Isaiah Washington will return to Grey's Anatomy nearly seven years after his highly-publicised dismissal from the show.
Washington played Dr Preston Burke in Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007, but was written out amid allegations that he used a homophobic slur on the set and later at the Golden Globes.
His return comes as part of the farewell for Sandra Oh's character Cristina Yang at the end of the current season.
He will appear in one episode in May that will focus on Preston Burke's past romance with Cristina.
Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes said of the casting development: "It's important to me that Cristina's journey unfolds exactly as it should.
"Burke is vital to that journey - he gives her story that full-circle moment we need to properly say goodbye to our beloved Cristina Yang."
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It was reported in January that Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey have reached deals for two more seasons.
Grey's Anatomy airs on Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC. Sky Living airs the show in the UK.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
