CJ played by Adrian Lee

Episodes 186 - 368

We first see CJ (short for Craig Jones) on the street! He and his friends pay some attention to Nikki Spencer and the two become good friends. Nikki`s guardian Sgt George Sullivan disapproves of CJ and the couple try their best to convince him that he really is a nice guy. He is not impressed and neither is Janine who is actually CJ`s girlfriend! Life for CJ and Nikki is full of ups and downs. Once they get rid of Janine they have to convince George that CJ can be on the right side of the law. Their plan is successful when they rope reliable Max into their scam however in a surprise twist, CJ and Nikki end up at each others throats and she begins to see Max in a new light.

CJ, on the other hand has the hots for Toni Windsor. He thinks she’s a nice girl and they become good friends. CJ gets a job at the pub and becomes a surrogate Son to Vi and Mary. Trying to make money, he is involved in scam after scam and is constantly in trouble. He decides he needs a disaster proof project and forms a band with Toni and Joey. With CJ as manager the band try their luck with the record companies but Toni soon loses interest and Joey doesn’t want to be changed into a popstar. So CJ goes back to pulling pints and making a quick buck whenever he can.

Always up for new ideas CJ is intrigued when he receives a note asking him to meet someone at the park. When he gets there no one turns up and he spends the afternoon talking to a child in a pushchair. When he gets closer to the child he sees he is holding a note. The baby, quickly named Squirt, is whom CJ has come to meet. It’s his Son! CJ takes Squirt back to the pub and with the help of Alice and Max; he manages to hide him from Mary. Alice and Max try to help him track down Squirts mother but they have no luck and CJ is thrown into Fatherhood. He’s actually pretty good at it - which impresses Toni a great deal.

Whilst doing his best with Squirt a new Police Officer doesn’t think that a pub is the right environment for a child to be living. She demands that Squirt be taken away from CJ and this task falls onto the shoulders of Max. CJ is devastated and his friendship with Max suffers as a result. Max explains that he was doing his job and had no choice, but CJ is still reluctant to listen. With the help of Bob, CJ gets Squirt back and forgives Max for his part in the situation. The scare makes CJ determined to be a good father and he decides to move out of the pub and into a house. He also wants Squirt to have a family so he asks Toni to move in with him. She agrees but only on the condition they remain good friends and nothing else. CJ obliges and they set up house together. Everyone dotes on Squirt but on one occasion whilst they are painting the playpen, Squirt goes missing. A woman brings him home and she reveals that she is Squirts mother. She and CJ used to date and she quickly confesses that Squirt isn’t CJ’s child after all - she has been having relationship problems and has given Squirt to CJ so she can have some time out. CJ is devastated when she takes Squirt to live with her and his father.

Given their close friendship, CJ and Toni ask Max to move in with them and he shows a new mature side to the community. He helps Mary after she is mugged and is there for Alice when she has her baby. All that’s missing is romance and it’s obvious to all that he is in love with Toni. After dinner one night they share a kiss but it leaves them both feeling awkward and they decide to be `just good friends. ` When Toni meets Jason at an aerobics class and decides to start dating him, CJ is incredibly jealous. He tries everything he can to split them up, but by doing this he just pushes Toni further away and when CJ`s behaviour becomes unbearable she moves out. CJ is a broken man and pretty soon Max, Jamie and Penny realise that he really does love Toni. CJ tries to make amends but Toni doesn’t want to know, so when he witnesses Jason kissing his ex-girlfriend, Melanie, he is put in a difficult position. He decides to tell Toni what he saw, but of course she doesn’t believe him. So with the help of Melanie, CJ sets Jason up so that Toni will them together. It works and Toni finishes things with Jason, however she is not quick to forgive CJ and relations between them remain strained. Thanks to Jamie and Penny the pair are set up and CJ tells Toni how he feels about her. After a kiss, she admits she feels the same way and they agree to give their relationship a chance. They head off on holiday with Penny and Jamie and wrapped up in emotion CJ proposes to Toni. This puts them both back to square one, and they are unsure of each other and what the future holds for them.

CJ eventually tells Toni that he does want to marry her and they announce their engagement to a shocked Westside. They face disapproval from Toni’s dad and Elly is fearful that they are rushing things but they get overcome it and CJ is determined to make a home for he and Toni. When he wins some cash on scratch cards he gets carried away and buys more and more. To his surprise he wins the jackpot and as he skips down the road to tell Toni he is run over by a car. At first his injuries seem slight but it is soon revealed he cannot see. He is told it may only be temporary and Elly explains that the type of blindness he has is a state of mind and not a physical medical condition. The wedding goes ahead and Toni looks absolutely stunning as she walks up the aisle. Not content with hearing what she looks like, CJ turns to face her and miraculously regains his sight. As he tells Toni he can see her, the church explodes into cheering and the day is made even more special. Mr and Mrs Jones spend the next two weeks in bed, before setting off on a honeymoon won for them by Max.

When they return, CJ decides he wants a change in career. He wants to provide for Toni and the family they want to have. He enrols in a filming course. He enjoys it but finds it hard to juggle it whilst still working at the pub. Exhausted and unable to think straight, he starts taking drugs to keep him alert. But they just make him worse. He makes several slip ups at work and looses his temper with Toni. When she can`t take it any more she walks out. She goes to live with Elly and CJ takes action about his drug habit. With the help of Elly and Bob, he kicks drugs and sets about getting Toni back. But it`s too late. After CJ lashes out at her she goes to see Sam, CJ`s friend, and they end up sleeping together. They are both guilty and when CJ finds out he punches Sam. Toni is confused and decides to go to her grandparents farm to do some thinking. CJ is left in the dark, but Sam knows where she is. On realising that Toni does love CJ and she is his wife, Sam tells CJ where she is and CJ sets off to the farm. They talk about the future and CJ explains that he was trying to set up a good future for them when he got involved with the drugs. With CJ`s temper at rest and Sam out of the way, the couple put their troubles behind them and decide to stay on the farm and start afresh. We see them hug amidst the trees and they never return to Westside. A weird pairing, but one which worked out and showed us many different side of CJ. We hope Mr & Mrs Jones are happy milking cows and feeding the chucks!