Jaime Winstone will reprise her role as a young Peggy Mitchell in an episode of EastEnders airing next month, it has been announced.
An acclaimed flashback episode broadcast in September 2022 saw Winstone portray a much younger version of the character made famous by the late Barbara Windsor, with George Russo playing patriarch Eric, Daniel Delaney as a young Phil and Teddy Jay as a young Grant.
All three will be back alongside Winstone for the new episode, which ties into Phil Mitchell's (Steve McFadden) depression storyline and sees the adult him watch hallucinated scenes from the Mitchell family home in 1985.
New to the cast will be Sam Miles as a younger Nigel Bates, played in the present day by Paul Bradley.
A synopsis for the episode reads: "During his hallucinations, Phil will act as a bystander to a pivotal moment from his adolescence. As Phil's negative internal dialogue worsens, the hallucinations will also transcend into Phil's life as he starts to converse with the characters from his past, as well as his former younger self back in Walford in The Square and at No.55."
Winstone said: "It was such an honour to be welcomed back to play Peggy Mitchell, she is a dream role for me; so to be able to contribute to this iconic family on this major storyline has been such a joyous and emotional journey and I truly hope I have done her justice. Thank you to all the EastEnders family, this has been such a wonderful experience."
Departing executive producer Chris Clenshaw added: "We are thrilled to welcome back the young Mitchells for these special scenes as we lead up to our 40th anniversary week.
"In 2022 fans and critics alike celebrated Jaime's portrayal of Peggy, and with Phil's story, this feels like the perfect time for her to reprise the iconic role – joined once again by George, Daniel, Teddy and now Sam as a young Nigel.
"Flashbacks like these give the audience a unique opportunity to better understand Phil's mindset and the traumatic events that have led him to his mental health crisis."
The episode will air in mid-February ahead of the much-anticipated 40th anniversary week of episodes.
Neil Wilkes
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