Recent Walford escapee, Nicola Stapleton, has revealed that she wouldn’t rule out a return to EastEnders!

Stapleton, who played Mandy Salter in the BBC soap, left our screens this week after she left her fiancée, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) on the day of their wedding, after a brief spell back in the soap that she originally starred in the 90′s.
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In tonight’s episode of EastEnders, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) is a man on the edge – but there’s no glory to be found in Walford, so pipe down GaGa impersonators – as his fiancé Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton) threatens to walk out on him yet again.

As we’re seen recently, Ian’s been totally losing the plot, and has had to rely on Max (Jake Wood) to arrange his wedding to Mandy, and of course, Ian’s daughter Lucy (Hetti Bywater) is doing everything she can to scupper the day, including having cancelled the venue and reception arrangements.

And tonight, when Lucy throws Mandy’s wedding ring down a drain, Ian demands that she give Mandy her mother Cindy’s ring as a replacement.

Not surprisingly, Lucy refuses, and issues her dad with an ultimatum; it’s her or Mandy… Read more & comment »

With Ian Beale’s gazillionth wedding coming up, no one could possibly expect it to go according to plan, after all it is Ian, and it is EastEnders.

But while the world sits and waits for his wife-to-be, Mandy, to come to her senses in the nick of time and stand him up at the altar, or for her to rob him blind as soon as he says I do, viewers will be shocked to see that this wedding is brought down by someone else entirely!

Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) has never has a great relationship with any of his kids, and when Lucy (Hetti Bywater) returned to Albert Square recently she made it very clear that she was not about to accept his new wife anytime soon.

So, when the big day arrives, Lucy – who has actually started to show a softer, more caring side recently, even towards Mandy (Nicola Stapleton), is set to ruin her dads wedding when she issues him with a severe ultimatum: “It’s me or Mandy. You decide.”

The wedding is fraught with problems from the start.  It is already the couples third attempt to get down the aisle, and with Ian keeping the fact that he is serious financial trouble from his fiancée, and having just discovered that his brother Ben (Joshau Pascoe) was the person responsible for the harpooning of Heather Trott, this final nail is too much for the chip shop owner to take.

In a bid to block out all his worries he gives Mandy a huge wad of cash to go and buy a new dress, and enlists the best man services of Max Branning (what will Alfie say?), but as quick as plans are being arranged, Lucy is secretly undoing them, including cancelling the registry office and throwing away the rings, in a bid to stop her dad from making, what she believes will be the biggest mistake of his life.

Unfortunately for her, her dad manages to fix everything so the wedding is back on track, forcing her to make the ultimatum on the morning of the wedding.

An EastEnders insider said: “By the morning of Ian and Mandy’s wedding Lucy has done everything she can to stop it happening.

“The only thing she has left to do is plead with her dad to come to his senses. When he refuses she tells him he must choose.

“It’s either Mandy or her and she means it.

“She tells him she will walk out of his life forever if he goes through with the wedding.”

Viewers can watch the drama unfold on May 24th.

Watch another of Ian’s far-from successful weddings below:

EastEnders can be seen Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings on BBC1 / BBC1 HD.

As fans of EastEnders will know, Nicola Stapleton will once again bow out of the role of Mandy Salter this summer…

But of course, the big question is, will her character Mandy leave Walford as the fifth Mrs Beale, or will her marriage to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) go awry?

Well, the show’s bosses are keeping the answer to that question firmly under wraps, however, they have hinted at an “explosive” departure for Mandy.

A show insider told TV Biz, “We’re keeping a tight lid on exactly what happens on Mandy and Ian’s wedding day.”

And in an interview with Soaplife, Nicola has been similarly cagey about what’s set to happen, but she did discuss events in the lead up to Mandy and Ian’s big day, including the return of toxic mum Lorraine Salter (Victoria Alcock) in upcoming episodes.

Of that, Nicola said, “Mandy’s not pleased to see her [mum] at all. Lorraine tells Mandy she’s unwell but Mandy doesn’t believe her and tells her to go… Read more & comment »

Lorraine Salter should be followed around by a group of school kids shouting ‘She’s behind you!’ while booing, such a pantomime-esque villain is she…

And the bad news for her daughter Mandy (Nicola Stapleton) is that Lorraine’s headed back to Walford just to see how much more misery she can inflict on her poor long suffering offspring.

