EastEnders' Ian fears losing Cindy as he reunites with Sharon - and faces Kathy's wrath

Although Ian assured him that Cindy understood the circumstances, Bobby was panicking, and felt little comfort from his words. It was half-brother Peter Beale (Thomas Law) who gently checked on Bobby, reminding him that he had been able to forgive Bobby, so Cindy and Anna could too.

Back in The Queen Vic bar, Ian and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) had a tense exchange, with Phil warning him not to tear apart George Knight's (Colin Salmon) family.

But when Phil asked if his own digging into the disappearance of 'Rose Knight' brought Cindy back, Ian insisted it had nothing to do with Phil, and that he and Cindy weren't staying.

The mood was lifted when Ian had a catch up with old pal Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), but it wasn't long before Ian's longest-suffering friend, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), approached him for an awkward chat.

Viewers know that the last time the pair spoke, Sharon had just tried to poison Ian, wanting payback for his role in her son Denny's (Bleu Landau) tragic death.

Ian was initially cold towards Sharon, but she pointed out that he had forgiven Cindy for also trying to kill him, adding that she didn't want to lose their close bond.

Sharon was concerned about Cindy's role in Ian's life, but Ian explained that she had looked after him since his recent heart attack. When Sharon urged him to go and see his mum Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), he headed back to his family home.

Ian dismissed new stepfather Rocky (Brian Conley) with a cutting comment about the Cottons, while Kathy was in no mood to offer her son a warm welcome as she continued to condemn Cindy in her own unique way.

However, her motherly concern re-emerged when Ian appeared unwell, though he was quick to assure her he had just had a long day.

Ian was not happy to hear that Bobby had a crush on Anna, the half-sister of his own siblings, while Kathy was shocked when Ian revealed that Cindy was the mother of Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna Knight (Molly Rainford).

Claiming that he kept the girls' whereabouts from Cindy to protect her, we all know that the truth is; Ian is worried that she'll go back to George. Is he right about Cindy?

Read more:

• 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 boss Chris Clenshaw promises “big” Christmas for the Beales

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.

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