EastEnders' Jake Moon star reveals surprising lengths to keep return secret

Chrissie finally got out of prison and took a sporty red convertible round by The Queen Vic for a longing look at her old stomping ground.

But in a twist, a mystery man got out of the car, who was none other than Jake Moon (Joel Beckett), a character who hadn't been seen since 2006, with many fans believing he was killed in a case of mistaken identity.

Thankfully, he was alive and back with his lover.

Beckett has spoken to press including RadioTimes.com about his surprise return, which you can read below.

Today, it was revealed that your character was in fact alive after years of speculation that Jake Moon died at the hands of Johnny Allen back in 2006. How does it feel to be back after 17 years away?

“It felt lovely to be back. Although it was a new set it felt really familiar, and it felt like I’d never been away. You never forget Albert Square.”

Has much changed since you left, or was it still largely the same?

"Everything wasn’t as wobbly. [Laughs] The Square was just a bit sharper, and it felt as though it had been upgraded, although the sun sets in a different place. It’s quite amazing to go back there and to be on a different set in a different spot, yet everything felt exactly the same."

How has it been keeping this secret for months? How did your friends and family react when you told them the news?

"It’s been quite exciting. It’s just that one scene right at the end of an episode but it’s been quite fun because nobody knew about it. I’m getting a lot of messages today from people who didn’t know saying, ‘Wow, you’re back’ so the response has been great."

Did you do any prep to get back into Jake Moon’s shoes once again?

"I wore more cashmere! [Laughs] Considering I was supposed to be dead, turning up looking smart, driving an e-type jag was a bit of a result. He could have turned up in many circumstances, but it appears he’s done well for himself."

What was it like to reconnect with Tracy-Ann and Shane again during filming?

"It was lovely. I haven’t seen both of them for such a long time. Working with Tracy-Ann, filming that scene; it felt like we’d just picked up where we had left off, which was lovely. Seeing Shane, who is a great pal, but who I haven’t seen for ages was wonderful. We had a big hug, it’s a shame we didn’t get to do any scenes."

Did you see any other familiar faces during your time filming?

“I wasn’t allowed to see anybody else because it was very secret. I was taken into the studios in a blacked out car for costume fittings and for filming, so nobody knew that I was there. Then it came to the time where I was asked if I wanted to have a practice run in the car. I was asked to drive it around the car park, so I was driving an e-type jag convertible, with a V12 engine, one of the noisiest things, past all of the dressing rooms, so if anyone didn’t know I was in, they did then!"

How did it all come about?

"My agent got a phone call asking ‘would I be interested in going back?’ The second sentence followed ‘just for a day’. Your mind starts to go through things, especially from a technical point of view, you think ‘what can they possibly film in a day?’ I assumed that it would be something to do with Chrissie, but I thought it would be me standing outside the prison gates. I didn’t expect to go back on the Square. So I thought a day going back there after such a long hiatus would be great. It was a lovely day out, as I kept saying when I was on set."

Is there a chance we could see Jake Moon again?

"Never say never. I’m sure the audience will let me know if they’d like to see me again, but yes, never say never."

Read more:

• EastEnders airs big threat for Sharon Watts in early BBC iPlayer release
• 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Bobby discovers Anna kissing Freddie amid pregnancy decision
• EastEnders' Tracy-Ann Oberman teases possible death twist for Sharon and Chrissie
• EastEnders confirms final scenes for Dean Wicks as Matt Di Angelo exits
• Has Bernie left EastEnders after Linda's explosive reveal?

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday 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.