Ahead of two huge EastEnders returns, fans reckon they know which legendary character will follow them to Albert Square… the iconic Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson).
It was announced last month that Michael French is set to reprise his role as Carol’s ex-husband David Wicks.
The son of queen Pat Butcher (Pam St Clements) and Pete Beale (Peter Dean), he was involved in some of the BBC soap’s biggest storylines.
From his affair with half-brother Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) to falling for Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer)… before learning she was his daughter, his initial stint in the mid 90s was really quite eventful.
After a lengthy absence he returned to Walford in 2013, and it seemed like he would finally get a ‘happily ever after’ moment with Carol – but that wasn’t meant to be.
When he failed to show up to their wedding after suffering a heart attack, she believed he had jilted her. Despite reconciling, David made a bold move and eloped to America, leaving Carol devastated.
His return later in the year will coincide with Bianca making a spectacular reappearance after her earlier departure in June. She left the Square after a massive fall-out with adoptive daughter Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) and sister Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), who is about to find herself in a bit of a pickle.
Upcoming scenes will see Sonia and her fiancé Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) arrested for the murder of his comatose wife Debbie, which seems a very appropriate time for her ‘faaaamily’ to rally around her.
As viewers know, Reiss was the one who smothered her with a pillow to evade paying any more of her private care fees.
Fans have taken to social media, convinced that Carol, who was last seen in 2015, will be the next to be announced.
‘Carol Jackson returning to EastEnders is now no longer a want but a need. Lindsey Coulson is one of the finest actresses the show has ever had and even the slightest possibility of her being reunited on screen with Bianca and David is sending me silly. Pay her all the money’ said one dedicated fan.
Another added: ‘David Wicks & Bianca Jackson returning, I’m just hoping that Carol Jackson’s return is yet to be announced.’
‘If David Wicks is coming back…Please bring Carol Jackson back too’ chirped another.
‘I think Sonia’s mom is returning, Carol Jackson. #EastEnders’ shared one.
Carol had some pretty big storylines prior to her 2015 exit, including the discovery of Bianca’s affair with her boyfriend Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass), the death of youngest son Billie (Devon Anderson), alcoholism and a breast cancer diagnosis.
After hitting the bottle following her brother Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) arrest for the murder of Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater), son Robbie (Dean Gaffney) convinced her to start afresh.
EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw has teased further returns ahead of the 40th anniversary next year. Could Carol be one of them?
