Murphy previously appeared in EastEnders in 1991 playing the character of Lorna. After playing Trisha Taylor in 2005, she returned to the series in 2010 playing a third character, Julie Perkins.
Honey Mitchell, played by Emma Barton, is employed by Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) as a "honey trap" to see if her husband Patrick (Rudolph Walker) is willing to commit adultery. During the set up Honey meets Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick). They soon become attracted to each other, and finally become a couple in December 2005. Honey becomes pregnant by Billy, and gives birth to a girl, Janet, on their wedding day in September 2006. Honey and Billy have a second child, william, November 2007. However Billy's lies and deceptions ultimately lead to Honey leaving Billy in September 2008.
Nora Swann, played by Pamela Cundell, is the sick mother of Mike Swann (Mark Wingett), who Rosie (Gerry Cowper) and Dawn (Kara Tointon) visit in hospital. She gets on well with Rosie and Dawn but doesn't appear to get on well with Mike. Her illness is the reason Mike comes to Walford and stays with the Millers. She dies on 16 February 2006 of pneumonia with Rosie at her side.
Phil re-hires Ritchie in January 2007 to represent Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) when she is arrested for the murder of her ex-mother-in-law, Pauline (Wendy Richard). Ritchie appears again in January 2008 when Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) has recorded evidence that Phil supplied Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels) with stolen cut-and-shut cars that led to Kevin's death.
In September 2009, upon the return of Sam (now Danniella Westbrook), she advises the Mitchells that Sam faces five and a half years in prison for perverting the course of justice, failure to surrender and travelling on a false passport. In June 2010 she visits Phil to talk about Ben's upcoming court case for assaulting Jordan Johnson (Michael-Joel David Stuart) and suggests that Jordan could change his story to say Ben was provoked. When Ben is due to attend Crown Court, Ritchie tells Phil that, based on a recent, similar case, Ben could get six weeks' custody. However, Phil is angry with Ritchie when Ben is sentenced to 10 months.
In December 2011, Phil re-hires Ritchie when he is arrested for the murder of Kevin Wicks after Denise Fox (Diane Parish) hands in a copy of Jack's recording. She returns soon after to warn Phil to flee the country as the police are coming to arrest him. Although she does not know why, it is for the murder of Stella Crawford. In March 2012, Phil's partner Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) confronts Ritchie because Phil is going to plead guilty to the manslaughter of Stella. Ritchie informs Shirley that Phil was attacked in prison. After Ian reveals to the police that Ben had lied about Stella's murder, Ritchie informs Shirley of Phil's release from prison.
In April 2012, she represents Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) when he is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) after he is found in possession of a large amount of money, which the police suspect he stole from her before she died, though this is not true. Ritchie convinces Phil to tell the police that he loaned the money to Billy and he is later released on bail. In August 2012, Ben (now Joshua Pascoe) confesses to Heather's murder. Ben refuses to let Ritchie represent him, which angers Phil. She is present when Phil's family are interviewed, and later informs Phil that Ben could face a minimum of 10 years in prison.
In April 2013, Stevens visits Dot to ask why she has not attended Mass on Easter Sunday. Her friend Fatboy (Ricky Norwood) tells Stevens that Dot is about to lose her home, so Stevens convinces her that she has not sinned in the eyes of God. He conducts Michael's funeral in November 2013. He appoints Dot as Church Warden and gets her to raise funds to fix the church roof. He appears on Christmas Eve to conduct a carol Service.
In May 2014, Phil asks Ritchie to contact Ben in prison to convince him to see Phil and grant him a visiting order, but Ritchie tells Phil that Ben had been released from prison the previous month. In July, Ritchie gives Billy legal advice when he is accused of involvement in the murder of Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) (see Who Killed Lucy Beale?). She leaves when Phil advises him to implicate Lucy's twin brother Peter Beale (Ben Hardy) to draw attention away from himself. Ritchie is present when Billy gives his statement to the police and it is revealed that she knows the lead investigating officer, DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman). Billy ignores the advice and tells the truth and Ritchie tells him that he has implicated himself as a prime suspect in the investigation. In August, Ritchie appears in an online clip, representing Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) whilst he is questioned by Keeble in connection with a robbery. The following day, Ritchie visits Phil and Sharon and explains that the robbery Jay is suspected of was committed the night Lucy was killed. She also reveals that there was another boy present during the robbery who matches Ben's description. Phil later meets Ritchie outside the police station and she reveals that she has found out the address of the witness who identified Jay and Phil tells her to visit him, whilst he gives Jay an alibi.
