EastEnders villain Graham Foster is returning to Albert Square as he reunites with his son Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) after 18 years.
Alex McSweeney is set to reprise his historic role for a short stint this July after making his Walford debut in 2003 as quiet and unassuming Queen Vic punter Graham Foster.
But his truly evil character was soon exposed when he raped barmaid Little Mo Slater (Kacey Ainsworth) at the pub after she turned down his advances.
The attack resulted in the birth of her son Freddie while she was married to Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) at the time, who confessed that he couldn't look after Freddie after finding out he was the child of Little Mo's rapist Graham.
Graham was arrested for the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison in 2005.
18-year-old Freddie made his explosive return in 2022 to reconnect with his 'father' Billy as he grew up believing that his mum's ex-husband was his dad.
Since his comeback, Freddie has continued searching for answers about his father, but Little Mo and the Slaters have remained tight-lipped about the circumstances relating to his conception.
Later this month, Freddie is set to discover the truth about his father when an unlikely source reveals his name.
On returning to EastEnders, Alex McSweeney said: “I was grateful to be asked back to EastEnders to reprise the role of Graham Foster as I thought it was important for Freddie Slater to be given some answers about his dad. It was great to be back in Elstree and I thoroughly enjoyed working with the talented Bobby Brazier on these scenes.”
Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw added: “It’s great to welcome Alex back to the role of Graham Foster for a short stint. Although we haven’t seen Graham for almost two decades, his character has been heavily linked to the show in the past year with the reintroduction of his son Freddie Slater, played by Bobby Brazier. We felt that it was important for Freddie to find out about the circumstances relating to his conception so he can understand and process the identity of his dad.”
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