However, this time, karma is perhaps biting Lorraine (Victoria Alcock) on the jacksie because no sooner is the drunken mum back on the Square than she collapses and has to be rushed to hospital.

A worried Mandy races to her mum’s side, but instead of being greeted with gratitude by her mother, Lorraine unhinges her jaw and unleashes a vicious tirade at Mandy, telling her she’s never loved her, never wanted her and that she’s only ever been a burden… Read more & comment »

It’s been reported today that the character of Mandy Salter is being written out of EastEnders this summer, prompting speculation that she will ditch Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) at the altar…

As fans will recall, Nicola Stapleton came back to the show last year after an absence of 17 years.

Her romance with Ian began almost as soon as the pair renewed their acquaintance after Ian, in an uncharacteristic display of masculinity, rescued Mandy from a pimp outside the lap dancing club where she worked.

However, their relationship has already been through more rocky patches than the Himalayas, what with Mandy sleeping with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) and ditching Ian on their wedding day.

And of course, the tensions between Mandy and Ian’s daughter Lucy (Hetti Bywater) culminating in Mandy’s evil mum Lorraine (Victoria Alcock) resurfacing to fleece her daughter’s fiancé… Read more & comment »

Fans of EastEnders will know that the arrival of Mandy Salter’s mum Lorraine on the Square has been a far cry from a joyous reunion, and in forthcoming episodes, things are set to get a whole lot worse…

Lorraine – who’s played by former Bad Girls actress Victoria Alcock – has no love for her daughter Mandy, and is only intent on getting as much money out of her as she can, by whatever means she can, and that includes blackmail.

Mandy, who’s played by Nicola Stapleton, doesn’t want her fiancé Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) to know the full extent of some of the darker moments of her past, but Lorraine holds the threat of revealing those lies over Mandy’s head to ensure her daughter pays up.

However, things come to a head when, in an upcoming episode, Mandy loses her temper with her mum’s vile behaviour and throws a drink over her… Read more & comment »

Next week, we’re set to meet Mandy Salter’s mum Lorraine, who of course has a track record of parenting that would make Herod a more preferable babysitter…

When Mandy was just a teenager, Lorraine – who was, at the time, played by Linda Henry who of course now plays Shirley Carter – dumped her daughter on Pat and Frank Butcher and ran away.

From that moment on, the already troubled and troublesome teen Mandy became a bit of a nightmare, and she of course eventually left Walford in 1994, having stolen money from Pauline Fowler and most of the other E20 residents for that matter.

However, last summer, Nicola Stapleton reprised the role of Mandy, and Mandy is of course now engaged to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)… Read more & comment »

News from Walford way today includes the revelation that soon to be departing EastEnder, Cheryl Fergison, has told Inside Soap magazine that she’d love a role on Downton Abbey.

And in forthcoming episodes, we’re going to see that teen troublemaker Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) is doing her best to thwart her dad Ian’s marriage to Mandy Salter. More on that in a moment…

But first, Cheryl – who of course plays Heather Trott – who told the magazine,
“I’d really love to be in Downton Abbey. Before I got EastEnders I used to do lots of ‘under stairs’ roles…

“But perhaps I could go upstairs this time and prance around a bit. I’d love to do all that.”

And of leaving the show – Heather is of course set to be murdered by Ben Mitchell – Cheryl said, “I’ve loved being here and every minute of playing Heather… Read more & comment »

Nicola Stapleton, who of course plays brassy Mandy Salter, has told the Daily Mirror that she’s enjoying the routine and stability of being on the show.

Nicola recently returned to the show after a break of 17 years; she first starred on the show in the 1990s as a teen tear-away.

And as we reported yesterday, Mandy’s forthcoming storylines include the return of her mum Lorraine Salter, who’s to be played by Call the Midwife star Victoria Alcock.

While discussing her return to the show, Nicola told the paper, “I’m having a great time. I’m enjoying it so much more this time round.

“You’re older, wiser, you understand a bit more how the machine works.

