Izzy Maxine Charles (born 2009) is the daughter of Chlo Grainger and Donte Charles and sister of Tommy. Izzy was named after Chlo's late mother Izzie Redpath, who was fatally stabbed by Lewis Seddon's cousin, Jed Seddon. Her middle name is after one of her mother's best friends, who got shot dead by Earl Kelly.
Series 4
When Chlo found out she was pregnant with Izzy, she kept the baby, but towards the end of the pregnancy, decided she wanted to give Izzy up for adoption.
Chlo's waters broke when she was in the girls' toilets at Waterloo Road Comprehensive School, while Donte was ready to divorce her and bring up the baby himself with the help of Tom. She gave birth in the toilets with the help of Kim Campbell, who was there talking to Chlo when her waters broke, and Donte, who'd been told by Janeece Bryant that Chlo was in labour.
Later, after Chlo had been brought to the hospital, Donte told her that if she really wanted to put the baby up for adoption, he'd accept it because he loves her. But Chlo asked to see her baby, and when she did so, decided she wanted to keep her daughter and named her after her mother.
After Chlo was offered a spot in Manchester University and Tom wanted her to go even though she didn't want to, Tom bought the family a house next to the University, knowing that Chlo wanted to go and didn't want to see her let go of her dream. Donte, Chlo and Izzy moved to Manchester, and this is the last we saw of them in the original run of the show.
Series 11
The family return in Series 11 when Izzy is starting Year 9 at Waterloo Road High School, however, this move proved difficult after the death of her mother Chlo on her first day at the school.
Izzy quickly befriends Tonya Walters, and they soon get into trouble after absconding from school and stealing some mice from a pet shop, which they set free in a park before being caught by police and taken back to school. Her father Donte also starts a new job as a caretaker at the school, and she tells him to act like he doesn't know her if he sees her.
After the inquest into Chlo's death, Izzy overhears Coral Walker confessing that Chlo's accident was the result of Coral losing her temper. Izzy tearfully phones Donte and tells him, and Donte ends up smashing up Coral's car with a sledgehammer.
Series 12
in Episode 3, Izzy is upset after finding out that Donte had kissed Amy Spratt, but Donte explains that there is nothing going on between them. In the said episode, she along with her best friend, Tonya, perform an emotional poem dedicated to the late Chlo Charles.
Series 13
In Series 13, Izzy is having a tough time dealing with her dad Donte, when he lets Nicky Walters, Preston Walters and Tonya Walters move in with them when they have nowhere else to stay, Throughout the series, Donte falls in love with Nicky. When they tell the kids it particularly angers Izzy and Tonya who break into a fight about it. In Episode 8, After seeing Donte almost get run over, Izzy is horrified that Donte nearly died, and after struggling to cope with her crowded home, Izzy, Donte, and Mika all agree that Mika should take Izzy away for a while to Leeds and Donte and Tommy will visit every weekend.
Series 15
In Series 15 Episode 7, Izzy returns to the show with blonde hair. She somehow left her Auntie Mika to move back in with her dad and Tommy, only to learn she now has a half-brother named Ashton, much to her confusion. In the next episode, her first day back at the new venue becomes quite eventually. Ashton gets into trouble by Donte for teaching Tommy to swear after playing mature first-person shooting games. Izzy persuades Donte to go easier on her half-brother and let him stay. Though Asthon appears to be grateful, he learns it was Izzy who had been swearing in front of Tommy and blackmails her to pay him £100 to keep quiet about the ordeal.
Series 16
In Series 16, Izzy gets into a rivalry with Cat Guthrie for questioning relationship education, when Cat misinterprets her as mocking Libby's episode of abuse by Jared. Later, Izzy briefly forms a romantic relationship with Ben Drake, until on the day of Hope's memorial, when, feeling guilty of taking advantage of him due to his late sister's unfortunate fate, she breaks up with him. At the end of the series, she and Cat settle their differences and agree to become friends.
Trivia
- Izzy is the only student in the revived series to have also appeared in the original run of the show.
- Izzy's actress, Scarlett Thomas, is the real-life niece of Donte's actor Adam Thomas, and the real-life daughter of Bex Fisher's actress Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas, Adam's brother.
- Her brother Tommy Charles is portrayed by her real-life cousin, Teddy Thomas, Adam's son.
- Izzy mentions that her uncle has a tattoo on his neck. This is either a reference to Josh Stevenson, or to her aunt Mika Grainger's partner (later ex-partner) Simon.
- Izzy is named after her maternal grandmother, Izzie Redpath, who died before she was born, albeit with a slightly different spelling.
- Her middle name, 'Maxine', is after her mum's friend Maxine Barlow, who was murdered shortly before her birth.
Quotes
- "Dad, I'm scared." (first line)
- "It's not happening to just you! You're making everything ten times harder! The one time I really need you, you're not here!"
- Izzy: "But thank you."
- Tonya: "For what?"
- Izzy: "Saying that she died. You know, not that I lost her, or that she passed. Hate that."
- "Right, remember, you see me today, you do not know me."
- Izzy: "I'm kinda just hoping that after this inquest is over, everybody's gonna stop talking about what happened. But then...I feel bad."
- Amy: "Yeah, OK. Why?"
- Izzy: "I feel guilty doing the stuff I like. You know, going shopping, going out with my mates, and even just watching TV."
- "Listen. Look at me. You've got nothing to be sorry about, OK? You were right to be angry. Nobody knows what it's like. Nobody can tell us how to feel."
- "Watch my temper? Says the man who smashed up a car with a hammer."
- "You and her? You kissed?! Everyone heard it, Dad! You had the mic on!"
- "When things went wrong, she could fix them. Now there's just one mess after another. And you're right, nobody can replace Mum. Especially not you!"
- Izzy: "Even so, you've done all this in her memory. It's like she's still making a difference. Still here. Oh, and by the way, you do owe me some sponsor money."
- Donte: "What you talking about? I organised all this."
- Izzy: "Dad, come on, what would Mum want you to do?"
- Donte: "Ohohoho, it's like that, is it?"
- Izzy: "Come on, dig deep."
- "She's come in here and just dumped all her problems on us, and you can't even see it! Tommy's forgotten, I'm forgotten, and my mum's forgotten!"
- Tonya: "You know what she called you, don't you?"
- Izzy: "Ugh...I said, you're only with my dad for one reason, and that's definitely not cos you care about him!"
- Izzy: "I will go live with Auntie Mika. I will go to Leeds."
- Donte: "That is not happening."
- Izzy: "Oh, it will. And you know why? Cos that's what my mum woulda wanted, and you don't got a say on that."
- "It's not that I hate her. I hate that she's not Mum! I want Mum!"
- "Yeah." (final line of first stint)
- "Who's moving in where?" (first line of second stint)