Ian Beale is making his return to EastEnders after a number of years, leaving fans thrilled.
However, there is a big gap that needs filling after his exit back in January 2021. At the time, Adam Woodyatt - who has played Ian for the character's entire on-screen life, took an extended break from the BBC soap, with fans constantly asking when he would be back and what his future storylines would be as they hoped he would reunite with at least one of his (many!) ex-wives.
He made a surprise appearance for the funeral of Dot Cotton at the end of 2022, where he was seen mourning the late Walford legend out of the view of everyone else but the audience. He was seen on the phone to a mystery person, prompting rumours of a return. We now know that this person was Cindy Beale, who he has been back with for some time.
Where has Ian Beale been?
Ian was last seen properly on the BBC soap back in 2021 when the actor, Adam Woodyatt, took an extended break from the BBC soap.
There had been much talk of him returning, with bosses - and Adam himself - teasing he would be back one day. That day has come and he's now back on the Square as part of this huge storyline with Cindy Beale.
We don't know much about the past few years for, but we do know he made a brief return to Walford back in December 2022 to be at Dot Cotton's funeral. He wasn't seen by anybody else, but the viewers who hoped this would mark the start of a permanent return.
Speaking about those scenes, soap boss Chris Clenshaw previously said: "I called Adam and told him our plans and said Ian had to be there, and he agreed. It was kind of as simple as that. Ian didn’t make it into the church, but he said his own private goodbye to Dot. So that’s how it came about. Adam wanted to be there for June and he knew that Ian should be there for Dot."
How did Ian and Cindy reunite?
We know Ian and Cindy are back together and have been living in France. The pair have rekindled their romance after a very dramatic number of decades as husband and wife, and then having split up.
However, it seems like all is forgiven and they are now back together - but what brought them back together, and what does this mean for their future as a couple, as well as their future on Albert Square?
What happened between Ian and Cindy in the past?
Ian and Cindy had a tumultuous relationship, which ended up in her being jailed for her part in his attempted murder.
The pair first began dating just to make Simon jealous, but soon they ended up getting in a real relationship. They married, with Ian believing he was Steven's real dad, with it later being revealed that he was in fact Simon's.
When the news broke, Cindy left Walford under a cloud, before returning and Ian graciously taking her back. Later, the pair had their own kids, twins Lucy and Peter Beale, and after a serious turn of events, Cindy hired a hitman to kill Ian.
He was shot in front of her eyes, but she made a surprise exit to Italy, before Ian eventually tracked her down.
Is Ian Beale returning to Albert Square?
It has been confirmed that both Ian and Cindy will be back on the Square this summer.
Chris Clenshaw, the show's executive producer, teased: "Cindy's been sorely missed from our screens, and we're delighted that she'll be returning to Walford, alongside Ian, permanently later this year.
"Now everyone knows that she is in fact Rose Knight, secrets are set to be revealed as viewers will learn about the circumstances surrounding their return, including the million-dollar question: How is Cindy alive when she was declared dead in 1998? And later this summer, Ian and Cindy's comeback will be nothing less than explosive for the Square."
