Jessie Wallace was “shaking with nerves” when she returned to the EastEnders set to reprise her role as brassy Kat Slater.
The actress, 46, reveals she was excited but scared to be back after a two year stint away from the BBC soap.
And she LOVED getting her “cleavage out”, painting on the red lips and nail varnish and squeezing into Kat’s trademark leopard print.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Jessie shares her feelings about returning to the Square and describes how she asked [EastEnders’ executive consultant] John Yorke to bring the real Kat back after her adventures in spin-off show Redwater.
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She says: “Luckily John has brought me back and I asked him: ‘Please let her be full whack Kat.’ It is and I’m so pleased. I’ve got the cleavage out, the red lips, the red nail varnish, the leopard print. I just love it, I love putting all her clothes on and getting back into the character again. I really missed her.”
And Jessie soon settled back in, despite an early bout of nerves!
She reveals: “I was so nervous – I was shaking. I was really nervous before I did my first scene but as soon as I did that, I was on the floor and running. It was just like being home, really.”
Jessie also addresses fans’ hopes that on-screen partner Alfie, played by Shane Richie, will return…
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She says: “It’s always been Kat and Alfie. We’ve worked together over the years, we’ve got a strong bond and he’s like my best friend, my brother and we bounce off each other really well so I do miss him, yeah.
“I want Kat to be single for a little while. It brings out the child side of her. She can be a little bit of a scallywag. I like that about her.
I want her to be Kat on her own for a while. It’d be great if Shane came back. Kat and Alfie go together so well.”
After Stacey returns home to find Mo waiting with the tragic news that Kat is dead, the residents of Walford rally round to help fund Kat’s funeral, but is all what it seems?
Coming soon to #EastEnders on @BBCOne. pic.twitter.com/ykG6lDdVS8— BBC EastEnders (@bbceastenders) March 9, 2018
With Shane himself recently revealing that he’d like to return to the BBC soap, too, surely it’s only a matter of time… (Eek!)
And there’s a few others that Jessie would like to see back in Walford – fellow Slater clan Michelle Ryan, Kacey Ainsworth and Elaine Lordan…
Watch this space!
Kat returns next week just days before her own funeral… And she’s shocked to find out Big Mo has been telling everyone she is dead.
But she is very, very much alive… Hooray!
Kat returns in a double bill on Thursday 22 March at 7.30pm and 9pm on BBC One.
Would you like Kat and Alfie to be reunited on screen? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think!