Lisa surprised many Walford residents with her return (Picture: BBC)

Lisa Fowler (Lucy Benjamin) has returned to Walford in EastEnders with the intention of getting revenge on Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).

Alongside Lisa is young Peggy, who is Louise Mitchell’s and Keanu’s daughter.

Following the birth, Louise began to struggle with her mental health. At the time, she was under the impression that she played a part in Keanu’s death and as things got worse, she very nearly smothered her crying daughter with a pillow.

Protecting her daughter seems to be the priority for Lisa as she returns to Albert Square, as we saw in Monday’s (July 10) episode that she wants £3k from Keanu to make up for not paying child support.

However, it’s now been confirmed there is another reason for Lisa’s need for cash, as Lucy Benjamin takes on a gambling addiction storyline for the character:

‘The storyline that I was given as a backstory is the reason that Lisa then turns to what she does turn to with the gambling, is as a result of the fact that Louise does then start to pull herself together and Lisa isn’t then needed as much as she has been needed before’, she explained.

‘So then, therefore, she then turns to gambling because she feels surplus to requirements almost. So, Louise starts off at the beginning of the backstory that she’s unravelling, but then she does actually pull herself together, and then unfortunately Lisa starts to unravel with the gambling.’

‘It’s that vicious circle that she knows she’s doing it but she just can’t stop’, Lucy said, reflecting on the extent of Lisa’s addiction.

‘She just can’t help herself. And it’s not just online. You’ll see her in the Vic, and it’s the fruit machines, and she just can’t stop putting the money into the fruit machines. And it’s this vicious cycle that she doesn’t want to do it.

Lisa is back in Walford (Picture: BBC)

‘It started off that she felt she was trying to help Louise by bringing some money in and creating a family unit, and then it just takes over and spirals out of control. But she knows she’s in a lot of trouble with it.’

Lucy goes on to explain that while Lisa wants to get revenge on Keanu for the way he treated Louise, she is also using it as a way to secure extra cash to fuel her addiction.

‘I think she’s justified in blackmailing him for the money because she feels that he’s made her daughter’s life turn to absolute cr*p and it just so happens that that does suit her narrative that she needs the money to enable her gambling addiction’, she said.

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‘I think she can square it off in her own mind because she despises him so much because of the damage he’s caused.’

While it’s wonderful to see Lisa Fowler back on our screens, her time in Albert Square will be short lived and right now, even Lucy doesn’t know if we’ll see her character again in the future!

‘I genuinely don’t know. I never know when I’m coming back, it’s always a big surprise to me. They literally will tell me about six weeks beforehand. If I say yes to something, it’s usually I’m back within a six-week period.

‘So, honestly, I don’t know the answer to that question!’

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There’s another reason why Lisa needs so much money.