Barbara Windsor - Peggy Mitchell

[Perdita]

peggy will see pat again

Yes, as halucination ... I would have refused to return even for this scene if I was Pat St Clement after the way they treated her ...

[Perdita]

peggy will see pat again

Yes, as halucination ... I would have refused to return even for this scene if I was Pat St Clement after the way they treated her ...

[Dazzle]

Yes, as halucination ... I would have refused to return even for this scene if I was Pat St Clement after the way they treated her ...

There's different people running the show now I suppose. I doubt she holds being killed off against DTC since he wasn't there at the time.

[alan45]

What a briilliant show EE is. They can bring dead people yet cannot get the supposedly alive 'Shelle back for family funeral.

Im sure if they wanted the 'National Treasure" back at sometime in the future some Chablis drinking luvvie would think of a reason.

[Perdita]

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/east...chells-return/


It's almost time for Dame Barbara Windsor's EastEnders swansong - so the timing is right for the first footage of Peggy Mitchell's dramatic return.

In a video urging fans to vote in the British Soap Awards, EastEnders gives viewers a surprise appearance from Albert Square's first lady.

Ronnie gets the shock of her life as Peggy pops in for a visit – but will it be a happy occasion?

Probably not as Peggy's final storyline will see her battling terminal breast cancer - sure to be gripping TV for EastEnders fans young and old.

Her health problems come as the Mitchells are in crisis, with Ronnie fending off two stalkers and Phil spiralling into a breakdown.

Maybe the return of Grant Mitchell can finally bring this feuding family back together?

[Perdita]

Ever since it was announced that Peggy Mitchell would be bowing out of EastEnders forever (sob!), speculation has been rife over what else this could mean. With her final scenes fast approaching, here is what we know so far:

Why is Peggy leaving?

Having played Peggy intermittently for 22 years, Dame Barbara Windsor has decided that it is time to draw the curtain on her alter ego for good. When her exit was announced earlier this year, the iconic actress said that she felt she needed to let go of Peggy forever, otherwise she would always be drawn back to her.

"Everyone knows I love EastEnders and that will never change," she explained. "Peggy is a character close to my heart but I made the decision a while ago that I need to say goodbye to Peggy once and for all as otherwise she will always be there, urging me to go back and that is something I need to shut the door on."

How is she leaving?

In a surprise appearance earlier this year, Peggy told Phil that her cancer had come back and she was dying. Although the exact details surrounding her final scenes are being kept under wraps, she will definitely (and very sadly) be leaving Walford in a coffin this time.

Who's coming back and how long for?

When Peggy's exit was announced, the Mitchell rumour mill went into total overdrive. Would Grant finally be returning? Would Sam? And would she be played by Danniella Westbrook or Kim Medcalf?

We all wanted some answers and, sure enough, we got them. First up was the news we had been waiting for - Ross Kemp would be reprising his role as Grant for Peggy's final scenes. Ross might have had little choice in the matter ("Have you tried saying no to Dame Barbara?"), but the final piece of the jigsaw was the news that Sam would be coming back too. Sam's return was announced hot on the heels of Grant's and she will played by original actress Danniella.

Sadly, Danniella's return will only be fleeting as she is expected to return for Peggy's funeral episodes. "It feels right the Mitchells are all back for Peggy's funeral," she said. "I can't wait to work alongside everyone again." But the good news is that Grant is set to be back for a slightly longer stint.

What can we expect from Grant's return?

As Grant will be on screen for a decent amount of time, it is hard not to speculate on what he might get up to. He has unfinished business with his ex-lover Jane Beale, his ex-wife Sharon Mitchell and, most importantly, his brother Phil. Also, Grant has never shared any scenes with his feisty cousins Ronnie and Roxy and we are keen to find out what he thinks of his different-faced nephew Ben. Oh, and Ross is eager for a 'tear-up' with Danny Dyer as well...

Who will Peggy have scenes with?

While it is still early days, we already have some hints on who else Peggy could be sharing scenes with. Apart from the Mitchell clan, it looks like Peggy will definitely be appearing with both Linda Carter and Claudette Hubbard.

Kellie Bright tweeted: "Just had an epic day @bbceastenders filming with the remarkable Dame Barbara Windsor - what a lovely lady she is #Blessed #DreamComeTrue."

While Ellen Thomas also said via Twitter: "Just finished working with the great Barbara Windsor aka Peggy Mitchell. She is Awesome folks. A total sweetheart." Aw!

Will Peggy give Linda some landlady tips? Will she put Claudette in her place? The possibilities are endless and it's SO exciting!

Which producer is overseeing her exit?

It was a sad day when EastEnders announced that its executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins would be stepping down, but Peggy's exit will actually be the final story that the boss will oversee. Sean O'Connor will be taking over the show in the summer, but Dominic and Barbara have been plotting the story since last year, meaning that the emotional storyline will be both of their swansongs. And what a way to go out.

Are there any other rumours?

Many of the finer details surrounding the long-awaited Mitchell reunion are being kept under wraps. But that doesn't stop the rumour mill going a little bit crazy. And top of the list is Peggy's long-term friend Pat. True enough, there is a slight problem here in that Pat is dead. However, The Mirror has suggested that the earring-lover could come back in a hallucination of her dying pal's. Well, stranger things have happened.

Even stranger rumours (yep, really!) have suggested that Peggy could give her unwell son Phil a liver as part of her dying wish. Unsurprisingly this scenario seems very unlikely, notably due to the fact that Peggy has cancer and EastEnders has been working closely with the British Liver Trust to ensure an accurate portrayal of Phil's journey.

Will anyone else be returning?

That's it for now, but we all know that EastEnders has a penchant for unannounced returns and a habit of surprising us. So who knows?

When will it air?

It's a little too early to have a confirmed date, but EastEnders has said that all the Mitchell action will take place in 'late spring'. Both Babs and Ross are already back filming so ardent fans may be able to do the maths. We will keep you posted in the meantime…

What else do we know?

Viewers were recently given a glimpse of Peggy's return in a video urging fans to vote in the British Soap Awards. The footage saw Ronnie get a big shock when she opened the door to a fragile-looking Peggy, but how and why Walford's leading lady has turned up remains to be seen.

We also know that former EastEnders writer Sarah Phelps will be writing the last episodes. "Sarah has come back to the show", Dominic recently explained. "She wrote The Casual Vacancy; she's coming back to write Barbara Windsor's last episode."

And finally, EastEnders has promised that they will be pulling out all the stops, with lots of special treats and surprises. An insider said: "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."

Digital Spy

[tammyy2j]

Why has Phil not told anyone she is dying or has he forgot?

[storyseeker1]

Why has Phil not told anyone she is dying or has he forgot?

Well, he is still struggling with his drinking problem, don't forget. Alcoholics literally focus on only their drink and nothing else.

[Dazzle]

For me, the most interesting detail in the above spoiler is the fact that Claudette will be back.

[lizann]

thinking the building couple could be stalking ronnie for claudette