Gilet's casting in the show was announced in January 2008, when the character was described as "attractive, charismatic, strong and forthright" and "just a dodgy geezer with a murky past." His profile on the official EastEnders website describes him as "an upstanding member of the community, a far cry from the youth he once was." Through the show's narrative, it is revealed that Lucas is a former drug addict and has gone on to become a preacher in a Christian church.
