Where you have seen Sandra before - everything you need to know as Dawn Steele makes her EastEnders debut
Dawn Steele is a familiar face on TV...
Today’s EastEnders saw Josh Goodwin and his adoptive mum, Sandra, arrive in Walford. But while the newcomers certainly made an entrance, viewers might be wondering where they have seen Dawn Steele, who plays Sandra, before.
Here is everything you need to know…
Josh and Sandra caused chaos in EastEnders
As Sandra arrived looking for answers about Jasmine, Kim and Denise took an instant dislike to her. Convinced she was a journalist, they went into defence mode… only to feel bad when they realised who Sandra really was.
As Sandra revealed she is Josh’s adoptive mum, Kim and Denise quizzed her about Josh and Jasmine’s childhood. But while they discovered Josh had a close relationship with Sandra, they were surprised to realise Sandra was hiding something from them.
Sandra admitted that she and her husband, Keith, fostered both Jasmine and Josh when they were four years old. But when Kim asked why the twins had been separated, Sandra mentioned an ‘incident’ that had meant Jasmine went to live somewhere else.
It was revealed that after Jasmine left, Sandra officially adopted Josh, but Jasmine cut all ties with them after that. The mystery deepened, however, when Kim asked Sandra what happened to her husband. Sandra glossed over that particular question, leaving fans to guess that something sinister had gone on between Keith and Jasmine in the past.
But while it remains to be seen what Sandra is hiding, fans might be wondering where they have seen the actress on screen before…
Who plays Josh’s mum, Sandra, in EastEnders?
Josh’s mum, Sandra Goodwin in EastEnders, is played by Dawn Steele. She has enjoyed a fantastic career for the last 25 years, including prominent roles in Holby City and Wild at Heart. Dawn has joined EastEnders for a short stint.
Speaking of her new EastEnders role, Dawn Steele said: “I was thrilled to be asked to play the role of Sandra. She arrives and throws a spanner or two into the Square!
“It was so great to go back to Elstree after the end of Holby City. Lots of the same crew (and a few cast!) are still there so it was joyful to see them all again.
“Everyone was so welcoming, and I really enjoyed learning new ways of filming. It really is a well-oiled machine, and everyone works so hard. But it was Sandra’s storyline and character that really made me want to do it. I’m sure viewers will be thrilled with another piece of the puzzle ahead of the trial. Sandra’s timing couldn’t be better, or worse…”
What else has Dawn Steele been in apart from EastEnders?
Dawn has enjoyed a vast career on TV and on stage. She’s best known for her role as Ange Godard in Holby City.
She also played Alice Trevanion in Wild at Heart and Lexie MacDonald in Monarch of the Glen. She also played Annie Jandhu in BBC Scottish soap River City for three years.
Viewers might also recognise Dawn from BBC crime series Shetland, where she played Stella Quinn in series 8 or BBC drama Granite Harbour, where she played Cora Macmillan.
Paradise season 2: Top five revelations after first three episodes - including pregnancy and shock death
Each episode focused on different story strands that are sure to become entangled. In the first, Graceland, we meet Annie for the first time. A tour guide at The King of Rock n Roll's famous Tennessee house, she bunkered down there when the end-of-the-world disaster occurred. After all, who wouldn't take that opportunity?!
But when a group of survivors join her in the compound, her isolation gives way to something more romantic when she bonds with a man named Link (and now we're rooting for them with all our hearts!)
Next up we have Xavier. In episode two, Mayday, we discover his plane trip out of Paradise to find wife Teri went spectacularly off course. Instead, he crash-landed in Arkansas, completely busting up his leg in the process.
Finally, we return to Paradise to see the chaos that's occurred in Xavier's absence. With a completely inept Henry Baines now President, he seems more concerned with bringing back summer and rounding up 'hoodlums' that disagree with him than anything of actual value.
But as Sinatra wakes from her coma in hospital, it seems there's someone else pulling strings.
Here's a recap of what happened in the first three episodes of Paradise season 2 – and the major mysteries at play this season...
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Annie is waiting for Link's return at Graceland (Credit: Disney)[/caption]
Where's Link?
Link and Annie didn't get off to the best start (with her spitting in his face and clonking him on the head for breaking into Graceland) but now they're a love story for the ages.
But true love is never easy, is it? They only shared their feelings and slept together on their last night before he and his survivor group moved on. He asked her to go with them, but she got scared and refused. Their one night of passion left a lasting mark though – with Annie now VERY pregnant.
