Ernie Johnson

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Ernie Johnson is a fictional character and minor antagonist in the BBC British soap opera EastEnders. He only appeared as a minor antagonist in 2001-2002.

In his characterization, Ernie is a pensioner who moved into Albert Square to settle a life for himself. However, upon getting acquainted with local resident Billy Mitchell, it is revealed that Ernie was a neglectful childcare worker who had mistreated and abused Billy when the latter was a child years ago. As such Ernie's actions are the result of Billy's initial antagonistic nature when the latter abused his nephew Jamie Mitchell for a while, though the pair later made up when Ernie's abusive nature was eventually exposed.

He was portrayed by John Junkin.

Biography[]

Ernie Johnson first came to Albert Square in Walford, a fictional borough in East London, from December 2001 towards Christmas that year to settle a life for himself. He rented a property owned by local businessman Terry Raymond and befriended fellow resident Dot Branning along with most of the neighbourhood after going out with them for a drink in The Queen Victoria public house.

In 2002, Ernie encountered one of the pub's regular customers named Billy Mitchell and it soon transpired that the pair were previously acquainted with each other in the past. Billy is hostile towards Ernie and even clashes with him at one point, only for Billy's estranged cousin Phil Mitchell and the latter's mother Peggy to chuck Billy out of the pub for his behaviour. Soon enough Billy's lover Little Mo Slater finds out about his behaviour and questions him about it; Billy confides in Little Mo that Ernie was one several staff members at Hope Manor Children's Home who physically abused Billy as a child.

Eventually, Billy decides to confront Ernie over the abuse and breaks into his home. Ernie steadily recognizes Billy as one of the children in his care in the past and initially tries to placate Billy, only to then show his true colours by mocking Billy when the latter demands to know why he mistreated him. Ernie then attempts to throw Billy out of his home and then call the police when Billy refuses to leave, but instead Billy stands up to Ernie and frightens him into leaving the square for good.

Following Ernie's departure, Billy resolves to make amends with his estranged nephew Jamie Mitchell over the fact that he mistreated him in the past; Jamie later forgives Billy when the truth about Ernie's abusive nature is exposed and Jamie learns about Billy's ordeal in the past. As such Billy's confrontation with Ernie over the abuse implores him to stand up to his villainous crime boss Steve Owen over the latter's mistreatment towards him and later attempting to exonerate Little Mo from being falsely accused for attempting to murder her evil husband Trevor Morgan, who had been subjugating Little Mo through an ordeal of domestic violence and martial rape for years.

At one point, Billy confides to Little Mo's sister Kat Slater and the rest of their family about his ordeal with Ernie in the past whilst attempting to help them in their campaign against Trevor on Little Mo's behalf.

Trivia[]

He made a total of 10 appearances during his time on the show.
Ernie Johnson is the reason why main character Billy Mitchell started out having negative traits to the point of mistreating his nephew Jamie for a short while; because Ernie had abused Billy back in the latter's childhood and thus Billy's negative traits were the result of his ordeal with Ernie in the past.

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