June Whitfield and Howards' Way actress Jan Harvey to guest star

[Perdita]

EastEnders bosses have announced that Absolutely Fabulous star June Whitfield and Howards' Way actress Jan Harvey will both be guest starring on the soap.

June Whitfield
© Getty Images / Karwai Tang/WireImage
June Whitfield

Both stars will make their appearances in the spring, but as with many of the show's recent casting announcements, exact details of who they will be playing are being kept under wraps.

Whitfield will arrive on screen for one episode in May, starring alongside EastEnders favourite Jessie Wallace for a storyline that will take Kat Moon back to her past.

Speaking of the role, Whitfield commented: "I have watched EastEnders for years, and have been so impressed by the standard of acting. It was an absolute delight to work with Jessie Wallace and I am very excited to be part of the show."

Meanwhile, Harvey's scenes will air next month and will see her appear with EastEnders original Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon Mitchell.

Harvey said: "I loved working on such an iconic show. Everyone was so welcoming. EastEnders is really like one big family."

Jan Harvey
© Rex Features / Mike Webster
Jan Harvey

EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins added: "We are extremely privileged to have two British television legends joining us for guest roles as Albert Square heads into the spring.

"Both June and Jan are class acts, bringing warmth and humanity to two characters who will shed some light on the pasts of two of our most iconic women - Sharon Mitchell and Kat Moon - changing both their lives in very different ways."

Whitfield is best known for her role as 'Mother' in Absolutely Fabulous and she has also starred in a number of other shows, including Happy Ever After, Terry and June and Last of the Summer Wine.

Harvey played Jan Howard in Howards' Way and was previously a regular on Channel 5 soap Family Affairs as Babs Woods.

[tammyy2j]

Is Jan's character connected to Sharon's birth father or mother?

[parkerman]

Good for June. She'll be 90 later this year.

[Perdita]

June Whitfield will reprise her role as Sister Ruth on EastEnders.

The actress guest-starred in the BBC soap earlier this year when Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) paid a visit to the convent, where she remembered giving birth to Zoe.

Will Sister Ruth help Kat come to terms with her past?
© BBC
Sister Ruth (June Whitfield) with Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) in EastEnders

Viewers saw Kat confide in Sister Ruth, but Sister Ruth withheld one vital detail - Kat has a secret son she doesn't know about.

"I am so thrilled to be returning to EastEnders to revisit Sister Ruth and am really looking forward to working with Jessie Wallace again," said Whitfield.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Kat and Alfie (Shane Richie) will head back to Albert Square over the festive period.

Sister Ruth shares her memories with Kat
© BBC
Sister Ruth shares her memories with Kat

"Kat and Alfie are going to have a life-changing time back in The Square and Sister Ruth's involvement is going to be crucial," commented an EastEnders insider.

"She holds the key to a big part of Kat's life, but are some things better off left in the past or will she confess her secrets?"

Kat and Alfie's brief return will pave the way for their upcoming six-part spinoff series on BBC One. The new drama will see the Moons head off to Ireland.


digitalspy

[lizann]

margaret has be gavin's sister or working with him

[Perdita]

It's one of the world's greatest mysteries. Area 51…the pyramids…and what on Earth happened to Sister Ruth on EastEnders?

Well the mystery may be finally solved, after the character's actress June Whitfield revealed that she thinks Ruth died off screen.

Fans will remember Sister Ruth as the nun at the care home, which was once the nunnery where Kat Moon (Jesse Wallace) gave birth to Zoe Slater 31 years ago. She appeared in just three episodes in 2015, but in that time managed to reveal to Kat that she had twins – Zoe and a boy.

But in Sister Ruth's final episode, we knew she was unwell, but we saw no on-screen death.

However, we may be closer to confirmation as the actress who played her, June Whitfield, believes her character died off screen.

In an interview on Lorraine, Whitfield said working with Jesse Wallace was a "joy", and gave her own interpretation of what happened to the character.

When asked if her character will be returning to the soap, she said "I think that nun's gone up", while pointing to the sky.

"It wasn't mentioned, but she talks about it quite a lot", she continued.

Of course, we never got any confirmation of Sister Ruth's exit on screen, but it would make sense given how desperate Ruth was to tell Kat the truth about her secret son.

The 90 year-old actress, is currently appearing on screen as the long-suffering Mother Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Digital Spy

Great actress still working at 90 years old!!