Patsy Palmer to return to Albert Square as screeching Bianca

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The broadcaster revealed that the 35-year-old actress is to begin filming in January, and will be on screens from around the end of March.

Palmer's return comes eight years after she left the show in 1999, and 14 years after she first joined it in 1993.

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Ricky and Bianca: The soap couple captivated fans with their rows and tantrums

Her reappearance seems to follow a change of heart because two years ago she declared she would never go back to the soap that made her famous.

She told the Telegraph then: "I wouldn't go back to EastEnders, though. I just don't really believe in it any more. The stories are so unbelievable, it's ridiculous."

In the 90s, Bianca was a flighty teenager in an on-off romance with Ricky - whose name she regularly screeched across the Square - and she captivated millions of fans.

She eventually ditched Ricky, played by Sid Owen, and life in London for a new start in Manchester, but the couple did return for a special one-off episode in 2002.

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Never say never: Patsy Palmer has gone back on her pledge never to return to BBC soap EastEnders

Years on, Bianca is still having trouble with her love life and arrives back in the East End with her son by Ricky, called Liam, and a string of children by other men.

According to the BBC, she is "at rock bottom and struggling to survive" and returns because her grandmother, Pat Evans, still lives in the Square.

Palmer, who is originally from Bethnal Green in London, now says: "I'm really excited about rejoining the cast and working with old friends again.

"I can't wait to explore what Bianca has been doing with her life and seeing what she is going to get up to next."

Diederick Santer, executive producer of the show, said: "I'm delighted to welcome Patsy Palmer home to EastEnders. Bianca is one of the most popular characters the show has ever had.

"Millions grew up with her and, like the audience, I can't wait to see her back in the show. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter in her story."

Palmer started her acting career with a part in Grange Hill and after leaving EastEnders, went on to star in BBC detective drama McCready and Daughter as well as in the West End.

She now lives on the south coast with her husband and three children and also runs her own cosmetics company.