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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Daniel Bird

EastEnders' Cindy and Ian's return features 'twist' as she returns from the dead

EastEnders fans will see two iconic characters return to the programme – despite one previously dying almost three decades ago.

Cindy Beale was killed off, or so viewers were led to believe after dying during childbirth, with her daughter Cindy surviving and later being brought up by her aunt, Gina Williams.

Now in a dramatic twist, Cindy (Michelle Collins) who was last seen on screens in 1998 will make an appearance with Ian (Adam Woodyatt) who was last on screens earlier this year after his exit in 2021.

In a shocking twist that media outlets had kept secret, fans will see the couple reunited once again – but all is not as it seems.

Ian and Cindy Beale are set to return to EastEnders later this year (BBC)

Reports claim that the couple will be back together but are now living in the South of France.

It's believed that Ian and Cindy will be attempting to sell sandwiches from the back of a Citroen van, while also using a smartphone to help translate.

"Bosses wanted to deliver a backstory which explains where they've both been all these years," said an insider.

Speaking to The Sun, a source claimed: "It's not entirely clear how or when they got back together, or how they ended up in France — but they seem to be a couple again.

The pair were last seen on screens together in 2014 for a Children In Need cameo (TV Grab)

"It's a clever and funny twist to have them continuing their catering work and working on stalls, just like they did on Albert Square."

The BBC refused to comment when approached by the Mirror regarding the return of Cindy and Ian which is believed to have been filmed earlier this month.

Ian and his ex-wife, split after she cheated on him and also tried to have him killed.

There will be plenty of questions given Cindy 'died' so long ago, and there's been no suggestion until now that this was a fake death.

Details of their return has been closely guarded by the BBC (BBC)

There are plenty of questions needing to be answered, but fans are already predicting that the return of Cindy and Ian will lead to at least two more comebacks.

Currently, Ian's mother Kathy Beale and son Bobby Beale are his only relatives in Walford, with his and Cindy's son Peter Beale leaving again last year.

Cindy's daughter Cindy Jr is currently away from Walford with her boyfriend Liam Butcher and her daughter, Beth.

Cindy Sr was said to have died while giving birth to her daughter in prison, something that has often been referenced on the BBC soap.

During Michelle's time away, two of her character's children have been killed off on the soap - Lucy in 2014 in a murder whodunnit, and Steven in 2017 in a fire, while he was actually attacked by Max Branning.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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