The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2006, by order of first appearance. 2006 was a year when many families joined EastEnders. First, Deano Wicks, his sister Carly Wicks and father Kevin Wicks joined. Then, the Fox family appeared, with the characters of Denise Fox, Chelsea Fox and Libby Fox as members. The Branning family was extended with Max Branning, Tanya Branning, Abi Branning and Lauren Branning all joining. Also, May Wright, Jay Brown and Shirley Carter, the biological mother of Deano and Carly, all joined the show. Also, Owen Turner, Denise's abusive ex-husband, and his mother Liz both arrived in this year.