Tracy-Ann Oberman heads back to Albert Square for the first time in 20 years as she shoots her EastEnders return as Chrissie Watts
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Tracy-Ann Oberman has headed back to Albert Square for the first time in 20 years as she shot her hotly-anticipated EastEnders return.
The actress, 57, is returning to the show after almost two decades to reprise her role as the infamous Chrissie Watts.
The screen star was spotted following her first day back filming on Friday, with her return scenes set to air this autumn and sure to send shockwaves across Walford.
The star looked in high spirits as she headed out on a walk in West London with her music producer husband Rob Cowan and their dog, following her return to the iconic set.
Tracy cut a casual figure as she stepped out in the rain, donning an all-black ensemble of a knitted jumper, leather jacket and jogging bottoms.
Tracy-Ann Oberman has headed back to Albert Square for the first time in 20 years as she shot her hotly-anticipated EastEnders return
The actress, 57, is returning to the show after almost two decades to reprise her role as the infamous Chrissie Watts
The screen star was spotted following her first day back filming on Friday, with her return scenes set to air this autumn and sure to send shockwaves across Walford
The EastEnders actress went makeup-free and injected a pop of colour with some bright green glasses, wearing her hair pulled back into a messy bun.
Her partner Rob, who she has been married to since 2004, matched her attire, also opting for a leather look, as the pair appeared to be sharing a joke and bursting into laughter during their outing.
Tracy's character Chrissie was last seen on the BBC soap in December 2005, when was sent to prison for the murder of her husband Den Watts, played by Lesley Grantham.
She had first joined the soap in April 2004 and quickly became a prominent figure, racking up a huge list of enemies, including Kate Mitchell (Jill Halfpenny) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace).
But her biggest storyline saw her bludgeon 'Dirty Den' to death in self-defence in the show's special 20th anniversary episode.
The infamous moment was watched by a staggering 14.34 million people, with almost 60 per cent of possible viewers tuning in.
Alongside Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), Chrissie attempted to cover up the murder, burying Den under the floor of The Vic barrel store.
She managed to get away with her crime for months, living with Den’s beloved adoptive daughter, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), and his son Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).
The star looked in high spirits as she headed out on a walk in West London with her music producer husband Rob Cowan and their dog, following her return to the iconic set
Tracy cut a casual figure as she stepped out in the rain, donning an all-black ensemble of a knitted jumper, leather jacket and jogging bottoms
Tracy had first joined the soap in April 2004 and quickly became a prominent figure
Chrissie was last seen on the BBC soap in December 2005 (pictured), when was sent to prison for the murder of her husband Den Watts, played by Lesley Grantham
But when Sam drunkenly dug up the body, she was held responsible for the murder until Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) returned to help their sister and uncovered the truth, with Chrissie being sent to prison.
Speaking about her return to the soap, Tracy-Ann gushed: 'Chrissie Watts was such a great character to play - a victim or a villain.
'She is a real fan favourite so, when Chris Clenshaw asked me to come back and re-visit her and see what has happened in the last 19 years, I jumped at the chance.
'The scripts are fantastic and I hope the viewers enjoy her as much as I am enjoying playing her again.'
While executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: 'I’m delighted to welcome the immensely talented Tracy-Ann back to the iconic role of Chrissie Watts.
'Although the character hasn’t been seen on screen for almost twenty years, Chrissie is cemented in EastEnders’ rich history for her murder of Walford’s most infamous villain, and Sharon’s beloved father, Dirty Den.
'I’m keeping tight-lipped on the exact circumstances relating to her return for the time being, but what I can promise is that it’s never quiet when Chrissie Watts is around.'
Speaking about her return to the soap, Tracy-Ann gushed: 'Chrissie Watts was such a great character to play - a victim or a villain'
It comes after Chris teased the soap would see the return of several beloved characters ahead of the 40th anniversary celebrations next year.
EastEnders was created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland and premiered on February 19, 1985.
In recent years, the soap has delighted fans with the returns of Kathy Beale, Cindy and Peter Beale, and Lauren Branning.
And showrunner Chris has teased that more familiar faces will swing by Walford in the lead up to the anniversary.
He told The Sun: 'As we head towards our 40th year, I think the nostalgic element means a lot. Into the autumn and the end of the year, we’ve got quite a few treats coming up.'
Asked if that meant a return for long-departed characters, Chris coyly replied: 'Maybe. It all depends on the story and where the characters are. But it has to come from character, it has to come from story.'
On whether he had been planting hints in scripts, he added: 'It would depend when they’re looking back from, but probably.
'The 40th has been in the works for quite some time and Christmas is well under way. In the story office there is a board and it all connects. I compare it to a tapestry board, everything has to fit together.'
Chrissie's biggest storyline saw her bludgeon 'Dirty Den' to death in the show's 20th anniversary episode (pictured with Leslie in 2004)
The infamous moment (pictured) was watched by a staggering 14.34 million people, with almost 60 per cent of possible viewers tuning in
