Janine plays ‘Doctors’ in EastEnders

Frank’s little ‘darlin’ is back…

Janine Butcher made her dramatic return to EastEnders tonight and she’s already up to no good, posing as a Doctor. Zack encountered Janine in the guise of ‘Dr Judith Bernstein’ when he took his nephew Albie to a doctors appointment.

Picking up from tonight’s intriguing cliff-hanger – as seen in these new pictures – tomorrow’s episode sees Zack being thoroughly charmed by ‘Judith’, clueless that he is face to face with one of Walford’s most infamous residents…

It’s not the first time Janine has pretended to be Judith. The last time she was about to tie the knot into a fortune, but elderly David keeled over when he discovered she wasn’t who she claimed to be. Will things be as dramatic this time?

Charlie Brooks has reprised her role as Janine after a seven year hiatus from Albert Square. The character has – thanks to her scheming, tumultuous relationships and explosive feuds – been at the centre of a number of unforgettable storylines in the BBC soap.

“I am beyond excited to be slipping back into Janine’s shoes and returning to the square. The time feels right and I can’t wait to find out what she’s been up to for the last seven years! She is and always has been SO much fun to play. Feels a bit like coming home. It’s good to be back.” – Charlie Brooks speaking about her return earlier this year

Janine’s sudden reappearance will likely send shockwaves around Walford and with enemies to boot around every corner, trouble will no doubt follow her back to E20.

A troubled young girl, Janine grew up to become one of soap’s biggest bitches with a host of dastardly deeds to her name including marrying Barry Evans for his money before pushing him off a cliff. She coldly watched as Barry drew his last breath, ignoring his pleas for help.

She attempted to kill her second husband Ryan Malloy by poisoning him after she found out that he had been cheating on her with Stacey Slater, while her third husband Michael Moon’s attempts to kill her backfired when Janine got to the knife he was reaching for first. Other explosive storylines over the years include prostitution, agoraphobia and drug addiction.

Brooks previously played the role between 1999-2004 and 2008-2014.

The actress took an extended break from the show in 2012 to participate in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – she triumphed over Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts to win the series. Her other TV credits include Bleak House, Heartbeat, Wired and Suspects.

EastEnders, Tuesday 7th September, BBC One at 7.30pm (8pm on BBC One Scotland after River City).