Gray Atkins, the murderous lawyer, is making a shock return to EastEnders after more than four years. The character, played by Toby-Alexander Smith, first appeared in 2019 with his wife Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer). Behind a facade of a perfect marriage, Gray subjected Chantelle to severe mental, emotional, and physical abuse, including coercive control and gaslighting.
Who plays Gray Atkins?
Toby-Alexander Smith portrays the iconic soap villain. He is also known for playing Jason Carwell in Doctors and Lor-Ran in Krypton. He is married to Amy Walsh, who plays Tracy Shankley in Emmerdale. The couple have two daughters, Bonnie (born 2021) and Nell (born March 2026). Toby has spoken openly about his struggle with male post-natal depression.
Who did Gray kill?
During his three-year stint, Gray killed three residents. His first victim was Chantelle. After she secretly consulted a divorce lawyer, Gray discovered her plans and shoved her onto an open dishwasher, causing fatal injuries. He staged her death as an accident.
His second victim was Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White). Tina suspected Gray killed Chantelle and confronted him. Gray strangled her and hid her body under the floorboards of the Argee Bhajee.
The third victim was Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami). Jealous of Kush's engagement to Whitney Dean, Gray followed them to the London Underground and pushed Kush into the path of an oncoming train.
How was Gray caught?
Gray's downfall came when his second wife, Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams), discovered his crimes. With help from Whitney and Kheerat Panesar, Chelsea gathered evidence and recorded Gray confessing to the police. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison.
Why is Gray returning?
Gray is manipulating his grandmother, Sheila Atkins (Sheila Ruskin), to stay involved in the life of his son Jordan, who suffered life-changing injuries in a hit-and-run. Chelsea reluctantly accepted Sheila's help, but Denise Fox (Diane Parish) warns Sheila to stay away. Gray, however, is determined to escape prison and may claim a fourth victim.
