Vinnie Monks was introduced by the executive producer of EastEnders, Diederick Santer. The character, described as "a loveable rogue", was brought in as a love interest for the character Shirley Carter (played by Linda Henry) in October 2007. A BBC source said "Vinnie likes a challenge, and he ll have a big one on his hands trying to get Shirley to crack a smile. She s going to find him very irritating [ ]He s lived quite a life and drives a flash car, but all is not quite what it seems. It s not all kosher.