EastEnders addresses major character absence amid Cindy Beale return
One of Cindy Beale's children could return into her life...
Spoiler warning for EastEnders episode on Monday 28th August 2023, which is now available on BBC iPlayer.
Cindy Beale discussed her absent daughter Cindy Williams Jr. in EastEnders on Monday (28th August 2023).
The BBC One soap has begun an epic week of episodes detailing the 'resurrected' Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) returning to Walford after 25 years since her exit.
In Monday night's episode, Cindy returned to Walford and had an explosive reunion with her former mother-in-law and nemesis Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth).
After a war of words, the conflict between the two women turned physical as slaps were exchanged, but it was the smashing of the portrait of the murdered Lucy Beale (last played by Hetti Bywater) that brought the pair to calm down.
The conversation turned to the pair missing out on Lucy's final days before Cindy asked Kathy about another missing family member: Cindy Williams Jr.
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Cindy Beale revealed that she had not had any contact with her second-born daughter, having only seen her after giving birth to her as a child, but remembered her "perfect" face. There was also a comment about Peter Beale (Thomas Law) not being on good terms with his half-sister, Cindy Jr.
Kathy explained that she sent Christmas cards to Cindy Jr. but she knows from Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) that she is living happily in Germany.
So, Cindy Jr. has no idea that her namesake mother is alive.
If you're wondering who Cindy Williams Jr. is, let RadioTimes.com remind you...
Who is Cindy Williams Jr. in EastEnders?
Cindy Williams Jr. is the daughter of Cindy Beale and Nick Holland.
When Cindy appeared to die in prison off-screen in 1998, it had supposedly been in childbirth as she delivered her baby daughter that she had conceived with her former partner Nick Holland (Dominic Taylor), the man who had abandoned her to her fate in prison after she was convicted for conspiring to murder her ex-husband.
After Cindy's 'death', that same ex-husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) named the baby Cindy after her mother, being named Cindy Williams Jr.
The infant went to live with Cindy's sister Gina Williams (Nicola Cowper) in Devon but came to live in Walford with her half-siblings Lucy and Peter Beale (then played by Ben Hardy) in 2013.
What happened to Cindy Williams Jr. in EastEnders?
As a teenager, Cindy Jr. (Mimi Keene) was a troublesome youth, with insecurities drawn from the death of her mother - whose death she blamed on herself - and her lack of relationship with her half-siblings.
Cindy went on to get pregnant by school friend TJ Spraggan (George Sargeant) but was uncertain about keeping the pregnancy.
Having a fractious relationship with half-sister Lucy, Ian later sent Cindy back to live in Devon but she returned to Walford following her half-sister's murder to attend the funeral.
Later, Cindy Jr returned to Walford full-time to give birth to her baby Beth Williams and moved back in with the Beales full-time, but decided she could not be a mother and considered letting Ian and his then-wife, Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), the latter of whom had never raised a baby.
Eventually, Cindy Jr. struggled with Beth's presence and this increased after she learned that Ian's son Bobby Beale (then played by Eliot Carrington) had killed Lucy and his adopted mother Jane had covered it up - which prompted Peter to leave Walford.
As Cindy Jr. continued to spiral following these revelations, she gave Ian and Jane the choice to send Beth away or she would expose the truth about Lucy's death. Jane eventually agreed that Beth should go to live with her father TJ who now lived with his family in Milton Keynes.
In response, Ian was furious and threw Cindy Jr. out of the house and she lived with her best friend and later boyfriend Liam Butcher (then played by James Forde).
For a time, Cindy Jr. was reconciled with her adopted family and moved back in with Ian, Jane and Bobby, but when Bobby turned violent following Max Branning (Jake Wood) being wrongfully charged with Lucy's murder, Cindy Jr. accidentally reveals to Liam that Bobby is a killer.
In response, Ian paid for Cindy Jr. and Liam to leave for Devon, but Liam's grandmother Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) put a stop to this.
Ultimately, Liam blackmailed Ian into giving him and Cindy Jr. a sum of £10,000 so they could leave Walford and start a new life with his father Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Before they departed Walford in 2015, Cindy Jr. left a video message for Bobby, telling him that he was the one who killed Lucy. The message was later intercepted and deleted by Ian's best friend Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean).
After discovering that Cindy Jr. had tried to call Bobby from Germany, Ian spoke with her instead and warned her to not contact the family again.
Upon his temporary return to Walford in 2021, Liam (now played by Alfie Duggan) revealed that he and Cindy Jr. were still together and now lived permanently in Berlin.
Will Cindy Williams Jr. return to EastEnders?
Cindy Williams Jr. has not been confirmed to be returning to EastEnders.
During a roundtable interview with the press, actress Michelle Collins was asked by RadioTimes.com about the potential for Cindy Jr. to return.
Collins said: "I have mentioned her, obviously, obviously, but I don’t know, I can’t really tell you too much about her but I know she is alive. That’s about all I know. Who knows?"
So, it seems the door is open for a potential return for Cindy Jr. down the line, but we have no idea if she will.
Actress Mimi Keene, who played Cindy Jr. during her last stint on the show, has since gone on to play popular girl Ruby in Netflix hit Sex Education.
Could the actress be persuaded to return, or could we be looking at another recast Beale scion?
Read more:
- 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Cindy Beale's shocking return rocks Walford
- EastEnders icon teases return of Cindy Beale's "bad" side in love triangle
- EastEnders' Michelle Collins on Cindy Beale meeting Lucy’s killer Bobby
- Michelle Collins almost played another iconic EastEnders character
- EastEnders trailers for Cindy return tease Kathy showdown: "You're dead!"
- EastEnders' Shona McGarty quits role as Whitney Dean after 15 years
- EastEnders' Gillian Taylforth teases Kathy and Rocky future after Jo's threats
- EastEnders is nowhere near the axe – it's having a renaissance
- EastEnders' Gillian Taylforth supports comeback for Kathy’s Hills family
- The WAGs of EastEnders' legend Ian Beale, from Cindy to Jane
- EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw promises “big” Christmas for the Beales
- EastEnders' Michelle Collins teases Cindy’s scenes with love rival Elaine
- Will Jacqueline Jossa return full-time to EastEnders as Lauren Branning?
- EastEnders' Michelle Collins confirms flashbacks and Cindy Beale breakdown
- EastEnders must give tragic heroine Whitney the happy ever after she deserves
- EastEnders legend Angela Wynter explains Yolande Trueman return
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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Authors
Lewis Knight is the Trends Editor for Radio Times, covering trending titles from TV, Film and more. He previously worked at The Mirror in TV, Film, and Showbiz coverage alongside work on SEO. Alongside his past work in advertising, he possesses a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Film Studies.
