On Air Now
Heart Breakfast with JK and Amanda Holden 6:30am - 10am
10 February 2020, 13:34 | Updated: 10 February 2020, 13:37
Peter Beale's return to EastEnders has been revealed after five years away from the soap.
It was revealed back in December that EastEnders would be welcoming Dayle Hudson to the cast to take over the role of Peter Beale.
As the seventh actor to take on the character, Dayle will be making his debut in Walford during the special 35th anniversary week as Peter 'exorcises some demons.'
And now the first look at his return has been teased in a new picture as the 'damaged soul' comes back home after spending five years living in New Zealand.
Peter fled Albert Square following the trauma of little brother Bobby accidentally killing his sister Lucy.
This will be Dayle's first TV role, with the actor admitting he’s ‘really grateful’ to have joined the ‘Enders family.
Read More: EastEnders' Liam Butcher actor James Forde becomes a builder after quitting soap in 2015
He said: "I am really grateful and excited to have the opportunity to work on such an institution of British television, alongside some incredible actors.”
Adding: “Peter has been away for some time so I can't wait to find out what he's been up to and I'm very excited to see what the future holds for him."
EastEnders' executive producer Jon Sen also teased what we can expect from Peter's comeback.
She told the The Sun Online: “Peter Beale is a wonderful character with a very complicated history.
“He's got a great heart and he's got a very damaged soul. He's returning to Walford to exorcise some demons.”
Peter has previously been portrayed by six other actors, including Ben Hardy who quit Walford to move to Hollywood and has gone on to star in films such as X-Men: Apocalypse and Bohemian Rhapsody.
The character's return will be part of the explosive 35th anniversary week commencing February 17.
The huge storyline will see chaos erupt as Walford residents enjoy a boat party after the Queen Vic won pub of the year.
Shown across four episodes, lots of plots will tie together as one big character is set to lose their life.
The anniversary week will also feature the return of Keanu Taylor as he comes back for revenge on Phil Mitchell.