Fans of EastEnders will no doubt have spotted that there have been several references of late to Shirley Carter’s estranged daughter, Carly Wicks, and that’s in order that the show’s writers could reintroduce the character when actress Kellie Shirley reprises the role in upcoming episodes.

Carly and Shirley (Linda Henry) have always had an antagonistic relationship, which can be attributed to the fact that Shirley abandoned Carly and her brother Deano (Matt Di Angelo) when they were children, and they were raised by her then partner, Kevin Wicks, who was played by Phil Daniels.

Kevin of course died on New Year’s Eve in 2007, having had an accident in a car that Shirley’s current fiancé Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) sold to him, knowing that it was an unsafe ‘cut and shut’ car…

Soon after Kevin died, Carly left the Square to go travelling and she hasn’t been seen in Walford since, however, she has recently given birth to a baby boy, and has been keeping her good friend Denise Fox (Diane Parish) apprised of the baby’s progress.

However, we’re soon going to see Carly back in Walford as part of the climax to the Heather Trott murder storyline, which is of course about to see Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) publicly unmasked as her killer.

Of her return to the show – which is said to be “brief but dramatic” – Kellie told TV Biz, “Having left EastEnders in 2008, it’s flattering to be asked to return as Carly for this particular storyline…

“Carly is coming back slightly older, wiser and independent, but she still needs and loves her mum.

“The Shirley/Carly dynamic is fun to play and is as volatile as ever.”

Here’s a reminder of some of Kellie’s final scenes as Carly after Kevin died…