Sam Mitchell has made a sensational return to EastEnders - with a brand new face.
It's been six years since Phil and Grant's feisty sister has been in Albert Square, but it's been a lot longer for returning actress Kim Medcalf, who was back on our screens in Monday night's episode.
The 48-year-old is no stranger to Walford as she played the role of Sam for three years before departing in 2005, taking over from original actress Daniella Westbrook.
Danniella, who was first cast in 1990, came back as Sam on two occasions between 2009 and 2016 but bosses decided not to bring her back this time round.
In a statement, Kim said: "When the BBC approached me last year to reprise the role of Sam I was thrilled.
"She's a brilliant character and I can't wait to get back in the Square this spring and work with the amazing cast of both familiar and new faces."
So what has Kim been up to during her spell away from EastEnders?
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Before landing the EastEnders gig, Kim studied law at Bristol University then became an account manager selling soap powder for a pharmaceutical company.
But she quickly realised it wasn't for her and pursued a career in acting after taking a speech and drama course, getting her first job in 2001 in the musical One Touch of Venus.
Then she auditioned for a role on EastEnders, but was completely unaware that the character being cast was Sam Mitchell.
During Danniella's third spell on the soap, her contract was not renewed by the BBC at the end of 1999 after producers grew tired of her unreliability.
When they decided to bring Sam back two years later, Danniella was still struggling with off-screen problems so EastEnders bosses decided to recast the role with a new actress.
They kept the identity of the character 'top secret', then confessed to Kim that they wanted her to be in an iconic role.
Explaining how she discovered what the role was, Kim said: "They kind of sat me down and said 'actually we haven't been 100% truthful here, this [audition] is not for...a new character at all, it's for the part of Sam Mitchell. Do you know who she is?' and I said, 'yes of course I do!'
Kim admitted she had reservations about taking on the role that was associated with Danniella but was pleased with her opening storyline.
"It was scary finding out I'd be taking over someone else's character because you wonder whether the public will accept it," she said at the time. "I loved the show so I just decided to go for it"
When the news was announced, Danniella gave her backing to her replacement by graciously saying: "I wish her all the luck in the world. It's a great part and I'm sure she'll be great."
After three years in the role, Kim left in 2005, then Danniella made a shock return as Sam four years later.
Not much is known about Kim's private life, but she was pictured with husband Simon in 2013 at a Playhouse Theatre production in London.
Since leaving EastEnders she has mainly focused on her stage career, appearing in stage versions of Margaret Atwood's novel The Penelopiad and South Pacific.
In 2006 she gave an acclaimed performance in the play Hay Fever alongside Judi Dench and appeared in The Vagina Monologues in 2008.
But she didn't leave TV entirely, having roles in BBC drama The Missing in 2010, Harley Street in 2008 and Collateral in 2018.
Despite both laying claim to the character of Sam, there is no bad blood between Kim and Danniella, who met in person at an awards show a decade ago.
Speaking last year, Danniella explained: "I had never seen Kim before, so I went up to her on the red carpet and I said: 'Kim, I just wanted to say well done on the part. I know you took a lot of backlash and everything for stepping in, but you did a fantastic job. You're a very talented actress and thank you for keeping Sam alive, keeping her going'.
"She was a little bit taken aback and said: 'Thank you so much'."
Danniella let out her frustrations on Twitter when she discovered that Kim was returning as Sam and claimed no one from the soap had contacted her about being replaced - but made it clear her issue was with the bosses.
The unhappy actress wrote: "Wishing Kim the best of luck at @BBCEastenders__ yet again this poor woman has to recreate a Samantha Mitchell as close to my last two recent come backs on the square go smash it darling..x oh but not to @bbceastenders my legal team will be in touch."
Kim had never ruled out a return to the show as she was always fond of the character and watched it on and off.
"My life took me in a different direction though,’ she explained. ‘I worked a lot in theatre and had a family, so I didn’t necessarily think a return would be on the cards," she told The Metro this month.
"It was incredible [being back on Albert Square], just so amazing. It was a really surreal experience, kind of like I’d gone back in time 17 years. I know the lot is new but everything feels so familiar."
The BBC's head of continuing drama, Kate Oates, revealed she had wanted to bring Sam back for a long time and promised fireworks.
Sam is set to clash with her brother's current lover, Kat, his ex, Sharon, as well as Jack and Denise because she is Ricky's biological mother.
"The Mitchells are one of the most iconic families in soap, and I have long wanted to bring Sam back into the family fold," explained Kate.
"With Phil potentially facing a long spell inside, Sam arrives back in Walford ready to take what she sees as her rightful place in the Mitchell empire.
"But with strong grudges against Kat, Sharon, Jack and Denise, to name but a few, her return is guaranteed to be explosive…"
On Monday night, Sam turned heads when she strutted into prison and told a beaming Phil it was good to be back.
But it's evident not everyone is pleased to see her in the latest first-look scenes, as Sharon shockingly swills Sam with a glass of wine after Phil's sister reveals exactly why she has decided to return to Walford.
And Kim has teased that more fiery scenes are on the way in the coming months as she opened up on her character's relationship with Sharon.
"Sharon’s clearly so loyal to Phil and they have a special relationship. There is a lot of feistiness between Sharon and Sam and when you throw Kat into the mix too it’s very explosive," said Kim.
"I think the audience are going to love this dynamic. It’s been such great fun to play alongside Letitia and Jessie, there really are some brilliant scenes coming up."
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