Sean Slater return date REVEALED by EastEnders

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Seeds have been sown for Sean to reappear in recent weeks as mum Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) has spoken of her desire to reconnect with her estranged son as she undergoes chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, wanting to make peace with her eldest offspring with whom she had a, shall we say, difficult relationship.

On Thursday 25th April, Stacey Fowler (Lacey Turner) doesn't have the heart to tell her mother she has already contacted her big brother as Jean goes to great lengths to try and contact him herself. Not wanting to upset fragile Jean, Stacey lies she tried to get in touch but the number she had didn't work.

Jean won't be deterred and ends up borrowing Habiba Ahmed's phone and leaving a message for Sean, but is frustrated when she doesn't get any reply.

Frustrated Stace has to come clean on Friday 26th April that she has already spoken to her sibling and told him about Jean's illness - and he's clearly not interested as he hasn't called his sick mum. Tension mounts between mother and daughter over the Sean situation, but as Jean heads to her latest medical appointment and Stacey strops off to collect the kids from school neither woman is aware Sean is actually back in the country…

When was Sean Slater last in EastEnders?

Sean was last seen on New Year's Day in 2009 after almost drowning with ex-wife Roxy Mitchell who he kidnapped, along with her daughter Amy who he believed was his until it emerged Roxy had slept with Jack Branning. Following a tense underwater tussle in a freezing lake, Roxy was saved from the icy water by big sister Ronnie, and later spied Sean escape the scene and go on the run.

During her own time on the run away from the Square between 2010 and 2013 for the murder of Archie Mitchell, Stacey spent some time with Sean in South America.

The recent spring trailer showed Sean in a car with Amy Mitchell, flashing a menacing smile, and spending time with Jean as she battles her illness. But how exactly will the character make his first appearance on more than a decade?

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