Last night's instalment of EastEnders had Albert's Square fans picking their jaws up off the floor following the eagerly-anticipated return of beloved character Cindy Beale, played by soap-star favourite Michelle Collins.
The Walford old-timer was killed off in 1998 but is seemingly back, alongside her on-screen ex-husband Ian Beale, played by Adam Woodyatt.
And no was was more shocked at the prospect of Cindy's return that fellow EastEnders alum Jacqueline Jossa, who took to Instagram to express her disbelief that one of the best-loved characters is back from the dead.
Mum-of-three Jac shared a reel to her story – posted by the official EastEnders Instagram account – which saw George Knight (played by Colin Salmon) making a mystery phone call abroad whilst Seal's 'A Kiss from a Rose' plays coincidentally in the background.
The camera then cuts to see Cindy sitting on a sun lounger by the pool, her phone ringing by her side as a she chugs a glass of wine, before the iconic "duff duff" sound signalled the credits.
Reposting the BBC clip, 30-year-old actress Jac – who played Lauren Branning on the show between 2010 and 2022 – captioned it: "Whaaat !!!!", indicating her disbelief.
And the former soap-star wasn't the only one that couldn't believe Cindy had finally made her grand return, almost 25 years after she was said to have died in prison whilst giving birth.
Fans of the show quickly took to Twitter to express their amazement, with one tweeting: "Cindy beale on our screens in 2023 though what the f**k?"
"Bring on Hurricane cindy," another penned.
A third added: "F**k me Cindy Beale! This… right here right now BEST COMEBACK EVER… EVER!"
Actress Michelle, 61 – also known as having played Stella Price in Coronation Street – previously told fans of her experience returning to the show after years off-screen.
"It’s surreal," she admitted. "It’s nerve wracking, but it’s also very exciting. I think things are about timing, really life is about timing… and I think if it happened five years ago, I probably would have said no.
"I think, for me as a woman of a certain age, the soaps have fantastic stories for women. They are really matriarchal figures and there aren’t many shows on TV, really, that can give women of a certain age central characters and to show their stories."
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