In July 2015, Ritchie represents Ben (now Harry Reid) when he is arrested for Lucy's murder. She barges into the police station and interrupts a video identity parade Keeble and DCI Jill Marsden (Sophie Stanton) are holding with a witness. Ritchie is furious with Marsden and berates her for her methods, accusing her of bending the rules. She then advises Ben to remain silent during his interview, which she sits in on. She later updates Phil on Ben's situation and he thanks her, causing Ritchie to remind him to pay her on time. Marsden asks Ritchie to wait in the interview room whilst she and Keeble review some new evidence. Ritchie then calls Phil from the police station and gives him another update on Ben's situation. Ritchie is annoyed at being kept waiting by Marsden and nearly overhears her telling DS Cameron Bryant (Glen Wallace) that she used to be a stripper to pay her fees for law school. Later in the week, Ritchie reveals that Ben will still be held in custody for mugging Lucy and that the police will be wanting to question Jay over the mugging too, causing Jay to flee. Ritchie sits in on Marsden's interview of Ben over Lucy's mugging. When Marsden goads Ben and reduces him to tears, Ritchie orders her to terminate the interview and release Ben, threatening to report her to her superior officer if she does not. In November, Ritchie helps Sharon seize control of Phil's assets by power of attorney after his drinking spirals out of control and she signs them over to Sharon and Ben.
In March 2016, Ben and Ronnie contact Ritchie when they attempt to seize control of Phil's businesses as he continues to behave erratically, and Phil throws them out of his house when he discovers what they are planning. Ritchie tells Ronnie that there is nothing she can do and Phil shouts at her as she gets in her car to leave. After Phil destroys the car lot with a digger and is arrested, Ritchie brings him home from the police station the following day. In April, Ritche reappears when Jay is arrested for having a relationship with an underage girl. Ritchie refuses to represent him, but advises him to speak to the duty solicitor and informs the Mitchells that Jay is being charged with possession of indecent images of a child. In May, Sharon hires Ritchie to represent Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) after he is arrested for assaulting his adoptive mother Jane Beale (Laurie Brett). Ritchie advises Bobby not to comment during his police interview but Bobby ignores this. Afer the interview, Ritchie leaves the room, and DS Howard South (Paul Stocker) then informs her that Bobby has confessed to Lucy's murder. Ritchie then sits in when the police interview Bobby about Lucy's death. The following week, Ritchie is present when Bobby is charged with unlawful killing, and is annoyed when he is refused bail. Ritchie then visits Jane and Ian at the hospital, where Jane is recovering, and advises them to convince Bobby to plead not guilty, to give her time to build up a convincing defence case before the trial. Ritchie visits Ian and Jane at the hospital again on the day of Bobby's sentencing. She tells them that as Bobby had pleaded guilty there is a chance that he could return home if the judge sentences him to a non-custodial youth rehabilitation order. Ritchie later attends Bobby's sentencing and mitigates for him, but despite her best efforts, Bobby is sentenced to three years youth custody. The following day she informs Ian of Bobby's progress in prison and tells him that Bobby is doing well as it is different to an adult prison. Ritchie also suggests appealing against Bobby's sentence, and offers to argue that he could be rehabilitated more at home. She then tells Ian that the choice is Bobby's but then tells Sharon and Kathy (who is actually alive) that Bobby may choose to stay in prison and serve his sentence. In October, Ritchie visits Phil in hospital, where he is suffering from liver failure, and helps him amend his will, leaving everything to his daughter Louise (Tilly Keeper). After Sharon objects, Phil calls Ritchie back to the hospital and gets her to change the will to include Ben and Sharon's son Dennis (Bleu Landau).
In September 2017, he retires and moves to Australia to live with his daughter and is replaced by Irene Mills (Melanie Kilburn).
