Cindy Beale Returns to EastEnders After 25 YearsAdam Woodyatt as Ian Beale SurprisesCindy Beale’s Scandalous Past and New Stories
Cindy Beale, portrayed by Michelle Collins, has returned to EastEnders after an absence of nearly 25 years.
Wednesday marked the return of Collins’ character, who was previously believed to have perished in prison while giving birth.
The episode concluded with a view of her sipping wine on a sun lounger, in typical dramatic fashion.
Producers subsequently verified that another fan favorite, Adam Woodyatt, will reprise his role as her ex-husband, Ian Beale.
Collins, age 61, described his return as a “surreal” experience. “It’s nerve-wracking, but also very exciting,” she told the Sun.
“I believe timing is everything; in fact, timing is everything in life,” she continued. I believe that if this had occurred five years ago, I would have said no.
Woodyatt, 54, whom himself departed Albert Square two and a half years ago, noted that the EastEnders set had been reconstructed since he left, describing his return to work as “the strangest thing”
“The best part has been seeing all the people I haven’t seen in a while,” he said.
Cindy was imprisoned for hiring a hitman to kill Ian during a protracted custody dispute for Lucy and Peter.
Chris Clenshaw, who wrote the Beales’ comeback plot, said the production staff debated it for a year.
“We began examining the story to ensure its plausibility in terms of, she’s deceased, how could that work? But… we didn’t see a corpse.
“We made sure it worked with our research and our advisors, and when they said, ‘Yeah, this is exactly what could and would happen,’ I thought, OK, I think we have a shot at being able to do this.”
‘Matriarchal figures’
Cindy, renowned for her scheming and manipulative behavior during her previous appearances on the program between 1988 and 1998, had numerous affairs during her turbulent marriage to Ian.
She was revealed on Wednesday night’s episode as Rose Knight, the long-lost wife of George Knight (Colin Salmon).
Collins, speaking about her return, said, “For over 25 years. I’ve been asked repeatedly, ‘Are you going back?’ and I can finally declare that I am!
“It’s an honor to be asked to reprise the role of Cindy Beale, a character who has never really left me, and just as in the past, wherever Cindy goes, drama usually follows.”
EastEnders won the award for best soap at the most recent British Soap Awards, and Collins emphasized that the genre provides “fantastic stories” for women her age.
There are not many television programs that can give women of a certain age central protagonists and tell their stories.
