‘EastEnders’ have confirmed Patsy Palmer is returning to the soap after executive producer Jon Sen made her comeback a priority on his "wish-list".
The 46-year-old actress will head back to Albert Square for a short stint as feisty Bianca Jackson as part of a "blistering storyline" this autumn, five years after departing the show, and Jon is delighted she has agreed to a Walford return.
He said: "When I joined the show in January, bringing Bianca Jackson back to the Square was high on my wish-list.
"I’m thrilled to announce that Patsy’s agreed to return to reprise her iconic creation in a blistering storyline that will grip fans this autumn.
"There is no one more excited than me to see her step back into Albert Square again. I simply cannot wait."
Patsy’s return to the Square will see Bianca reunite with her troubled daughter Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith), who has had a rough ride recently after she became embroiled in a county lines drug trafficking gang.
Bianca first arrived in Albert Square in 1993 and was known for her relationship with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), which led to her famous catchphrase: "Rickaaay."
The pair’s wedding in 1997 pulled in more than 22 million viewers – one of the show’s biggest audiences.
Patsy – who quit the show in 1999 before returning for a second stint in 2008 – has covered several hard-hitting storylines during her time on the soap, including being faced with the death of her younger brother Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson), and having to deal with her mum Carol Jackson’s (Linda Coulson) cancer diagnosis.
The actress left the soap again in 2014 when her alter-ego moved to Milton Keynes with her partner, cockney cabbie Terry Spraggan (Terry Alderton).