Sid Owen is returning to Albert Sq. as EastEnders favorite Ricky Butcher after 10 years away from the cleaning soap.
The actor, 50, mentioned he's “delighted” to be reprising his function as Walford’s hapless mechanic after beforehand starring within the BBC collection from 1988 till 2000, returning sporadically till 2012.
Owen’s character was concerned in quite a lot of high-profile storylines, maybe most famously along with his on-screen partner Bianca Jackson performed by Patsy Palmer.
Their relationship was a success with followers and their on-screen wedding ceremony drew an viewers of greater than 22 million.
Of his return, Owen mentioned: “I’m delighted to be again at EastEnders. I can’t wait to see what Ricky Butcher has been as much as these previous few years and the way he’s going to react to seeing some acquainted faces together with outdated flames. I’m excited to see the drama unfold.”
Owen’s character is about to reunite along with his on-screen troublesome sister Janine Butcher, performed by Charlie Brooks.
Brooks final appeared within the cleaning soap in March 2014, when her character left for Paris to select up daughter Scarlett, however made a comeback final 12 months as one of many long-running cleaning soap’s best-known villains.
Ricky can even come face-to-face along with his ex-wife Sam Mitchell, who's the daughter of Peggy and sister to Phil and Grant Mitchell, performed by Kim Medcalf.
She first got here to Albert Sq. in 1990 and was performed by Danniella Westbrook.
Chris Clenshaw, government producer, mentioned: “It's a nice pleasure to welcome Sid again to the function of Ricky Butcher.
“Sid helped to create such an iconic character in Ricky who turned so synonymous with the present and we couldn’t be extra excited to have him again for some time.
“Ricky has a lot historical past within the Sq. to discover and whereas plenty of time has handed since we final noticed him, it’s truthful to say wherever Ricky goes, he at all times finds himself slap-bang in the course of mayhem.”
Additionally becoming a member of the forged is British actor Navin Chowdhry, who is about to make his EastEnders debut because the incarcerated patriarch Nish Panesar, rising from a two-decade stint behind bars.
Chowdhry mentioned: “It’s been nice, everybody has been pretty. My function in the mean time has been centered across the Panesar household, however everybody has been extraordinarily welcoming.
“I’ve by no means labored on a present like EastEnders, so it’s been a brand new expertise for me however I liked the storylines and I’ve obtained a eager curiosity on this household as a result of there’s a lot taking place always.
“Nish is an fascinating character, barely unconventional and with that brings drama and mayhem.
“I feel there’s man beneath there however turmoil follows these guys round so I’m excited to affix in and set off just a few extra explosions and fireworks.”
The 51-year-old actor is presently filming scenes set to air in autumn.
Mr Clenshaw added: “The spectre of Nish Panesar is lastly right here, and it’s been a pleasure welcoming Navin to the forged, and take to the function so effortlessly; he brings one thing to the character that none of us might’ve predicted.
“His dynamic on and off-screen, and we’re excited to see the place his character develops because the story grows.”