EastEnders confirms full details of Ash Panesar's dramatic return to Walford

EastEnders’ Suki Panesar-Unwin gets a blast from the past next week, when her daughter Ash returns to Albert Square after three years away!

Having barely made any contact with her clan since moving abroad, what brings the headstrong doctor home? And how will her mum react to seeing her, considering the pair have never seen eye to eye?

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"A lot has changed during Ash’s time away," says Sakira Vel, who takes over the role of Ash from previous actress Gurlaine Kaur Garcha.

"Returning to Walford forces her and Suki to confront old wounds as well as new realities. There’s a lot left unsaid between them, which makes it incredibly interesting to play."

It should be a happy day for the Panesars as proud parents Vinny and Penny bring their baby boy home. However, the vibe is spoiled when the new dad is summoned to the police station to bail out ‘Suki’ after learning that she’s been arrested!

But it’s not Vinny’s mum in prison - it's his sister Ash! She is meant to be in Canada but is back in London, having been nicked for drunk and disorderly behaviour…

"Ash claims she’s returning to reconnect with the Panesars following the birth of Vinny and Penny’s baby," explains Sakira. "However, after spending years away with very little contact, her reasons for coming back may not be quite as straightforward as they seem."

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Ash’s relatives are surprised to see her suddenly rock up, especially when she announces that she intends to stay for a few weeks…

"Vinny and Penny are adjusting to life with a newborn, so Ash’s unexpected return doesn’t come at the most convenient time," continues Sakira.

"Her relationship with Suki has always been complicated, and years of limited communication have only added to that tension. It quickly becomes clear that there are unresolved issues between them."

They didn’t part on the best of terms, so neither Ash nor Suki are falling over themselves to see each other again. Suki insists that her daughter should be the one to make the first move, seeing as she’s suddenly come back into her life, but Eve encourages her wife to put their spat behind them.

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The air is frosty when the women are in the same room, but Suki doesn’t realise Ash overheard an earlier conversation with Eve about wanting to avoid her.

Eventually calling a truce, Suki scuppers their chances of repairing things by telling Ash she can’t stay at the house as it’s too much for Ria, her and Eve’s foster child. Feeling rejected by her mother once again, is there any hope for the pair to forgive and forget?

"There’s so much history between them," smiles Sakira. "Before you add layers like culture and sexuality, I think many people can identify with the ever-evolving relationship between an adult child and their parent! I’m excited to explore that…"

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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