Billy Mitchell (EastEnders) revealed in 2006 that the role was extended by "coincidence and chance": "I was offered four episodes and here I am, about 800 later. [...] Ross Kemp (Grant) said that he was leaving, and there was a gap in the Mitchell family, so they brought me back to do stuff towards his leaving. After that they offered me a year." Billy was reintroduced in 1999, making recurring appearances. He was involved in the leaving storyline of Grant Mitchell in October 1999, before returning later in the year as a regular character. When Billy was first introduced, he was depicted as
EastEnders in popular culture going to tell when I have an idea for a new plotline in "EastEnders"?". In November 2005, Catherine Tate appeared in another sketch for Children In Need. The segment was a crossover between "EastEnders" and "The Catherine Tate Show", featuring Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell, Kacey Ainsworth as Little Mo Mitchell and Lacey Turner as Stacey Slater from "EastEnders" and Tate as her well-known character Lauren Cooper from "The Catherine Tate Show". Shaun Williamson frequently plays himself in Ricky Gervais's "Extras", where he is referred to at all times as "Barry from "EastEnders"". Derek Martin (Charlie Slater) appeared in episode