He's promised to return to her though, once his mission is complete. He needs to get to Colorado, as his group have heard about the secret bunker keeping people alive (what we know as Paradise). But given the size of Annie's belly, it's been months with no word. Is he safe? Did he achieve what he needed to?
Either way, Link's in for a shock if/when he does reunite with Annie.
When Annie finds Xavier in the forest and nurses him back to health, she takes matters into her own hands when he reveals he's from the bunker, and threatens him at gunpoint to take her back to Colorado. But that’s the last place he wants to be right now. He needs to get to Atlanta, Georgia.
However, Link's more tied into the creation of Paradise than even he probably knows. His mentor and business partner, Henry Miller, was offed by hitman Billy, hired by Sinatra in her efforts to secure his company.
Link, at the time going by his real name, saw Billy after it happened. No doubt leaving a scar, it seems he's got his own revenge mission going on as well.
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Jane is proving to be quite a lethal mystery to unravel (Credit: Disney+)[/caption]
Who is Jane actually working for?
When we met Special Agent Jane, we thought she wouldn't hurt a fly. Now, she's murdered boyfriend Billy, shot Sinatra (the woman we all thought she was working for), and offed President Baines as well.
A serious master of manipulation, she's even managed to easily pin each death on someone else too. She's a terrible person, but you can't deny she's skilled at getting out of a jam.
But what exactly is Jane up to? And for who? Initially it seemed like Sinatra. But shooting her and saying she'll "be useful" put a stop to that. Then it seemed like Baines, but her slicing his throat open seems to suggest no.
So there's another player in the game yet to reveal themselves. Question is... who?
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How many Presidents can one bunker get through? (Credit: Disney+)[/caption]
Who will be the next President?
Paradise does not have the best track record when it comes to keeping Presidents alive. After all, there's been two assassinations in the few years they've been in the bunker.
Make no mistake, President Baines was a terrible leader. He had no idea what he was doing, ignored professional opinions, and dispatched anyone in his sight who could threaten his power. There's now a whole underground silo filled with prisoners who dared to retaliate. Among them is the architect of Paradise, and Jeremy Bradford – the late President Bradford's son.
So we can't deny seeing him die was a little bit satisfying. But then our beloved Nicole Robinson was framed for it, just as she figured out Jane was up to some shady dealing. Now Jane is arguably in an even more powerful position than she was before.
On top of that, there's now no President again. Who will step up? And will they at least do a better job than Baines did?
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Sinatra is not one to crack under pressure (Credit: Disney)[/caption]
What is Sinatra's masterplan?
We'll admit it – we can't figure out Sinatra. Season 1 made us think she was a power-tripping billionaire, intent on keeping Paradise locked in so she could maintain control.
But after the first three eps of Paradise season 2? It seems she may genuinely want to save the world. She's just not letting anyone in on the plan.
All we know is that she's been gatekeeping some of Paradise's power for a project no one seems to know anything about.
With her friendship to Gabriela in tatters, Sinatra didn't crack under the pressure of her polygraph test about the power storage, outright denying it. Gabriela and Baines both knew she was lying, but Sinatra remains cool as a cucumber. Even in an interrogation after just coming out of hospital. She even managed to command Baines' assassination at the same time without anyone knowing.
She's since been putting her feet up on house arrest with her husband and kid after Baines didn't get what he wanted. She's even going by her real name, Samantha Redmond. A quiet life seems to suit her.
But Samantha Redmond is still not someone who kicks back and relaxes, and she's got a
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Sinatra knows to keep cool under pressure (Credit: Disney+/Hulu)[/caption]
Who on earth is Alex?
This is the big one. Someone named Alex is key to the whole of Paradise season 2. We just don't know who that is, or what it is they're doing.
On the one hand, Link's group of survivors are on a mission to kill Alex – especially Geiger, an older survivor within the group. It's a fundamental part of their plan. So much so, Link couldn't stay at Graceland with Annie, and couldn't wait for her when she got cold feet.
But on the other, Sinatra checks in on Alex's safety at the end of episode three. Turns out her maid is also working for her in other ways, reporting to her on other plans she has lined up. One major part of this was Alex.
Unfortunately, Sinatra didn't realise Gabriela bugged her office with a photo frame she gave "as a gift". So now Gabriela knows about Alex too. Presumably, this mystery person is in the bunker, but that's as much as we know.
So sooner or later, Alex is going to come out of the woodwork, and we have a feeling will answer a lot of questions. Or bring about new ones.
Read more: The 15 best series on Disney Plus in February 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJGIg9_Yi60
