EastEnders airs ANOTHER legendary comeback as fan favourite character returns to screens tonight
EASTENDERS’ fan-favourite character made a surprise guest return in flashback scenes after getting murdered eight years ago.
Spoiler warning for the episode aired on Tuesday 29th August 2023.
Arthur “Fatboy” Chubb (played by Ricky Norwood) returned to our screens during a flashback scene from 2014.
After Cindy (Michelle Collins) came face-to-face with her ex George Knight (Colin Salom), Cindy knew she had a lot of explaining to do.
Cindy finally told George the truth and viewers were treated to flashback scenes set in Marbella in Spain in 2014.
In the flashback, an unhappy Cindy was drinking and paranoid about George’s fidelity when she got a call from her witness protection handler DCI Mary Nicholls (Penny Layden).
She informed her of the death of her daughter Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) back in Walford.
This prompted Cindy to abruptly flee Marbella and an angry but ignorant George told her not to return if she left.
Cindy went back to Walford in 2014 and watched her ex-husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) from afar.
Peter’s cries can be heard as Ian broke the news that his twin sister Lucy was dead.
A heartbroken Cindy was then approached by Mary who forced her to get in her car.
They spoke in a nearby street where Mary told her it was a mistake to come back as it put her Beale children in danger.
But then Cindy and Mary were briefly interrupted by Arthur “Fatboy” Chubb.
He asked for the time and began speaking about meeting his friends and getting a kebab.
He also mentioned his “pensioner” friend, landlady and housemate Dorothy “Dot” Branning (the late June Brown).
Fans of the BBC soap will remember Fatboy met a grisly end back in 2015, when he was mistakenly kidnapped by henchmen working for Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack).
Ronnie believed it was Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood) in the boot of the car.
Vincent raced to save Fatboy, but he was too late as car was crushed in a scrapyard.
Vincent kept Fatboy’s fate from a guilty Ronnie and also forged postcards to Dot from Fatboy that made it seem like he had left the country.
However, some eagle-eyed viewers believe Fatboy might be still alive.
The funeral for Dot in December saw a card sharing warm wishes to Dot which was signed by Arthur and used Fatboy’s nickname for her, ‘Mrs B’.
Written in black ink, the card said: “Mrs B – forever in my heart. Arthur x.”
Could we see more appearances from Fatboy in the future?
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.