EastEnders SPOILER: Maddy Hill to reprise her role as Nancy Carter after five years away from Walford
EastEnders confirmed on Monday that actress Maddy Hill will be reprising her role as Nancy Carter.
The actress, 31, waved goodbye to Walford in 2016, with her character leaving to go travelling with boyfriend Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel), with the pair eventually getting married and settling in New Zealand.
But now the daughter of Mick and Linda is coming home, with Nancy returning to a very different dynamic in the Carter household than when she first left.
She’s back! EastEnders confirmed on Monday that actress Maddy Hill will be reprising her role as Nancy Carter
Maddy told of her return in an Instagram post shared by EastEnders in which she discussed Nancy’s life after leaving Albert Square.
Speaking about her return to the BBC soap, Maddy said: ‘I’m so excited to be coming back and reconnecting with all the hilarious, warm, talented cast and crew and meeting some lovely new faces.
‘I absolutely loved playing Nancy and have often wondered what she’s up to, so feel very grateful to be able to rediscover her five years on.’
Meanwhile, executive producer Jon Sen commented: ‘We’re delighted to have Maddy back and I can’t wait for audiences to see what’s in store for Nancy.
Back again: The actress, 31, waved goodbye to Walford in 2016, with her character leaving to go travelling with boyfriend Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) (pictured as Nancy in 2015)
‘There’s a lot of mystery surrounding her return and she’s coming back to a family that have been through a very difficult year – things are definitely not as Nancy left them.’
Indeed, Nancy is set to face a very different dynamic in the family as her parents Mick (Danny Dyer) and Linda (Kellie Bright) have recently welcomed Mick’s long-lost daughter Frankie Lewis (Rose Ayling-Ellis) into their lives.
Frankie is the product of the childhood sexual abuse he faced at the hands of his then support worker Katy Lewis (Simone Labhib), with Mick still suffering from the trauma of what she did to him.
Big changes: But now the daughter of Mick and Linda is coming home, with Nancy returning to a very different dynamic in the Carter household than when she first left
Meanwhile, as a result of Mick shutting down amid Katy’s arrival in Walford, Linda was driven to have an affair with Max Branning (Jake Wood).
Though Mick and Linda later reconciled, Nancy has returned home without her husband Tamwar – so could her own marriage be in jeopardy?
Maddy’s return comes after she teased in 2018 that she would ‘totally’ reprise her role as Nancy as she adored working with her onscreen parents Danny and Kellie.
She said: ‘I have always said that I’d never say no. I loved everyone I worked with and Danny and Kellie are still there. I would definitely have an open mind about it – definitely.
Issues: Mick is still suffering from the trauma of his childhood abuse at the hands of Katie Lewis, with his recent distant behaviour driving wife Linda to have an affair with Max Branning
Trouble in paradise? Though Mick and Linda later reconciled, Nancy has returned home without her husband Tamwar – so could her own marriage be in jeopardy?
‘I am still very much in touch with the Carter family and I was hanging out with Himesh [Patel, who played Tamwar] last week as he was in Cardiff. I am very much still in touch with the cast.’
During her time in the soap, Maddy’s character Nancy has faced her fair share of drama including her epilepsy diagnosis and seriously injuring baby brother Ollie during a fight with brother Lee.
But after some ups and downs, the character finally found her happiness when she went to explore the world with her love Tamwar.
So just why has she returned to Albert Square? EastEnders continues on BBC One.
Comeback: Maddy’s return comes after she teased in 2018 that she would ‘totally’ reprise her role as Nancy as she adored working with her onscreen parents Danny and Kellie