Rob Minter

Rob Minter
File:Rob Minter EE2.jpg
Duration	2006-2007
First appearance	21 June 2006
Last appearance	25 June 2007
In-universe information Occupation Unemployed Family Summer

Robert "Rob" Minter was a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Stuart Laing, and made his first appearance on 21 June 2006. It was announced on 15 June 2007 that he would be leaving the show at the end of his current storyline.

History

Rob first appeared on 21 June 2006, when Victor Brown introduced Ian Beale to him at a Walford Community Charitable Trust meeting. He also attended a charity auction where he tried to out-bid Ian, who was bidding for a bracelet for Dawn Swann, who was posing as his wife. When Rob had raised the price, he let Ian buy the bracelet for over £100. Rob then started to date Dawn, thinking she was Ian's wife, but later discovered that "Jane" was actually Dawn, but they still continued to date. On 13 November 2006 it was revealed that Rob's wife was the new Walford GP May Wright.

Dawn then found out that she was pregnant with Rob's baby, and whilst the affair ended (with the whole Square and May finding out), the drama continued. Rob paid for Dawn to have an abortion, but May found out all about the baby, and when she found that Dawn didn't use the money for the abortion (instead buying some new shoes, as she would go free on the NHS) she and Rob stopped Dawn - by telling her that they wanted to buy her baby, as May had given up hope of ever conceiving (she had already lost her own baby at six weeks, and was failing IVF treatment).

At the start of 2007, Dawn again decided to have an abortion after not being able to cope with Rob and May buying things for the baby and being the perfect couple. However, Rob was told by Peggy Mitchell that Dawn had "gone to the doctor's". He found her, and convinced her to keep the baby, by telling her that he would leave his wife.

It was later revealed (after Dawn blurted out in the Queen Vic that she was pregnant with Rob's baby, May beforehand telling everyone that she and Rob were going to adopt) that it was actually May's scheme to start up the affair again. She told Rob to do anything he likes with Dawn as long as they get their baby in the end. Rob was doing quite well keeping Dawn sweet by saying that he would leave May for her whilst really his loyalties were with his wife. Deep down, however, Rob really loved Dawn. After Dawn nearly killed herself attempting to abort the baby herself, Rob tried to get her back on side but Dawn rebuffed him. Rob told May that Dawn was stalking him and she summoned her to their house to tell her that her "obsession" with Rob was as a result of hormones. Dawn told Rob to tell May the truth then left the house. May demanded to know what was going on but Rob told her he was leaving her and cursed his wife, calling her "extraordinarily boring" before leaving after Dawn. May has since got her revenge on Rob with the help of Jane Collins, by reporting to his employers that he had fraudulently opened a credit card account in the name of Jane Beale (the name Dawn was posing under when they first met), resulting in his suspension fron work, pending possible criminal investigations.

On 3 May Rob's car got towed away after which he went to the bank to ask for his job back and upon his return Rob told Dawn he had been accepted back. Later on a representative from Rob's work showed up at May's flat asking for the car back because Rob had been sacked. In The Vic May spitefully informed Rob that she had his car town away and told Dawn that Rob had lied about getting his job back. May's boasting proved too much for Rob and in a rage he grabbed May and hurled her across the room violently, much to the horror of everyone inside the pub. He has since served divorce papers on May, something she is reluctant to go through with, as she believes they still have a future together with Dawn's baby.

May later attacked Dawn and Dawn fell down the house's steps, hospitalising her. Dawn swiftly recovered and the baby was not compromised however during Dawn's stay in hospital, May came to check she was alright and encountered Rob who demanded that she leave and accusing her of attacking Dawn. Bursting into tears, May declared that she had not intended to injure Dawn and that she would never hurt "her baby". Rob told her that the baby was not hers and taunted her about her infertility, saying that she would never have children. May left in a rage but later invited Rob round to her house to apologise and made the two of them dinner, later attempting to seduce Rob. Rejecting her advances, Rob ran into the room that had been converted into a nursery and saw a calender with the words "my baby is born" written on 5 July. Realising the level of May's obsession Rob attempted to leave but May stopped him and once more attempted to seduce him and a struggle ensued. Later, Rob returned to Dawn's flat appearing disturbed and saying that they had to leave as soon as possible. The following day May was seen with a black eye which Rob had supposedly dealt her, however it is possible that she could have done it to herself or with make-up. May made allegations of assault against Rob and he was arrested, but later let go. He later went to May's surgery and cornered May in her office. May appeared genuinely intimidated by Rob and accused him of striking her ("What're you going to do, hit me again?") and Rob failed to contradict her. He warned May to stay away then left. May later signed the divorce papers, but the couple are yet to receive their decrees absolute.

After some time, May seduced Rob and the two of them once again plotted to get their hands on Dawn's baby. However, Dawn discovered a locket that May had given Rob containing a photograph of the two of them together. Enraged, believing that May was trying to turn her against Rob, Dawn stormed over to the doctor's office. May then told Dawn that her and Rob had sex on her desk. Devastated, Dawn made Rob swear on their unborn child's life that him and May did not sleep together; Rob reluctantly did so. Making sure everything would go according to plan, Rob proposed to Dawn and she accepted. The two had a farewell party at the Vic and then he took her to his parent's house telling her that he had been offered a job away from the square. As Dawn entered the house, she saw May standing in the hall waiting for them.

May had Rob handcuff Dawn to the bed while she drugged her with a substance that would help induce the baby sooner. Rob started to get cold feet about the procedure, especially after Dawn told him that May planned to perform an elective ceserian. Rob spoke with May about Dawn's fate, who assured him that Dawn would be freed upon completion of the surgery. Dawn managed to free herself from the bed and attacked Rob by hitting him over the head with a vase. Dawn grabbed May's car keys, and managed to escape from both of them.

Dawn returned to Walford and the first person she saw was Garry Hobbs. She explained to him what had happened, and he drove May's car away and hid it. Shortly after Dawn returned to her house, Mickey and Keith went out shopping. Rob appeared through the backdoor. He explained that he got May admitted to a mental institution and that he's come back to Dawn for good; this was in fact a lie. Dawn grabbed a knife and threatened to stab Rob. Shortly afterward Mickey and Keith returned with Gary and diffused the situation. They kept Rob as a prisoner and tortured him by pouring gravy on him and getting Genghis (the Miller's pet dog) to lick if off him. The torturing was quickly abandoned when Carly rushed in to inform them that Dawn's gone into labour. Carly, Mickey, Keith and Gary left the house to go to the hospital. At the hospital, Keith informed the nurses not to let Rob or May anywhere near Dawn. Rob tried to get to Dawn at the hospital but he was escorted out by security. Rob angrily declares he's the father but is told to leave. He finds May waiting outside the hospital. Despite Rob's attempts to stop her, May lets herself into the hospital. The morning after Dawn returned home with baby Summer, and Rob turned up at Dawn's house and insisted he still loved her and proposed to her for a second time. Dawn then punched him and told him to leave. This was the last time Rob was seen.

Family

• Daughter: Summer Swann
• Aunt: Susan

External links

• Rob Minter at BBC Online