“I’ve spent the last 17 years really grafting my ar*e off, so it’s nice to be back in a situation where I’m in a real routine…” Read more & comment »

As fans of EastEnders will know, troublesome teen Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) is headed back to Albert Square for Pat Evans’ funeral…

As we reported yesterday, Nicola Stapleton, who plays Mandy Salter, has revealed that she’s expecting lots of trouble for her character courtesy of Lucy.

And in an interview with Soaplife, Nicola has gone into more detail about one of Lucy and Mandy’s storylines, which sees the youngster outwitting her potential step-mum.

Nicola explained that Mandy is anxious to get Lucy’s approval, and so she suggests to her that they spend some “quality time” together, which boils down to getting drunk together.

Of the plotline, Nicola said, “Mandy wants to be part of the Beale family and she’s desperate to win Lucy over, but she gets it all wrong… Read more & comment »

As fans of EastEnders will know, Lucy Beale – who’s played by newcomer Hetti Bywater – is headed back to Walford, and top of her agenda is causing as much trouble as she can for her new prospective step-mum, Mandy Salter.

And Nicola Stapleton, who of course plays Mandy – and who has also starred in You Bet! The Thin Blue Line, The Bill, and Casualty - has been telling All About Soap that things aren’t made any easier by the fact that Mandy’s fiancé, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) hasn’t told Lucy anything about her at all.

She said, “Ian promised Mandy that he’d told the twins about their relationship, so she’s a bit surprised when Lucy arrives home for Pat’s funeral and starts demanding answers about Ian’s love life.

“Lucy definitely has her nose put out of joint when she realises she’s not Ian’s number one any more.

“She’s going to do everything she can to undermine his relationship with Mandy…” Read more & comment »

It’s been revealed by the PA that EastEnders character Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton) will sleep with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) the night before she’s to marry Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt).

And it seems that afterwards, Mandy’s going to become obsessed with Ricky, and the whole thing could turn very Fatal Attraction, complete with bunnies on low simmer and surprise appearances in shower cubicles.

But poor old Ian! I think every single woman he’s ever been out with – or married, or both – has cheated on him!

His former wife Cindy (Michelle Collins) cheated on him with Simon Wicks (Nick Berry) and pretended the resulting baby was Ian’s.

His next wife Mel (Tamzin Outhwaite) had an affair with baddie Steve Owen (Martin Kemp), then the next Mrs Beale, Laura (Hannah Waterman) had an affair with Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves).

And last but not least, his most recent ex-wife Jane (Laurie Brett) nearly – but only ‘nearly’ – had an affair with Masood (Nitin Ganatra). Read more & comment »

EastEnders star Nicola Stapleton has revealed that just like her character Mandy Salter, she could fall for the newly fun-loving Ian Beale, who is of course played by Adam Woodyatt.

As viewers will know, Nicola reprised her role as Mandy a few weeks ago, and it’s now been revealed that Ian is set to propose to the rebellious blonde.

That will make Mandy his fifth fiancé!

Of the storyline, and of her feelings about Ian, Nicola told the Daily Mirror, “He’s becoming my type.

“The miserable Ian Beale is definitely not boyfriend material, but the new version would be a push in the right direction.

“Mandy has injected a bit of excitement into his life. The new Ian, the carefree, fun, frivolous Ian is much more up my street… Read more & comment »

EastEnders star Nicola Stapleton has been telling Soaplife a little more about how her character Mandy Salter is about to become the next Mrs Beale, if she accepts Ian Beale’s proposal that is!

As fans of the show will know, Mandy and Ian (Adam Woodyatt) have become very close very fast, since he rescued her from the clutches of a violent pimp a few weeks ago.

And now, Ian’s set to propose to Mandy, but will she accept?

Nicola said of Ian and Mandy’s romance, “He gives her stability and makes her feel safe, and I think he likes her because she’s full of energy, life and naughtiness.

“He starts to buzz off it.”

However, Mandy, being the flirt she is, sets her sights on Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and when asked why she does, Nicola said, “Because he’s good-looking and successful! She’s constantly flirting with Jack and Ian gets really jealous… Read more & comment »