EastEnders confirms date of Cindy Beale's shock return to Walford
17 August 2023, 13:22
Soap icon Cindy Beale, played by actress Michelle Collins, is heading back to Albert Square in a matter of days.
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EastEnders has confirmed the date of Cindy Beale's highly-anticipated return to Walford, 25 years after the iconic character left the show.
BBC bosses have finally shared details of her shock homecoming, revealing the soap legend, played by Michelle Collins, will step foot in Albert Square on Monday 28th August.
Script writers stunned viewers earlier this year when Cindy was seen sipping wine on a sun lounger in a foreign country – despite the fact she was 'killed off' decades before.
Since those jaw-dropping scenes, fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for the moment she makes her dramatic entrance into the Queen Vic.
"After 25 years away, Cindy arrives back in the square, the Knights excitedly prepare for Anna’s surprise 21st birthday in the Vic, and there are fireworks as Kathy comes face to face with a ghost from her past," the description for August Bank Holiday episode reads.
Twitter exploded with excitement following the news that Cindy was back in the mix.
One thrilled soap fan wrote: "It's going to be a real humdinger of a show!"
"Couldn't love this more if I tried," tweeted another.
"We're in for a treat, Cindy's back!," said a third.
While a fourth wrote: "So exciting, can't wait!"
Michelle's return to Eastenders has been on the cards for a while, but the actress, 61, explained it needed to happen at the right moment.
Speaking of her role reprisal, she told The Sun: "It's nerve wracking, but it's also very exciting.
"I think things are about timing, really life is about timing. And I think if it happened five years ago, I probably would have said no.
She added: "For over 25 years I've constantly been asked, 'are you going back' and now finally I can say I am!
"It's an honour to be asked to reprise the role of Cindy Beale, a character that has really never left me, and just like the old days, where Cindy goes, drama usually follows."
Following the arrival of the Knight family in Albert Square, this summer seemed like the perfect time to bring Cindy Beale back into the drama.
After it was revealed that George had a long-lost wife called Rose Knight, whom he shares children Anna and Gina with, fans speculated over who this mysterious character could be.
In June, the soap confirmed it was in fact Cindy Beale going under a fake name after living in witness protection for all this time.
Now her stint as Rose has ended, she can finally return to her former identity – and her former home in the East End.
Eastenders writer Chris Clenshaw, who worked on the dramatic plot behind the scenes, said: "We started to look at the story and obviously, make sure it was credible in terms of, she's dead, how could that work? But... we didn't see a body.
"We made sure that it worked with our research and our advisors and they came back and said, 'Yeah, this is in fact, what could and would happen' and that's when I was like, OK, I think we've got a shot of being able to do this."
Read more:
- Who was Cindy Beale in EastEnders and what happened to her?
- Who plays Yolande Trueman in EastEnders and what happened to her?
- EastEnders' Freddie Slater to reunite with mum Little Mo as his father's identity is revealed
