Ricky Butcher's return to EastEnders confirmed

Speaking about his return to the soap, Owen said: “I’m delighted to back at EastEnders. I can’t wait to see what Ricky Butcher has been up to these past few years and how he’s going to react to seeing some familiar faces including old flames. I’m excited to see the drama unfold.”

Executive Producer, Chris Clenshaw, added: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Sid back to the role of Ricky Butcher. Sid helped to create such an iconic character in Ricky who became so synonymous with the show and we couldn’t be more excited to have him back for a while. Ricky has so much history in the Square to explore and while a lot of time has passed since we last saw him, it’s fair to say wherever Ricky goes, he always finds himself slap-bang in the middle of mayhem.”

As for his storyline, that's being kept under tight wraps for the moment.

What we do know is that he'll be put face-to-face with troublesome ex, Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) - with Sam getting into all sorts of pickles, what role will Ricky have in her life?

Another troublemaker in Walford is Ricky's sister, Janine (Charlie Brooks) who he's no doubt set to visit.

While the BBC teases he will get up to no good with his sibling, is Ricky a changed man after all?

EastEnders is available to watch on BBC iPlayer with a selection of classic episodes streaming on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free BritBox trial here.

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.

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