EastEnders' top five 'back from the dead' moments as Cindy Beale's return 'imminent'

A major plotline for EastEnders is about to start, and it will feature the return of Cindy Beale, an iconic character who “died” in 1998.
The top five “back from the dead” scenes from the BBC soap opera over the years have been compiled by Express.co.uk.

From Gillian Taylforth’s Kathy Beale to Leslie Grantham’s Den Watts, EastEnders has had its fair share of ghosts return decades after their loved ones said goodbye to them at their funerals.

It’s a good time to reflect on the most shocking similar instances because Cindy (Michelle Collins) is the most recent person to emerge from her grave and stumble back onto the streets of Walford.

After Kathy mentioned her desire for her son Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) to attend her wedding, the soap opera dropped a hint about Cindy’s potential return date.

The Walford resident who has been absent for years may return for his mother’s special day, and it’s possible that Cindy will go with him.

Cindy Beale was said to have faked her death after giving birth while imprisoned, but the motivation behind her return has not yet been revealed.

Here is a list of past EastEnders “back from the dead” storylines that fans will never forget as they eagerly anticipate Cindy’s return after 25 years.

Kathy Beale

When Kathy Beale revealed she had faked her death because of her controlling husband Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas), who persuaded her to go on the run and live in South Africa, her startling return from the dead in 2015 was a major storyline in EastEnders history.

Then it was revealed that Kathy had staged her husband’s death as part of an insurance scam in order to receive a sizable payout.

Her son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), who was last seen on screen in 2000, returned to the square to be in the care of Ian and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) after his mother Kathy was “killed” in an off-screen car crash in 2006.

Den Watts

In 1989, “Dirty Den’s” initial “death” occurred when he was shot by a hitman as a result of his involvement in criminal activity. In a shocking turn of events, it was discovered in 2003 that Den had actually faked his own death and had survived the shooting.

Den spent his time back at Albert Square after making one of the most significant comebacks in UK soap opera history, continuing his immoral behavior that ultimately led to his new wife Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) killing him with a doormat in 2005.

Grant Mitchell

The brothers ended up in Thames in 1999 after a car argument with Phil Mitchell over an affair with his wife in which a gunshot accidentally hit the steering wheel and caused the car to roll into the river.

Grant (Ross Kemp) was presumed dead, but Phil was able to be saved.

A week later, the soap opera showed Grant and his daughter in Rio de Janeiro, both of them clearly still alive.

Nick Cotton

Nick (John Altman), a true Walford villain, wrecked many families throughout the Square, including his own mother, the adored Dot Cotton (June Brown).

With the information provided by Charlie Cotton (Christopher Hancock) in 2014, it was assumed that “Nasty Nick” had passed away; however, this was later shown to be untrue as the character later that year reappeared alive.

Nick persuaded Dot to give him heroin because he was going through a drug withdrawal, which inevitably resulted in his overdose in 2015 and his permanent exit from the show.

Kat Moon

The grandmother of Kat Moon (Kessie Wallace) decided to inform the people of Walford (as well as viewers) that her beloved granddaughter had sadly passed away after the return of naughty character Big Mo (Laila Morse).

However, Big Mo used this as a ruse, and when Kat Moon returned to the square alive and unharmed during a fundraiser for her “passing,” she was unaware of her grandmother’s fabrications.