EastEnders cast changes – who’s returning after the soap’s big fortnight?

EastEnders spoilers follow.

What a fortnight it’s been for EastEnders – the show has kept fans gripped with the drama surrounding Ross Marshall and Vicki Fowler’s wedding day. After the chaos that unfolded before the ceremony, the reception brought even more fireworks in a special week focusing on “the night that changed everything”.

But after surprise returns and mysterious exits, who’ll be coming back to our screens soon? Read on for our guide…

Who’s returning to EastEnders in 2026?

1. Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean)

Fans loved seeing Sharon back for a brief visit to Walford last week. She was also technically still in town for this week’s episodes, just safely tucked up in bed while all of the chaos unfolded elsewhere! That was probably a wise decision…

During a heart-to-heart with Phil in the wedding episodes, Sharon admitted that she’d missed Walford and would be back permanently in “a month or so” after tying up some loose ends in Florida. It was the news we’d been desperate to hear!

2. Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara)

Ravi recently made the heartbreaking decision to walk out on Priya after his time away in a mental health clinic, insisting that he needed time to heal alone following his recent ordeal.

However, the troubled character is so tied up with ongoing storylines that he’s sure to be back before too long. With Priya turning to Max for comfort this week, could we see Ravi play an even bigger role in the months ahead as we get closer to the dramatic events we saw in the New Year flashforward episode? He’s certainly central to many fans’ theories…

3. Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker)

Patrick is also taking time out from the Square to visit his grandchildren in Scotland, but it’s not the last we’ll see of him.

Rudolph Walker’s legendary character featured in the New Year flashforward episode in January, so we know he’ll be back with Yolande, Denise and Kim before too long.

4. Joel Marshall (Max Murray)

At the end of April, Digital Spy exclusively revealed that Max Murray had returned to filming in his role as villainous teen Joel Marshall. Exact details of his comeback – and how it’ll affect Ross and Vicki’s marriage – are still being kept under wraps.

“We can confirm that Max Murray will be returning to EastEnders,” a show spokesperson told us.

5. Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu)

Libby made a surprise appearance in EastEnders‘ flashforward episode at the start of the year, much to the delight of long-term viewers.

This means that we’ll see her back on our screens again at some point this year. Could this be connected to the recent news of Denise’s illness?

6. Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith)

Last month, tabloid reports revealed that Toby-Alexander Smith is returning for a surprise cameo as his evil character Gray Atkins, who was last seen on the show in 2022.

Gray is still locked away in prison after his horrible crimes – could one of our Square favourites soon be joining him there? Or might a face from his past decide to pay him a visit?

7. Robin Dawson (Alistair Cope)

Adoption agency rep Robin, who was first seen on our screens last year, is returning as a guest once again as part of Suki and Eve’s plans to extend their family.

Back in April, actor Alistair Cope took to social media and confirmed that he was on set for “a crazy few weeks” of filming. We’re looking forward to seeing how it all plays out for Sukeve…