EastEnders icon returning to soap 25 years after being killed off

Michelle Collins is returning to ‘EastEnders’ 25 years after her character was killed off as EastEnders trailer sees the Knights herald new era at the Queen Vic.

The 60-year-old actress starred as Cindy Beale on the BBC soap opera from 1988 until 1998 and is reportedly due to make a return to screens along with her on-screen husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) – who is also heading back to the soap after a two-year break – even though her character was said to have died in childbirth off-screen whilst serving time in prison for attempted murder.

A source told The Sun: “This has been done so secretively but it’s going to be an absolute bombshell — an unbelievable twist. Ian and Cindy are one of the most memorable couples in soap history. But Cindy has been dead for 25 years — and nobody will see this coming. The biggest surprise is that Michelle has so often said there’s no chance she’d come back.”

Since her time on Albert Square, Michelle has carved out a successful career on both stage and screen, having enjoyed a stint as Rovers Return landlady Stella Price in rival soap opera ‘Coronation Street’ and has appeared in stage productions of musicals such as ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.’

It’s just too long now — apart from the fact I’m dead. If I went back to EastEnders, that would be it. I still haven’t shaken off Cindy after all these years. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but it has always been there and I’ve done a lot of other work over the years

But in 2019, the ‘Two Thousand Acres of Sky’ actress – who during her time on the BBC soap saw her character have a string of affairs that led Ian to hire a private investigator – remarked that she had not been able to “shake Cindy off” and remained adamant that a return could not happen because her character was deceased.

She said: “It’s just too long now — apart from the fact I’m dead. If I went back to ‘EastEnders’, that would be it. I still haven’t shaken off Cindy after all these years. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but it has always been there and I’ve done a lot of other work over the years.”

A new trailer has heralded the arrival of the Knight family in EastEnders.

The new video set to Muse’s cover of ‘Feeling Good’ sees George Knight (Colin Salmon) and his two daughters Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford) walk into Walford and towards the Queen Vic pub.

The trio are greeted by George’s partner and the new landlady of the Queen Vic, Elaine Peacock, now played by Harriet Thorpe, who returned to the Square earlier this month to form a new business partnership with daughter Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).

The clip teases Linda’s shock and dismay as Elaine welcomes her new family to the Square before Anna hands Linda a bouquet of flowers.

However, as the group turn to face the camera for a line-up pose, the flowers in a displeased Linda’s hands have now decayed and withered.

Is Linda already regretting betraying her best friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and going into business with her mum?

The arrival of the Knight clan with a new iteration of Elaine was announced earlier this year as Linda was calling a mysterious potential buyer of the late Mick’s shares in the pub.

Speaking about the arrival of the Knights, executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: “The arrival of the Knights brings a new dawn to Albert Square. George Knight is a charming rogue and an old-school gent who dotes on his two daughters, Gina and Anna.

“George will take up residence in the Queen Vic when he joins his beloved Elaine, a powerhouse of a land-lady who knows just how to have fun.

“The couple will be joined by feisty, determined and demanding Gina, who is as sharp and cool as cut diamonds but with a temper that blazes like fire, whereas younger sister, Anna is fun, loveable, and big-hearted, but don’t underestimate her.”

Will Linda eventually come around to her mum’s new family? Or, could they link to the dramatic events of the Christmas flash-forward?

The Knight family will make their much-anticipated debut on Thursday 1st June 2023.

MarkMeets have been informed that Maisie Smith insists door is open for her EastEnders return, tThe 21-year-old actress is currently on hiatus from the BBC One soap, but she claims the door is always open for her to reprise her role as Tiffany Butcher.

“You never leave ‘EastEnders’. I’ve got a family on there that will be there for the next 50 years. I’ll always have a place there. The next time someone gets married or dies, I’m sure I’ll be back.

“They’ve watched me grow up and have never treated me any differently.” Tiffany is currently residing in Germany with her brother Liam (Alfie Deegan).

The former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ contestant’s career has been given a major boost after signing up to appear in ‘Bermondsey Tales: Fall Of The Roman Empire’.

She is playing the part of Chloe, a leading player in a mobster family opposite ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ actor Alan Ford and ‘Kidulthood’ star Adam Deacon.

“Maisie has secured her first big film role and shooting will begin later this year. It is an exciting new venture for Maisie and she can’t wait to dip her toe into a big new project.

“Since ‘Strictly’ and ‘EastEnders’ she has kept her eyes open for her next on-screen job and the people behind ‘Bermondsey Tales’ thought Maisie was the perfect fit.”

Maisie is filming the movie after her stint in the stage show ‘Strictly Ballroom: The Musical’.

Maisie previously made her feature film debut at the age of four when she appeared as a young Elizabeth I in the 2008 film ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ opposite Eddie Redmayne, Benedict Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson.

She went on to land the role of Tiffany in ‘EastEnders’ when she was just six – staying with the show for more than a decade before stepping back last year.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.