Emmerdale fans were surprised to see a familiar face back on their screens tonight.
Tonight's episode saw Jai Sharma desperate to make amends with his now-ex partner Laurel Thomas. In a bid to try and do what he can to get back into her good books he offered to take her kids to school.
Jai and Laurel broke up after she discovered that he had gone behind her back to fraudulently apply for a loan in her name and then hidden his deception from her, as he continued to battle financial problems. Laurel then almost lost her home after she couldn't apply for a mortgage to buy it after Jai's deceit.
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But while Jai was carrying out his good deed, fans of the ITV soap were distracted. A young character made a rare appearance.
Dotty Thomas - the daughter of Laurel Thomas and her late husband Ashley - was one of the children that Jai was offering to take to school. And according to fans it was a delight to see the child actor, due to her being absent from the soap for some time.
Taking to Twitter, Rachael said: "Blimey - we finally see Dotty after years of being up in her bedroom. #Emmerdale" Meanwhile, Donna said: "Dotty has been let out the bedroom! No wonder he couldn’t remember her name. She’s not been seen since she was a few weeks old. #Emmerdale"
One fan pointed out how long it had actually been since the character was last seen. Charity said: "Nearly 2 years since she last appeared."
Earlier in the week, fans also thought that Dotty's older brother Archie had been recast. He appeared looking much older and wearing glasses.
But the character has not been recast. Alfie Clarke has played Arthur since 2009. Before Alfie played Arthur, Billie Harrower played the character as a baby from 2007 until 2009. In 2008, Luis Townley began playing Arthur alongside Billie and they both left the role in 2009 when Alfie took over.
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV and ITV Hub
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