Barbara Windsor - Peggy Mitchell

[Perdita]

EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins has opened up about Peggy Mitchell's upcoming exit from the soap.

The exec producer, who was appearing alongside Lacey Turner on The One Show​, said that celebrated writer Sarah Phelps is also returning to pen Barbara Windsor's final episode as Peggy.

Speaking about Peggy's departure, Treadwell-Collins​ said: "We haven't filmed [it] yet. The scripts are coming in, we've got Sarah Phelps [who] has come back to the show.

"She wrote The Casual Vacancy… she's coming back to write Barbara Windsor's last episode."

When asked how the show got Ross Kemp to return, Treadwell-Collins explained: "Well I think [with] Barbara leaving, he had no choice.

"I've had a lot of dinners with him trying to woo him to get him to come back, but he's so busy.

"And then finally, the stars have aligned… everyone at work's very excited about it."

He added: "It's gonna be epic. It's got to be epic… everyone's got such high expectations for it."

Phelps is returning to the show despite hitting out at EastEnders for the retconning of the famous "hello princess" line that she wrote on Dirty Den's return in 2003.

[Rear window]

"I've had a lot of dinners with him trying to woo him to get him to come back, but he's so busy.

OH it's a hard life having to go out for dinner for work!

[Perdita]

It's official - Daniella Westbrook is returning to EastEnders.

The actress will be back on Albert Square as Sam Mitchell after a six-year absence, it has been confirmed.

Recently coming fifth on Celebrity Big Brother, the 42-year-old will return to the show for Peggy Mitchell's funeral, which will see all the Mitchell siblings - Sam, Phil and Grant, played by Ross Kemp - reunite on screen.

Westbrook will only return for a few episodes, despite rumours that suggested she'd be staying on our screens in a more permanent role.

"I'm really excited to be going back to *EastEnders," the actress told Talk TV (via Daily Mirror).

"It feels right the Mitchells are all back for Peggy's funeral, and I can't wait to work alongside everyone again. "

Executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins said: "It is only right that all of Peggy Mitchell's children would be at her funeral.

"Danniella is the final piece of the Mitchell jigsaw puzzle, so it will be great for viewers to see Phil, Grant and Sam all back on screen.

"Sam will only be back for a few episodes, but these scenes are bound to go down in the soap's history."

The Mitchell reunion comes as Barbara Windsor returned to the soap in January in a plot line which will see her beloved character Peggy killed off.


Digital Spy

[Rear window]

So is this the biggest story of the year - Peggy's funeral? That'll be cheery.

[Dazzle]

It's official - Daniella Westbrook is returning to EastEnders.

The words scraping, bottom and barrel spring to mind..

[Perdita]

It seems like everyone is coming back to EastEnders to wave goodbye to Peggy Mitchell - even those who are already dead.

Pat Butcher, played by Pam St Clement, who was often at odds with the soap's matriarch, is rumoured to be putting in an appearance for Barbara Windsor's final ever scenes.

According to The Mirror, Peggy will see her former frenemy in a hallucination.

An EastEnders spokesperson told Digital Spy: "We have lots of special treats in store for Peggy's final episodes but we are not going to confirm anything as we don't want to spoil the surprise for the viewers."

An insider added: "Bosses are keeping tight lipped about Peggy's final scenes. They are going to great lengths to pull out all of the stops for Barbara's final episodes. Both Barbara and Peggy are EastEnders icons so viewers can expect lots of surprises for Peggy's final episodes. They are not to be missed and will go down in EastEnders history."

Also returning for the big farewell will be the long-awaited appearance of Ross Kemp as Grant and Danniella Westbrook as Sam to reunite the Mitchell family for the heartbreaking storyline.

St Clement was on hand to support her ex-castmate as she became a dame earlier this week.​

Dame Babs revealed yesterday she has begun filming her final episodes, with the soap tweeting a photo of her dressing room door.


Digital Spy

[alan45]

EE never let the death of a character get in the way of bringing them back.

[alan45]

The words scraping, bottom and barrel spring to mind..

About par for the course I would say. This is the programme who raised Den from the dead.

[Perdita]

Danniella Westbrook has said that she hopes to be back on EastEnders as Sam Mitchell as a full-time character again after a six-year absence.

The actress opened up about her upcoming one-off return to the soap for Peggy Mitchell's funeral, and expressed her excitement at being reunited with the Mitchells.

"I'm super excited because I didn't think they'd ever want the Mitchells back together, for whatever the circumstances, for Peggy's funeral," Westbrook told Loose Women.​ "I can't wait."

"I'm glad we're all back together, and it's a great honour to be asked to go back to send Barbara [Windsor's] character off."

She said that she hopes new boss Sean O'Connor would consider her for a full-time role, following the departure of Dominic Treadwell-Collins.

"It's a one-off at the moment, because our boss Dominic is leaving and we've got a new boss stepping in.

"Hopefully the new boss will take me on the mantle as a full-time character. I'd like to go back."

Asked whether she felt like the appearance was like an audition, Westbrook replied: "Not at all. I'm very proud to be asked back to do this for Barbara.

"For me, that means the world to me. And to be there with the boys as well, and I just hope it's going to make fantastic television.

"There's been so much on Twitter and people are excited that we're all going to be back together."

It was revealed last month that Westbrook would be returning for Peggy's emotional send-off for a few episodes, reuniting with on-screen siblings Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant​ (Ross Kemp).

Barbara Windsor returned in January to the soap in a plot line which will see her character Peggy killed off​.


Digital Spy

[lizann]

peggy will see pat again