EastEnders star Kim Medcalf has revealed all on how she came to be returning to Walford as Sam Mitchell, 17 years after she last played the character.
Kim exited the soap in 2005 when Sam fled to Brazil in order to avoid a jail sentence. Sam has been seen a few times since, played by original Sam actress Danniella Westbrook, and it was confirmed in January that the character would soon be back again, this time played by Kim.
Sam is back on our screens next week, and she is set to ruffle plenty of feathers on her return, not least with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), who she left their son Ricky with when she was last in the Square in 2016.
Related: EastEnders' Harvey to drop a bombshell on Dana
Actress Kim said that she was "thrilled" to step back into Sam's shoes after over 15 years away from the character.
"I had a call from EastEnders late last year asking me if I would be interested in coming back and returning as Sam Mitchell," she said. "I was so thrilled and it didn't take me long to say yes. I was at home when I got the call, and it really was a really lovely surprise.
What to Read Next
"I've been watching the show on and off when I can, so I was really genuinely thrilled to be asked back."
Kim also opened up about what we can expect to see from Sam during her latest return, teasing that she is "back on the Square for a reason".
Related: EastEnders' Bonnie Langford didn't watch Kush exit
"She's going to cause lots of drama in typical Sam Mitchell style and she's also going to upset a few people," she said. "Let's just say her return isn't going to go down well with most people and I really can't wait for the viewers to see it all."
Sam will cause fireworks immediately when she returns to Walford, with Jack set to receive an alarming phone call after a run-in with Sam which will also rattle his partner Denise Fox (Diane Parish).
Sam will also upset Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), who is furious when he discovers what Sam is up to, while she is set to have a dramatic showdown with Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), too, which results in some drinks being flung.
Related: EastEnders airs surprise Sean Slater cameo
When Sam's return was announced, BBC head of continuing drama Kate Oates revealed that she had been wanting to bring the iconic character back for a long time.
"With Phil potentially facing a long spell inside, Sam arrives back in Walford ready to take what she sees as her rightful place in the Mitchell empire," she said. "But with strong grudges against Kat, Sharon, Jack and Denise, to name but a few, her return is guaranteed to be explosive."
EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
One of Them: From Albert Square to Parliament Square by Michael Cashman
