Kellie Bright was "slightly apprehensive" about her return to EastEnders - as Linda Carter returns to screens later this month.
Linda will return to Albert Square later this month, just in time to see things heating up between her estranged husband Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) and Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) - and things soon get even worse for Linda.
She returns to the Square ahead of Tina Carter's funeral and previously released pictures from filming show her hitting the bottle as she struggles with her alcohol addiction with everything that's going on.
Now actress Kellie admits she was nervous about coming back to the show after her maternity leave.
"Coming back after a break is always a little bit scary. I definitely had some nerves at the beginning but I also felt comfortable really quickly because I am with people who I love, who are like my family," she said.
"The slight apprehension about coming back disappeared quickly and I can truly say I’ve loved being back at work."
Whilst Kellie is glad to be back, Linda is still struggling and is battling with her addiction.
Asked what advice she would give to her character, she explained: "What I would say to her is look, the first thing you need to do is stop drinking because you cannot fix anything else while you are still drinking.
"Everything that happens will balloon and morph into all sorts of dramas while you are drinking because you will make it so. So really and truly her drinking needs to be addressed before anything else."
Her on-screen husband Danny Dyer - who plays Mick Carter - will be leaving the soap this year, and whilst his exit storyline is being kept very secret, Kellie admits Linda does struggle to see Mick and Janine so close.
Explaining how her character is feeling, she said: "It's a very difficult situation, they are in the middle of divorce proceedings and it's been frosty between the two of them up to that point.
"Linda has essentially clocked Janine before this, so Linda is thinking, 'What the hell is this woman doing here sat at Tina's funeral?' I think when Janine goes up to Mick to comfort him [during the service], Linda is just about to but Janine beats her to it."
