Loveable 'EastEnders' cabbie Charlie Slater is set to return to Albert Square this Christmas and now the actor who plays him says he hopes to stick around...
Actor Derek Martin has revealed he wants a "permanent" comeback for his character Charlie, telling The Mirror: "Who knows, if Charlie goes down well this Christmas, maybe it will all become more permanent. Nothing's been said but I can't help hoping."
Martin first joined the soap in 2000 but was axed from the BBC show in 2011, when his character was said to be leaving Walford to go and live with daughter Lynne.
Charlie isn't the only member of the Slater family returning to the Square in the coming months.
Actress Lacey Turner will reprise her role as Stacey Branning (Charlie's niece) after quitting the show three years ago.
Viewers saw her character flee the country in 2010 after being exposed as Archie Mitchell's murderer. Her time on the soap included storylines about an affair with her father-in law Max Branning and a struggle with mental illness.
