EastEnders star set to make surprise return to the soap three years after leaving Albert Square

Daily Mail​

21 hours ago

An EastEnders star is reportedly set to make surprise return to the soap three years after leaving Albert Square.
The character, who first set foot in Albert Square back in 2018 had a spell of intense storylines over the years.
Stuart Highway will make an appearance in Walford for a 'limited period,' but is set to cause some drama, according to The Sun.
Played by Ricky Champ, 45, he left the soap in 2022 alongside his on-screen wife Rainie Cross (played by Tanya Franks).
Stuarts major stories included confessing to accidentally killing DI Steve Thompson (Philip Wright) - who later turned out be alive.
He also admitted to being a vigilante paedophile hunter which stemmed from being sexually abused as a child.
Stuart was at the centre of a father's post-natal depression storyline, with the character struggling to bond with his baby Roland.
He had struggled with his mental health after his diagnosis with breast cancer and had trouble adjusting to parenthood after he and wife Rainie (Tanya Franks) tried for a child for a long time.
'In EastEnders I went from villain to hero to dad,' he told Digital Spy at the time of his exit.
'It was amazing, doing that for five years with a character's arc. It felt weird leaving him,' he admitted.
At the time Ricky didn't rule out a return to the soap someday, as he claimed that anything was possible.
'He didn't die. He rode off into the sunset. I think he's somewhere in the North Circular living with Rainie,' he said of his character.
Outside of EastEnders, Ricky's additional ventures include his role as Paul Parker in the BBC Three sitcom Him & Her and a Games Of Thrones appearance as Gatins.
Daily Mail has contacted the BBC for comment.
'In EastEnders I went from villain to hero to dad,' he told Digital Spy at the time of his exit in 2022 but he will be back for a 'limited period'
Elsewhere, an EastEnders legend is facing the sack after a whopping 40 years in job - and fans of the BBC soap aren't happy about it.
Beloved character Tracey, who is played by actress Jane Slaughter, has been on the show since 1985.
Over the years the barmaid, who rarely has any speaking lines, has become a huge fan favourite while serving many punters at the Queen Vic.
But a recent episode of EastEnders raised a few alarm bells with viewers after Kat Slater's (Jessie Wallace) nephew Freddie (Bobby Brazier) put forward the idea of working for her and take over from Tracey.
Kat and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) became the new owners of the pub earlier this month, after taking over from Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).
During Tuesday's instalment of the BBC show, Freddie asked for a job, but was told that they didn't have enough money for him to join the team behind the bar.
Freddie went on to tell Alfie and Kat that he would be able to work for half of what Tracey is currently paid.
It's no wonder that the bartender is such a popular character on the show, having been on EastEnders since the very beginning.
Tracey appeared on the very first episode back in 1985. She is the longest-serving character to ever take part in the popular programme having no breaks or exits.
Although the character rarely says a word on the show, back in 2022 she made a shocking revelation about Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
She confessed that Phil was the 'best sex she's ever had'