DRAMA ensues as Chrissie Watts arrives in Walford, but what are her circumstances and what is she up to?
The infamous character – played by Tracy-Ann Oberman – returns to our screens after almost 20 years. But what brings her back?
Chrissie Watts famously left Walford in December 2005 after she was imprisoned for the murder of husband, Den Watts (Lesley Grantham).
In a bid to protect their freedom, Chrissie alongside Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) buried Den under the floor of The Vic barrel store and Chrissie lived for months under false pretences with Den’s beloved adoptive daughter, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), and his son Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).
Accomplice Sam was initially held responsible for the crime after she drunkenly dug up Den’s body on Sharon and Dennis’ wedding day.
But Chrissie’s actions were soon uncovered when Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) returned to the Square in a bid to free their sister.
And Chrissie has been imprisoned ever since.
Although Chrissie only resided in Walford for just over a year-and-a-half during her last stint, Chrissie left a whole heap of drama in her wake, and a long list of enemies.
From hacking off Kate Mitchell’s (Jill Halfpenny) hair after she discovered the affair between her and husband Den, to finding herself on the receiving end of Kat Slater’s (Jessie Wallace) wrath for getting daughter Zoe caught up in his murder.
There are many people in Walford who were glad to see the back of her.
However, Chrissie’s biggest enemy during her time in the Square came in the form of Den’s beloved ‘Princess’, Sharon, when Chrissie learnt the hard way that in Den’s world, his daughter always came first.
How will Sharon react coming face to face with Chrissie nearly 20 years later?
On returning to EastEnders, Tracy-Ann said: “Chrissie Watts was such a great character to play – a victim or a villain.
“She is a real fan favourite so, when Chris Clenshaw asked me to come back and re-visit her and see what has happened in the last 19 years.
“I jumped at the chance. The scripts are fantastic and I hope the viewers enjoy her as much as I am enjoying playing her again.”
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Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer, added: “I’m delighted to welcome the immensely talented Tracy-Ann back to the iconic role of Chrissie Watts.
“Although the character hasn’t been seen on screen for almost twenty years, Chrissie is cemented in EastEnders’ rich history for her murder of Walford’s most infamous villain, and Sharon’s beloved father, Dirty Den.
“I’m keeping tight-lipped on the exact circumstances relating to her return for the time being, but what I can promise is that it’s never quiet when Chrissie Watts is around.”
The 58-year-old actress appeared on The One Show on Wednesday night and gave a small preview of what fans could expect from Chrissie’s comeback.
She admitted that some of her scenes will not necessarily take place in Walford, as they were not filmed on the set of the long-running BBC One soap.
“It was weird. There are bits that are not quite on the set – but that’s all I’ll say,” she remarked.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
