Cindy Beale: Michelle Collins returns to EastEnders after 25 years

Cindy Beale, played by histrion Michelle Collins, has returned to EastEnders aft astir 25 years away.

Collins' quality made her comeback connected Wednesday, agelong aft she was said to person died successful situation portion giving birth.

The occurrence ended successful typically melodramatic manner with a changeable of her connected a prima lounger, drinking a solid of wine.

Producers confirmed afterwards that different erstwhile favourite Adam Woodyatt would besides beryllium reprising his relation arsenic her ex-husband Ian Beale.

Collins, 61, said returning was a "surreal" experience. "It's nervus wracking, but it's besides precise exciting," she told the Sun.

"I deliberation things are astir timing, truly beingness is astir timing," she continued. "And I deliberation if it happened 5 years ago, I astir apt would person said no."

Woodyatt, who himself near Albert Square two-and-a-half years ago, noted however the EastEnders acceptable had been rebuilt since helium near and truthful it was "the weirdest happening for me" connected his instrumentality to work.

"[The] nicest happening has been going backmost and seeing each the faces that I haven't seen," helium noted.

Before she was killed disconnected - oregon truthful it seemed - Cindy had been successful situation for hiring a hitman to termination Ian, pursuing a bitter custody conflict implicit their children, Lucy and Peter

Writer Chris Clenshaw, who developed the storyline of the instrumentality of the Beales, said the accumulation squad had been discussing it for much than a year.

"We started to look astatine the communicative and obviously, marque definite it was credible successful presumption of, she's dead, however could that work? But... we didn't spot a body.

"We made definite that it worked with our probe and our advisors and they came backmost and said, 'Yeah, this is successful fact, what could and would happen' and that's erstwhile I was like, OK, I deliberation we've got a changeable of being capable to bash this."

Famous for her scheming and manipulative behaviour during her erstwhile stints successful the amusement betwixt 1988 and 1998, Cindy had countless affairs during her tumultuous narration with Ian.

On Wednesday she was revealed arsenic Rose Knight, George Knight's (Colin Salmon) agelong mislaid wife.

Speaking connected her return, Collins said: "For implicit 25 years I've perpetually been asked, 'are you going back' and present yet I tin accidental I am!

"It's an honour to beryllium asked to reprise the relation of Cindy Beale, a quality that has truly ne'er near me, and conscionable similar the aged days, wherever Cindy goes, play usually follows".

"They are truly matriarchal figures and determination aren't galore shows connected TV, really, that tin springiness women of a definite property cardinal characters and to amusement their stories."

EastEnders volition aerial adjacent connected BBC One connected Thursday astatine 19:30 BST