EastEnders' James Farrar teases family scenes following Sharon Watts’s return to Walford - and talks potential Nancy and Zack scenes

James Farrar has teased what lies ahead for his EastEnders alter ego Zack Hudson.

It's been a relatively quiet few months for the character in the wake of an explosive year. After his affair with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) was revealed during his wedding to Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), his wife-to-be left for a new life in Wakefield.

Just months later, then newcomer Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) recognised Zack as a face from her past, and confirmed that her youngest son Barney (Lewis Bridgeman) was actually his.

Desperate to be loved, Zack turned to Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) for support and he engaged in yet another adulterous relationship. The pair thought their secret was safe - with their mutual half-sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) holidaying in America.

Upon her return to attend Vicki's nuptials to Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw), the truth was exposed.

Recent scenes have shown Zack struggling with his finances and lodging with the Slater family, but with the clan moving into The Queen Vic, it's as yet unknown where he'll move to.

Could Sharon, Vicki and Ross welcome him back into No. 43? Whatever the outcome, Farrar has revealed there's "a lot to come" within that dynamic.

"Tish [Dean] is here today and she looks beautiful," he told Radio Times at the National Television Awards.

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Referring to the actress's extended break from the BBC Soap, the star continued: "Just to be on set with Tish Dean is incredible, and we've all missed her.

"And there's a lot to come with the family, and some more for Zack outside of the family, which will be exciting."

Farrar also took the opportunity to speak about former co-star Maddy Hill's return as Nancy Carter, which will play out across the autumn.

Zack and Nancy were once an item, despite the disapproval from her father Mick (Danny Dyer). It was his cheating with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) that was one of the contributing factors to her exit in June 2022.

"Maddy Hill's a fantastic actor, and we've missed her on a personal and a professional level," Farrar added.

"So I hope that [the viewers] get to see something between Nancy and Zack. Yeah, it is a plan. I want to see that."

Read more:

• EastEnders star teases "fire and carnage" when Penny Branning's baby paternity secret is revealed
• EastEnders favourite Balvinder Sopal teases Ash return is "grenade" to the Panesar family unit this autumn
• EastEnders announces hard-hitting Amy Mitchell storyline as BBC soap works with charities

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Authors

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.