EastEnders airs iconic return in epic early BBC iPlayer cliffhanger

With Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) acting cagey for several days now, he ended up suggesting that suspicious son Peter (Thomas Law) wouldn't like the bombshell he was about to drop - but viewers remained in the dark as Peter urged his dad to tell Cindy (Michelle Collins) what he had just revealed.

Ian opted not to do so, and Cindy was baffled and worried as she confided in Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) that Ian had failed to pack a suit for his 'council meeting'.

After getting in a few digs at Cindy, Kathy opened up about her wedding anniversary to absent husband Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley), lamenting his lack of honesty.

Kathy advised Cindy to avoid the same fate by having a proper conversation with Ian, so she confronted him at Beales' Eels.

Ian laughed at the suggestion that he was having an affair, and got his relationship back on track when an appeased Cindy gave him a passionate kiss.

But when the sat nav in Ian's car showed an address in the Cotswolds, Cindy was upset and desperate to get answers as Ian drove off alone.

She begged to borrow ex-husband George Knight's (Colin Salmon) car, and after Cindy explained her problem, his fiancée Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) gave a frank warning before offering her blessing for George to drive Cindy himself.

When Peter found out where his mum had gone, he fobbed off his frustrated half-brother Bobby (Clay Milner Russell) and left a message to warn Ian, before speeding off in Martin Fowler's (James Bye) van while Bobby secretly stowed away in the back.

Outside a Cotswolds cottage, Cindy had doubts about going inside as she told George that Ian was her constant, and that if he was cheating she would be devastated. Cindy peeked through the window, spying two wine glasses.

Finally, she and George knocked on the door as Ian was seen telling a mystery person that they had a visitor. As Cindy looked around for clues of Ian's infidelity, a familiar voice declared: "Hello, Cindy."

In a moment that will surely go down in soap history, Jane appeared, looking Cindy up and down as she introduced herself.

The scene is now set for the showdown to end all showdowns, with Cindy knowing full well that Jane covered up Bobby's childhood murder of her daughter Lucy (Hetti Bywater) in 2014.

Just what does Jane have to say to Cindy upon their very first meeting? How will Cindy react, and will Bobby be happy to see his apparently estranged adoptive mother?

We've been hoping that Jane was on her way back to EastEnders ever since news reached us that Ian had a big secret, but is she back to stay?

EastEnders continues on Tuesday 16th July on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Read more:

• EastEnders' Navin Chowdhry reveals Nish's weakness: "He genuinely cares"
• EastEnders’ Danny Walters says out of character Keanu moment was the plan all along
• EastEnders' Balvinder Sopal teases big drama for Suki, Eve and the 'dysfunctional' Panesars
• EastEnders airs distressing Phil Mitchell scenes in early BBC iPlayer release

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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