The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his successor as executive consultant, John Yorke. The first character to be introduced was Keegan Baker , a friend of Shakil Kazemi , followed by Emerald Fox , the mother of Denise Fox and Kim Fox-Hubbard . Madison Drake , Alexandra D'Costa and Travis Law-Hughes , three new teenage characters, were also introduced in January as well as their school teacher Mr Gethin Pryce and Hugo Browning , the chairman of Weyland & Co. The following month, Preston Cooper , a student with whom Michelle Fowler had an illegal relationship in the United States, and Konrad Topolski , a love interest for Shirley Carter , made their first appearances.