EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw has said that it was a no-brainer to have Ian Beale make a surprise appearance at Dot's funeral.
Walford bid goodbye to the legendary character in Monday night's episode, following on from the death of June Brown earlier this year, with former characters including Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa), Lofty (Linda Davidson), Colin (Michael Cashman) and Lofty (Tom Watt) returning for the occasion.
In a previously-unannounced cameo, Adam Woodyatt also returned as Ian Beale for a brief scene which saw him watch Dot's coffin arrive from afar.
Woodyatt has been on an extended break from the soap for the last two years but Clenshaw said that he had no hesitations over agreeing to return for Dot's send-off.
"Yeah, I called Adam, told him our plans, and I said, 'Ian has to be there', and he agreed," Clenshaw said.
"It was kind of as simple as that. Ian would not miss it. Obviously, he didn't make it into the church, but he said his own private goodbye to Dot.
"So, yeah, that's how it came about. It was just that Adam wanted to be there for June and he knew that Ian should be there for Dot."
Woodyatt's return for the scene also means that Ian has been on screen every year since the soap started in 1985.
Neil Wilkes
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