EastEnders will welcome back a number of former faces as part of Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) mental health story, with Jaime Winstone set to reprise the role of legendary matriarch Peggy.
Phil, as viewers know, is currently in the grips of depression, with upcoming scenes seeing the legendary hard-man begin to question if his life is worth living.
As the condition takes hold, he will start to experience symptoms of psychosis in the form of hallucinations, depicting scenes from the Mitchell family home in 1985.
Phil will initially be a bystander to a pivotal moment from his adolescence but, as his negative internal dialogue worsens, the hallucinations will transcend into his life as he begins to converse with the characters from his past – and his younger self.
These conversations will take place both in the Square and at his home at Number 55 Victoria Road.
The cast of the Mitchell flashback episode, which aired to acclaim in 2022, will reprise their roles for the scenes in question, with Jaime Winstone returning as matriarch Peggy, while Teddy Jay will return as Grant, George Russo as Eric and Daniel Delaney as Phil.
A younger iteration of Nigel Bates, who recently returned to the Square after a three decade absence, will also appear, with Sam Miles playing the role.
Discussing her return, Jamie – who played iconic Peggy star Barbara Windsor in biopic Babs – said: ‘It was such an honour to be welcomed back to play Peggy Mitchell.
‘She is a dream role for me; so to be able to contribute to this iconic family on this major storyline has been such a joyous and emotional journey and I truly hope I have done her justice.
‘Thank you to all the EastEnders family, this has been such a wonderful experience.”
Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer added: ‘We are thrilled to welcome back the young Mitchells for these special scenes as we lead up to our 40th anniversary week.
‘In 2022 fans and critics alike celebrated Jaime’s portrayal of Peggy, and with Phil’s story, this feels like the perfect time for her to reprise the iconic role – joined once again by George, Daniel, Teddy and now Sam as a young Nigel.
‘Flashbacks like these give the audience a unique opportunity to better understand Phil’s mindset and the traumatic events that have led him to his mental health crisis.’
EastEnders is working with The Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), and Mind to ensure Phil’s story is portrayed as accurately and as sensitively as possible.
The Mitchells will feature heavily in the lead up to the BBC One soap’s 40th anniversary in February, with Grant set to stage a return after nine years away as Ross Kemp reprises his iconic role.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
