The role of Vicki Fowler on the BBC soap opera EastEnders was Johnson's first television role though not her professional début, having previously appeared in numerous stage productions, including a six-month run in a National Theatre production of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood directed by Roger Michell. Johnson left EastEnders in 2004 after two years and 194 episodes, and returned to stage acting as well as embarking on career in films. For her portrayal of Vicki Fowler, Johnson was voted #83 in 'The 100 Greatest Eastender's Characters Of All Time'.