that Peggy is there, but Sal recognises the smell of Peggy's perfume, so she reveals herself. Peggy refuses to return to Sal's house, saying that Walford is her home. The sisters then embrace emotionally. After Peggy commits suicide, Sal attends her funeral in July 2016, using a wheelchair. After the funeral, Sal explains to Sharon that Peggy called the police on her abusive husband, Eric (George Russo), to protect Phil, showing Phil just how much Peggy loved him. In September 2016, it is shown that Grant has been staying with Sal, but he later decides to return to Portugal. Sal later returns in December 2016 for Ronnie's hen party for her second wedding to Jack, where she reveals she has taught herself how to read tarot cards. She performs this on Ronnie and Roxy. Ronnie selects cards that show positivity, a happy life and marriage, while Roxy selects The Fool, The Devil and Death. Roxy exclaims to Sal and Ronnie that Sal does not know what she is doing. Sal attends Ronnie and Jack's wedding on New Year's Day 2017, after which Roxy and Ronnie die after drowning in a hotel swimming pool. Later that month, Sal attends Ronnie and Roxy's funerals, where she berates their mother, Glenda Mitchell (Glynis Barber), for walking out on them when they were children, resulting in Glenda fleeing the church in tears. In January 2022, Sharon mentioned that Phil was likely to be hiding in Sal's holiday home while on the run from the police. Creation and development In February 1996, it was announced that comedy actress Anna Karen would be joining the cast of EastEnders as Peggy Mitchell's sister Sal. Anna Karen and the actress who had played Peggy, Barbara Windsor, were "best friends" in real life and Windsor had expressed how happy she was to have Karen on the cast of EastEnders Producers decided to hire Karen after Michael French, who played "romeo" David Wicks decided to quit. They reportedly failed to lure back June Brown, who played Dot Cotton between 1985 and 1993 (although they were successful in doing so a year later). They asked Karen to audition and decided she "was just the ticket". Commenting on her casting, Karen said, "It's great to be back on the box and a real treat to be working alongside my old mate [Barbara Windsor]." Kate Lock brands Sal as "Peggy's blabbermouth sister" and