Dean Wicks asks Stan for help

EastEnders returnee Dean Wicks seeks help from his grandfather Stan next week.

Stan is surprised to receive a visit from Dean (Matt Di Angelo) after returning home to his flat.

Monday's episode sees Stan (Timothy West) fall out with the other Carters at The Vic, so he angrily orders Mick to take him home.

Once Stan is back, he is disgruntled to receive a knock on the door. Stan assumes that it is Mick, but instead he comes face-to-face with Dean, who begs to be hidden.

A suspicious Stan questions his sudden arrival and Dean makes up an excuse, but Stan quickly realises that he is involved in something dodgy…
EastEnders airs these scenes on Monday, April 14 at 8pm and Tuesday, April 15 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

Matt Di Angelo's return as Dean Wicks

Matt Di Angelo has made his return to Albert Square in the soap's latest episode.

The actor's character Dean Wicks appeared back on screen in the closing moments of Friday night's visit to Walford (April 11).
Dean was seen lurking on the Square after dark, but remained unseen by his mother Shirley (Linda Henry) and uncle Mick (Danny Dyer) as they stood outside the Queen Vic.

Coincidentally, Dean's return came just as Shirley and Mick were reflecting on family, discussing how much Mick will miss his son Lee when the young soldier returns to the army.

EastEnders did not reveal that Dean would feature in the episode as they wanted the exact timing of his arrival to be a surprise.

Viewers won't have to wait long to see Dean again as he also features on screen next week.
EastEnders announced Dean's return in January and Di Angelo started filming again the following month.

Dean last appeared on screen in February 2008, when he left Walford after experiencing a tough time in prison.

Di Angelo said in January: "It's such an exciting time for the show and the Carter/Wicks family that I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to reprise the role of Dean!"

EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins added: "Matt is a gorgeous, charming, talented actor and it's fantastic that he's agreed to come back to the Square. Deano left angry with his mother. The Dean who returns is angrier. Shirley has been secretly hoping for her son's return. Let's hope she doesn't regret that."

James Alexandrou: 'It's not the right time to return now'

James Alexandrou has said that he is not ruling out a return to EastEnders.

The 28-year-old actor joined the BBC One soap as Martin Fowler in 1996, later leaving in 2007.
Despite Alexandrou's screen wife Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) returning to Albert Square this year, he has said that he will not be coming back to the show any time soon.

Speaking to What's On TV, Alexandrou said: "Natalie called me when she went back in it and she was so happy and it seems like there's a really nice atmosphere there, and I know that when Danny Dyer came in it really energised it and he's great for the show.

"For the first time in a long time, I was really going, 'Could I do it? Could I do it?' But I don't think the time's right for me right now. But it's never a no - it's just not right now."

Alexandrou, who is currently starring in a West End production of Othello as Iago, told Digital Spy in 2011 that he was not interested in returning to EastEnders in the foreseeable future.

Lisa Hammond: 'There is a humorous side to Donna'

Lisa Hammond has revealed that there will be a humorous side to her character Donna Yates.

Donna's first scenes will be aired next week as the future of Walford's local market is finally decided.
Despite being billed as "aggressive and difficult", Hammond has insisted that her character won't be completely unlikeable.

Speaking to Inside Soap, the actress said: "Initially, Donna is very opinionated. But there is a humorous side to her.

"I don't want her to just be a hard-faced cow. There needs to be a glint in her eye, tinged with a bit of sarcasm as well.

"It was hard to launch into being such a fiery character. Once I settled in, I thought, 'This is fun - people will hate me!'"
Donna will immediately get on the wrong side of stallholders Kat Moon and Bianca Butcher after they mistakenly assume she is someone from the council and confront her.

Hammond said: "Not only did I come in on my first day as someone who is difficult and a bit nosey, but I had to do it with Kat and Bianca!

"They are really strong women, so it was daunting. But Patsy (Bianca) and Jessie (Kat) have always been a good laugh in between scenes, so it was very easy to settle in.

"Patsy is my mentor. She told me to come straight to her with any questions."

EastEnders airs Donna's first scenes on Monday, April 14 on BBC One.

Cindy Beale clips make me cringe

Michelle Collins has admitted that she 'cringes' when she watches her old EastEnders clips, but would still be open to reprising the role of Cindy Beale for a one-off comedy sketch.

The actress, who played Cindy on and off between 1988 and 1998, has recently been presented with footage of the character's most memorable moments while promoting her new autobiography This Is Me.
Cindy is also still mentioned on screen in EastEnders with her children Lucy, Peter and Cindy Junior currently on Albert Square, though Lucy will be killed off next week.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Collins commented: "I think it was 17 years ago she actually died, but they do tend to talk about her a lot - I suppose because Ian Beale is such a massive character, isn't he?

"I feel so far removed from it. Because I'm promoting the book, lots of people have been playing [clips] and it makes me cringe, actually. I think, 'Oh my God, I was terrible, I can't bear to listen to my voice!' I can't bear to watch it!

"I just think, 'Oh, I wish I could do it all again now'. It was a long time ago and I just feel, 'I'm not sure about that'. I am my worst critic, but I don't like hearing the sound of my voice at all. Especially when she's saying, 'Oh Ian!'"
As Cindy died off screen, fans have often suggested that she could somehow make a shock return to Walford in the future - especially in the wake of Collins's recent departure from Coronation Street as Stella Price.

Collins added: "It would be interesting, actually, because I was asked to do a Children in Need sketch where Ian gets knocked over the head, gets a head injury, wakes up and Cindy's there. I really wanted to do it, but I wasn't allowed to do it because I was working. 

"That would have been really good fun, to have just gone back for a moment to play Cindy again. But I don't know if I'd even know how to play Cindy again - it feels like it was a very different person. I'm not in Corrie [now], so maybe I can do it next time!"

Michelle Collins: This Is Me is out now in hardback.

Patsy Palmer quits soap

Patsy Palmer is to leave EastEnders, it has been announced.

The 41-year-old actress has played Bianca Butcher on the BBC One soap since 1993.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Palmer said: "Patsy is really sad to be leaving the show as she loves playing Bianca and working with executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins but she knows it's the right decision at this time in her life."

Meanwhile, EastEnders' Treadwell-Collins confirmed that he would not be killing off Palmer's character.

He added: "We are so sad that Patsy has decided to leave us but completely understand it's the right time for her.

"Bianca won't be leaving Albert Square until the autumn so there's still a lot more to come from her on screen this year – and the door will be left wide open for her return. We won't be getting rid of Bianca's puffa jacket just yet."

The mother-of-four will reportedly move with her family to Los Angeles this summer.

Palmer originally exited the show in 1999 before she returned for a one-off episode in 2002. She reprised the part of Bianca full-time again in 2008.

The future of the market is decided

A decision is finally reached over the future of the market on EastEnders next week.

The community has been rocked recently following market inspector Aleks' suggestion that the local market could be closed down.
Upcoming scenes see Aleks (Kristian Kiehling) reveal to the Bridge Street stallholders that there will be an official announcement about the final decision imminently. 

As several Walford residents corner Aleks for answers, the plans are eventually announced at a meeting later that day. But what decision has been made?

The storyline also introduces newcomer Donna Yates, whose first scenes are aired when Bianca and Kat mistake her for someone from the council and confront her.

Market trader Donna, played by Lisa Hammond, has been described as "flinty, aggressive and difficult" and is the second regular disabled character to appear on Albert Square.
EastEnders airs these scenes on Monday, April 14 at 8pm on BBC One.