EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders villain Joel Marshall makes his ominous return to Walford next week – but he's looking very different.
Joel is heading back to Albert Square after serving time in a young offenders institute, although viewers may not recognise him without his 'curtains' hairstyle.
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Show bosses have released new cast shots of young actor Max Murray, who's reprising the role after nearly five months away.
Joel has shaved his hair during his time away from the Square – but will his new look also come with a new direction in his life? Or will he revert to his old ways?
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Digital Spy exclusively revealed the news of Max's return to filming in April, with the BBC soap keen to explore a new chapter for Joel and his family following the well-received issue-based storyline focusing on radicalised misogyny.
Joel had been absent from our screens after standing trial on charges of grievous bodily harm, voyeurism and producing and distributing indecent images of a child.
He'd brutally attacked his dad's partner Vicki Fowler and recorded a sexual video of Avani Nandra-Hart without her consent – and showed little remorse for his crimes. However, in some of his final moments on screen in January, he pleaded guilty to the charges and seemed ready to accept his punishment.
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Next week, Ross and Vicki return home from their honeymoon but are shocked when Joel then pops up on the Square with his mum Cleo.
Cleo makes it clear that she doesn't want Joel to live with her, meaning that Ross will have to step up again.
Vicki confides in Sharon Watts regarding her fears surrounding the situation, while Avani and Amy Mitchell give her a hard time for letting Joel come back at all.
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"Vicki can’t cope with Joel's return, so she scarpers into the café to confide in Sharon," our source reveals today.
"However, she’s hunted down by Avani and Amy, who are after blood! They kick off at poor Vicki for letting Joel come back to Walford – but it could be more than she can take…"
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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