All EastEnders cast returns, exits and new arrivals coming up in 2026

We’re nearly half way through 2026, and we’ve already seen plenty of cast changes in EastEnders, and there’s still more to come!

So far, we’ve witnessed the glorious returns, and departures, of Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman), Jake Moon (Joel Beckett) and Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell), while we also welcomed back the final piece of the Mitchell puzzle, Grant (Ross Kemp).

We were introduced to Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona), an old school friend of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), the son of Grant and Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan), the twin brother of Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) and son of Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) and we’ve said a heart breaking goodbye to loveable Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley).

Changes to come include the departure of Grant and Sam Mitchell (Kim and the re-emergence of Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) and Josh Saunders (Jon Lee) for Nigel’s funeral, while evil Joel Marshall (Max Murray) will also be making a comeback.

With things constantly fluctuating in Walford, here’s what we currently know about who is returning, leaving and arriving in EastEnders…

EastEnders cast returns

Clare Bates

Gemma Bissix made a glorious return earlier this year as Clare Bates, daughter of Nigel, during his much-celebrated dementia storyline after 18 years away from Walford.

With Nigel having recently died, EastEnders have confirmed that Clare and her step-brother/ex-boyfriend, Josh Saunders will be returning for the funeral.

‘When I returned earlier this year, we always knew Clare had to come back for Nigel’s funeral,’ said Gemma.

‘He meant so much to her, and it felt right to be there for the conclusion of his story, as everyone came together to say their final goodbyes’.

When is Clare Bates returning to EastEnders?

Currently, the date of Clare’s return is unknown.

Josh Saunders

Alongside Clare, Julie Bates’ (Karen Henthorn) son, Josh, will be returning to Walford to pay his final respects to Nigel after a 28 year absence from the show.

‘It was quite surreal stepping back on to Albert Square after so many years as it’s so familiar to so many of us,’ Jon said about his comeback.

‘It was lovely to see my onscreen family again.’

When is Josh Saunders returning to EastEnders?

Currently, the date of Josh’s return is unknown.

Joel Marshall

Joel left Albert Square after being handed a six month custodial sentence following his vicious attack on Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and his twisted crimes against Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James).

While he’s remained off-screen since, the aftershock of his sick behaviour has continued to affect Vicki and Joel’s dad, Ross Marshall’s (Alex Walkinshaw) relationship.

An EastEnders spokesperson recently said: ‘We can confirm that Max Murray will be returning to EastEnders’, though gave no further details.

When is Joel Marshall returning to EastEnders?

Currently, the date of Joel’s return is unknown.

Stacey Slater

Our Stace’ left Walford for a new life in Brazil after realising that she’d never escape the ghost of ex-husband and true love, Martin Fowler (James Bye) while remaining in Albert Square.

Though hearts across the nation broke when Stacey departed, actress Lacey Turner was quick to reassure viewers that they wouldn’t have to miss her for too long and that she’d definitely be back.

In a behind-the-scenes video shared to EastEnders official YouTube, Lacey said: ‘I am coming back, I won’t be long’.

When is Stacey Slater returning to EastEnders?

Currently, the date of Stacey’s return is unknown.

EastEnders cast departures

Sam Mitchell

The return of the Mitchell Princess, Sam will, centred around her character being diagnosed with breast cancer.

‘I really hope that Sam’s story shows the importance of getting checked out as soon as possible. We all need to encourage each other to regularly check our breasts because if you can catch breast cancer early enough, it can make a big difference to the prognosis and treatment,’ Kim said in regards to the plot.

Sam’s return was only ever meant to be temporary, though, withher originally set to leave Walford once her cancer storyline had concluded.

However, as of mid February, she decided to stick around, leading to a reunion with brother Grant.

When is Sam Mitchell leaving EastEnders?

Currently, the date of Sam’s exit is unknown.

Grant Mitchell

Grant Mitchell last appeared as part of EastEnders’ 40th birthday celebrations, before Ross Kemp made a further return as part of Nigel’s death storyline this spring while desperate to reconnect with his son, Mark.

‘Grant is desperate to see his son. They’ve never had a relationship, and he may see this as the first step towards potentially building one,’ said Ross on Grant’s reason for returning.

‘He’s also shocked to hear from him in general and probably feels that, if Mark has reached out after all this time, then whatever is happening must be significant enough, and important enough, for him to come back to Walford immediately,’

While Grant’s return has gone down a treat with viewers, his comeback is only temporary.

When is Grant Mitchell leaving EastEnders?

Currently, the date of Grant’s exit is unknown.