help. Jessica Soaps are part of people’s everyday lives, and they show things that are reality for a lot of people.
How much research have you had to do while playing out this story?
Jessica We worked with Women’s Aid and Refuge – I’ve had a few meetings with them. I’ve stayed in touch with one of the ladies who came to the first meeting, who was a survivor of domestic abuse. She says that she’s my biggest fan, but I’m her biggest fan! When we sat down initially, she spoke about different ways the abuse can happen – it’s not always a monster and a meek mouse. Toby I started working with Women’s Aid as soon as I knew we were doing the storyline. They’ve been fantastic – we all know about domestic abuse, but when you sit down and look at the facts, it’s a shock as to how severe it really is. Jessica I agree – a lot of women feel scared to go to the police in case no one believes them, which is why a lot of women don’t say anything. Toby I’ve been told by Women’s Aid that people have contacted them and said, “I think my friend is in a similar situation to the Gray and Chantelle situation in Eastenders”.
Toby, you mentioned what a complex character Gray is. How do you get into the headspace of playing him?
Toby A lot of research, and understanding why it is such an issue if he doesn’t get what he wants by the end of that scene, how that’s going to affect him. In terms of getting into that mindset, there’s various things you can do as an actor. Music is a massive tool for me. Jessica As much as Gray is an abuser, there’s some part of me that feels a bit sorry for him – as he witnessed abuse as a young child, and never learned what a healthy relationship was. That’s another thing that’s so important to show; exposing children to domestic violence in the home is so damaging, and is a form of abuse in itself. Although there are no excuses for Gray, he’s just broken. Education about healthy relationships is vital to stop domestic abuse from happening in the future.