EastEnders legend makes shock return after five years
WEEKS have gone by since Whitney Dean and Zack Hudson left the Square to go to Milton Keynes.
Next week in EastEnders, viewers will finally know what they’ve been up to as they connect with another soap legend.
One year after the heart-breaking death of her daughter Peach, the market trader found out she was expecting a baby with her partner Zack Hudson (played by James Farrar), just as they were planning to become foster parents.
The pair haven’t been in the spotlight for several weeks as they’ve been called away from Walford when Whitney’s adoptive mother Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) revealed she needed help in Milton Keynes.
Bianca was last seen in 2019, when she’d shown up for Whitney’s wedding to Callum Highway.
In upcoming scenes, BBC One viewers will finally find out what Zack and Whitney have been up to during their absence as the long-running show airs scenes taking place across five weeks.
Coming up, Whitney and Zack arrive in Milton Keynes to visit Bianca and are immediately met with discontent from two local children, Britney (Lola Campbell) and Taylor.
Whitney tells Bianca about her pregnancy, but asks her to keep it secret from her sister Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).
A few weeks later, Whitney starts to form a kinship with Britney after she and her brother join the family for dinner at Bianca’s.
In other scenes, Whitney grows concerned for Britney when she finds her rifling through the bins for food.
This leads Bianca to reveal that her mother Keeley struggles with a drug addiction.
Two days later, Bianca invites Britney and Taylor indoors after finding the pair locked outside of their flat.
A furious Whitney heads to Keeley’s to demand an explanation – but is she making the right move?
Back in the present day, Zack and Bianca attempt to convince Whitney to return to Walford but she has other ideas and, instead, she visits Britney’s school.
Once there, she’s shocked to discover that Britney hasn’t been enrolled since 2020.
Whitney arrives back at Bianca’s and is surprised to be greeted by Sonia.
Will she manage to keep her pregnancy under wraps as Sonia struggles with her own fertility issues?
While this remains to be seen, things soon go from bad to worse when Whitney eyes a gash on Britney’s leg and, incensed, she heads to the teen’s home for a showdown with Keeley.
Sadly, things soon get out of hand and Britney makes a dash for it.
Whitney quickly follows and tries to get Britney to slow down by promising to look out for her.
But the teenager accidentally steps out in front of a speeding car before Whitney pushes her out of the way, getting hit in the process.
Zack, Bianca and Sonia rush to Whitney’s aid as she lies semi-conscious on the floor.
Could Whitney’s time in the long-running soap end in death?
Speaking about her return to the London-based program, actress Patsy Palmer said she was “excited” to reprise her role.
“I’m so excited to be reprising the role of Bianca.”
“EastEnders holds such a special place in my heart, so it’s always a pleasure to be back.”
Soap boss Chris Clenshaw added: “We know our audiences will be thrilled at her return as she is thrust into the heart of the drama alongside step-daughter Whitney.”
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
