And so it begins (Picture: BBC)

Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) finally heads back to Walford this week in EastEnders – and there’s a lot waiting for her when she gets there.

Away from the Knight family, Cindy goes back to Albert Square to find Peter (Thomas Law), who left France for England after finding out from Ian (Adam Woodyatt) that he has two sisters – Anna and Gina (Molly Rainford and Francesca Henry).

The Knights are also a strong focus in this tale because we know Cindy lived undercover as Rose Knight following her arrest over 20 years ago. While being Rose, she started a relationship with George (Colin Salmon) and gave birth to Anna and Gina, but failed to tell the family about her true identity.

So, let’s get into this week’s drama.

Back in Walford, Cindy is desperate not to be seen but she’s also in search of Kathy (Gillian Taylforth).

She finds her at No.45 and it isn’t long until a confrontation begins but meanwhile, Ian has followed Peter and Cindy’s route and is also back home.

Once he finds Cindy, Ian tries to get her away but she’s stopped in her tracks by George, who has just stepped out of the pub.

Cindy returns home to find Peter initially (Picture: BBC)

As the week gets underway, George discovers that Cindy had no idea the Knights were in Walford and didn’t return for them.

Determined to protect Anna and Gina, George tells Cindy that they’re both in Spain, but a mistake from Linda (Kellie Bright) causes Cindy to realise her daughters are in the Queen Vic.

As the fallout of Cindy and Ian’s return sends shockwaves, Cindy is in the pub trying to explain herself to Anna and Gina.

The siblings decide to head to Peggy’s to drown their sorrows but things quickly get out of hand.

Anna and Gina have remained unaware of the truth (Picture: BBC)

Once Cindy and George arrive, George realises that his worst fear has come true.

But what’s happened?

‘You can definitely expect bits of the old Cindy to come back’, Michelle Collins told us.

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‘I also think that people would be a little bit disappointed if they didn’t have the old bits. She’s the kind of person that’s not going to sit at home and knit, I don’t think. In a way, she was a character that women hated her but they kind of wanted to be her, because of the way she behaved. She was unapologetic, in a time when women on TV weren’t really portrayed that way. So, I think that’s why she literally got away with murder! [Laughs].

‘People like that side of her. She was the bad girl, wasn’t she? But, if you’re going to have the bad girl, you’ve got to make it three-dimensional, otherwise, it’s boring. I do think there are traits of her old character there, which, again, I think is what people want.’

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Cindy’s got a lot on her plate as she finally returns to Albert Square.