BBC EastEnders icon confirmed to return to soap after 17 years

Ever since Nish Panesar arrived in EastEnders back in September 2022, the Walford bad boy has made a name for himself in Albert Square as a no nonsense businessman with a brutal and often sinister side to him. For months, Nish emotionally abused his wife Suki Panesar and even attempted to kill her lover Eve Unwin after he rumbled the illicit affair going on right under his nose, however after the explosive events of Christmas Day it initially looked as though his luck was starting to run out.

EastEnders' legend Diane Parish is best known for her role as Denise Fox, but actually had a challenging part on the soap before her debut as Denise. The actress first appeared as Denise in 2006 and has since become a fan favourite with numerous dramatic storylines. Before Denise, Diane played another character on EastEnders, Lola Christie, in 1998, who was introduced as the girlfriend of Walford resident Mick McFarlane, played by Sylvester Williams.

Everyone's soap favourite, Bobby Brazier, who recently wowed us on Strictly Come Dancing, has shared his excitement for returning to EastEnders.The 20 year old actor took a break from the popular BBC soap to show off his dance moves alongside partner Dianne Buswell in the latest series. Bobby became a fan-favourite for playing Freddie Slater on EastEnders during 2022. His work won him a National Television Award but he decided to hit pause on his soap career so he could take centre stage on Strictly.

Actress Maisie Smith has teased a potential return to Eastenders years after her character was last seen in Albert Square.

A much-loved EastEnders star is making a TV comeback in a viewers' favourite TV show, after 13 years away from the series. Sean Maguire, who famously played Aidan Brosnan on EastEnders in 1993, is set to star in the brand-new series of Death in Paradise when it returns to our screens next month.

Comedian Bobby Davro has had a minor stroke after fainting at a comedy show.The former EastEnders star had just finished his performance and received a standing ovation from the audience at his sold-out gig. Bobby, 65, had a 'funny turn' at the Coulsdon Comedy Club in South London last Thursday night.This happened after he had to cancel shows because he fell ill during a performance. The much loved star had been having a tough time lately, after his late fiancee Vicky Wright passed away in May last year.

Lorraine Stanley is set to reprise her EastEnders role, with Karen Taylor returning to Albert Square following her son's disappearance. Karen had recently left Albert Square and moved to sunny Spain after she took the blame for kidnapping Albie, with residents of Walford later discovering that it was actually her son Keanu who was responsible for this.

Shona McGarty has been filming her final scenes as Whitney Dean, ahead of exit from EastEnders after nearly two decads in the much-loved role. The actress, 32, has played Whitney since her first appearance in Albert Square back in 2008, and has had a number of dramatic storylines including childhood sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and pregnancy loss. Her most recent storylines saw Whitney discover she was pregnant just months after losing her baby daughter Peach after giving birth to her 18 weeks into the pregnancy following a diagnosis of Edwards' syndrome.

Fans of BBC soap EastEnders are preparing to say goodbye to a legend. Actress Tameka Empson, who brings Kim Fox to life on screen, is temporarily exiting Albert Square as she embarks on an exciting new adventure. On Monday's edition of The One Show, 22 January, Tameka shared the news of her departure, assuring fans: "Kim's gonna be okay! She's gonna be ok - she's going on a nice cruise with Howie and the children.

EastEnders fans believe they may have rumbled a huge twist on the horizon after Gina Knight and Dean Wicks’ secret romance was exposed during this week’s first visit to Walford. As regular viewers will know, Gina has been secretly dating rapist Dean Wicks - who brutally assaulted Linda Carter during his previous stint in Albert Square - but has kept things out of the spotlight so as not to upset her family, in particular her father George Knight who happens to be dating Linda’s mum Elaine! Given Dean’s history, much of Walford has been less than impressed with his return to the Square, but despite knowing the allegations against him, Gina declared that she believes him over Linda, in scenes that fans are convinced may be part of a bigger plot to expose his ways.

After more than four years away, Patsy Palmer is bracing herself ahead of her return to Albert Square, because playing Bianca Jackson is the toughest job she’s ever had. When she’s not in the UK, Patsy lives in Malibu, California, soaking up year-round sunshine. It’s a far cry from the EastEnders set, where the actress spends long days soaking up puddles, grime and her character’s tears.

BBC soap star James Alexandrou was back on the set of EastEnders 17 years after his exit as he took on a behind-the-scenes role. The 38 year old, who is best known for playing Martin Fowler on the soap, first appeared on Albert Square in 1996. Fans of the show will remember Martin as the bad boy son of Arthur and Pauline Fowler.

EastEnders viewers were treated to some super tense moments in Thursday night's episode as Sam Mitchell left Albert Square after causing carnage at the Queen Vic After learning that she had been left a staggering £100,000 in her Aunt Sal's will - along with Phil and Grant's share - she confronted brother Phil to demand her share of the money. Unimpressed when he refused to hand it over, she decided to resort to blackmail after discovering that Phil had cheated on his wife Kat - something she learned from Alfie Moon.

Actress Natalie Cassidy lost a dramatic four stone while she promoted her popular weight-loss DVD - but she ended up regretting it in the immediate aftermath.

EastEnders' Natalie Cassidy has revealed she is feeling 'very ill' and has had to take time off from filming on the BBC One soap, throwing filming into chaos. She shared on Instagram: "Poorly.The only time I will ever get to watch the South Bank Show Originals.

Hot on the heels of this year’s explosive Christmas whodunnit storyline, EastEnders fans have high hopes for the soap’s 40th anniversary next year after several eagled eyed fans claim to have spotted proof that two characters will be returning from the dead. According to fans, Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell could be making a come back, despite having being killed off on screen! Of course, death has never been a barrier to other characters from returning, with Dirty Den Watts, Kathy Beale and Cindy Beale all having returned to the soap after previously being killed on the soap.

EastEnders fans were left incredibly disappointed as their favourite BBC soap was unfortunately pulled from today's schedule, 16 January. BBC bosses chose to remove the serial drama from its usual slot as a result of scheduling conflicts.

An EastEnders icon is reprising her role 31 years after her first appearance on the BBC soap. It’s been over four years since she last appeared on the show, but now Bianca Jackson will be making a comeback to our screens as actress Patsy Palmer returns to Walford for a short stint this spring.

Whitney Dean is set to leave Walford later this year and while details of her exit storyline are still yet to be revealed, EastEnders fans are sure they've worked out what prompts her to leave Albert Square. Whitney (Shona McGarty) is currently in a happy relationship with Zack Hudson (James Farrar), with the pair having moved in together and recently started fostering. Shortly after Christmas, Whitney discovered she's pregnant again and has ultimately decided to keep her baby.

EastEnders fans have been left cringing over Penny Branning's (Kitty Castledine) nickname for her dad Jack (Scott Maslen). Following her dramatic return to Albert Square, Penny has been referring to her dad as "Big Man Jack", something that fans have complained has left them feeling rather grossed out.Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one viewer complained: "'Big man Jack' is not cute. It’s a really weird name to give your own dad.