If you thought EastEnders’ Cindy Beale twist was too convoluted and out of the blue, it turns out the soap basically began sowing the seeds about her comeback 16 years ago.
For those who you missed it, Michelle Collins staged a shock return to the soap last week, reprising her role as Cindy, who was believed to have died off-screen in childbirth while in prison 25 years ago.
In the episode, Cindy was revealed to be new Queen Vic landlord George Knight’s mysterious ex-wife, who she met after being moved into a witness protection scheme when she informed on her cellmate and assumed the identity of “Rose”.
A special episode later showed that Cindy is now living in France with her first husband Ian and their son Peter, after the couple found their way back to each other.
The family are set to stage a full return to Walford later this year, which is certain to send shockwaves through Albert Square.
However, one superfan of the BBC soap has uncovered a scene from 16 years ago, that first laid out the possibility Cindy had been alive all along.
In the scene, Cindy’s three children Steven, Lucy and Peter – two of whom have since died – discuss the idea of their mum living in hiding.
Lucy says: ”She could be alive. Maybe she had to go into hiding.”
Peter insisted their dad Ian “wouldn’t have lied” to them, but Lucy pointed out that perhaps he didn’t know either.
Speaking about the repercussions of the twist, EastEnders executive producer teased (via Digital Spy): “George has this knowledge that his wife of 15 years who walked out nine years ago isn’t who she says she was, so that obviously turns his world upside-down and very quickly [their daughters] Gina and Anna learn this too and they have very different reactions.
“I think Gina is a chip off the old block – she takes after her mother, she’s very impulsive. Her and Anna have very different reactions but obviously they’ve found out something about their mum that they hadn’t known – that Rose Knight didn’t exist.
“What does this mean? One of the girls sets off on this journey to reach out and to find their mum, but will they be successful?”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.