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Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (née Martin; previously Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by Barbara Windsor. Peggy became a regular character, and Windsor played the role for 16 years. She announced in October 2009 that she would be leaving the show, and departed in September 2010. Following this, Windsor said she would never return.

Peggy is fiercely protective of her family and the Mitchell name, and has become famous for her catchphrase "Get outta my pub!", used when ejecting people from The Queen Victoria, of which she was the landlady. Her storylines have seen her embark on a series of failed romances, including marriages to Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) and Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb). She has been central to several plot strands revolving around health issues, launching a hate campaign against the HIV positive character Mark Fowler (Todd Carty), and going on to make amends with him when she was later diagnosed with breast cancer. Inside Soap named Peggy the UK's top soap matriarch in 2009.

Peggy married Eric Mitchell in the 1960s because she was pregnant with Phil (Steve McFadden). Eric, a keen boxer, worked for gangster Johnny Allen (Billy Murray). Johnny would taunt Eric, making him do demeaning jobs because Eric was a better boxer than him. Eric fell in love with a woman called Maureen and planned to elope with her, but changed his mind, unable to desert his family, who he grew to resent. Eric took his angst out on Peggy and was often violent towards her and Phil. Peggy considered leaving when her sons, Phil and Grant (Ross Kemp) were teenagers, and once even tried to seduce Johnny Allen, but he turned her down. Peggy tried to save her marriage by having another child in 1975, her only daughter Sam (Danniella Westbrook and Kim Medcalf). Her relationship with Eric improved, but only temporarily, and when Kevin Masters (Colin McCormack) employed Peggy to work at his minicab firm, they began a secret affair. When Eric developed cancer, Peggy gave up work to care for him, but Kevin returned promptly after Eric's death in 1985 and Peggy's children took against him.

Peggy first appears in EastEnders when Sam's desire to escape from her family causes her to elope with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) at the age of sixteen. Peggy attempts to stop them marrying, but is unsuccessful. Peggy is then absent for a period of three years, during which time her relationship with Kevin ends. She returns to Walford when her sons fall out, after Phil has an affair with Grant's wife Sharon (Letitia Dean). Peggy becomes acting landlady of The Queen Victoria public house. Blaming Sharon for the affair, Peggy tries to force her out of Walford, resulting in Sharon signing over her share of the pub and leaving the Mitchell family as the sole owners, with Peggy in charge. Peggy enters into a relationship with businessman George Palmer (Paul Moriarty), unaware that he is a criminal involved in illegal money laundering. She instigates a hate campaign against local resident Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) when she discovers he is HIV positive, beginning a feud with his mother Pauline (Wendy Richard). Peggy later recants on her position when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. She initially refuses surgery and breaks up with George, fearing that he will not be able to handle her illness; however, with the support of her family and assurances from George, she eventually goes through with a lumpectomy. Peggy and George become engaged, but their relationship ends when Phil reveals his criminal nature.

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