Tracy-Ann Oberman to reprise Chrissie Watts role in EastEnders

Tracy-Ann Oberman is set to make a comeback as Chrissie Watts in EastEnders after almost two decades.

The actress is currently filming a short stint with the BBC soap with her scenes set to air this autumn, it has been announced.

The last time viewers saw Chrissie was in December 2005, as she was being held on remand for the murder of her husband Den (Leslie Grantham). A few weeks prior, she had attempted to escape the country but was apprehended at the airport, receiving a smack in the mouth from Den’s daughter Sharon (Letitia Dean) before being taken away in handcuffs.

Speaking about her return to the soap, Tracy-Ann said:

“Chrissie Watts was such a great character to play – a victim or a villain. She is a real fan favourite so, when Chris Clenshaw asked me to come back and re-visit her and see what has happened in the last 19 years, I jumped at the chance. The scripts are fantastic and I hope the viewers enjoy her as much as I am enjoying playing her again.”

Chrissie arrived in Walford in April 2004 to reclaim money that Den had stolen from her. Despite being convinced by Den to give their marriage another shot, it didn’t take long for him to return to his old ways. In July 2004, Chrissie cut off her business partner Kate Mitchell’s (Jill Halfpenny) hair after discovering her affair with Den. Later, she was shocked to discover that Den had cheated on her again with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan).

Den had pressured Zoe into pretending to be pregnant with his son Dennis’ baby to ruin Dennis’ relationship with Sharon, and then tried to impregnate her himself to keep up the lie.

Chrissie teamed up with Zoe and Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), who Den had cheated out of The Vic, to seek revenge against Den. During the 20th anniversary special of the soap in February 2005, the three women came together to confront him at The Vic.

Den didn’t take the trio seriously at first, but his amusement turned into anger when he saw that Sharon was lurking in the shadows, lured back to the square by Chrissie to find out about her father’s behaviour.

After Sharon left, things took a violent turn as Den attempted to strangle Chrissie. Zoe stepped in and struck Den with an iron doorstop in a bid to halt the attack.

The women believed Den was dead, however, in a surprise twist, he wasn’t quite so and it was Chrissie who delivered the final blow, mistakenly thinking she was alone with him. Little did she know, Sam had witnessed it all.

The women buried Den’s body under the floor of The Vic cellar.

Sam attempted to use Chrissie’s murder of Den to get The Vic back, but Chrissie always managed to outsmart her blackmail attempts. In a desperate move, a drunken Sam dug up Den’s body on Sharon and Dennis’ wedding day to expose Chrissie’s actions.

This still wasn’t enough, however. Chrissie turned the tables on Sam – planting evidence in her flat in order to frame her for Den’s murder. It was only when Sam’s brothers Phil and Grant returned to the Square that Chrissie’s lies began to unravel and she was caught trying to make a run for it.

The character left a lot of enemies in her wake, including Sharon, the Mitchells and Kat who was furious with Chrissie for manipulating Zoe in the aftermath of the murder.

Now, viewers are set to catch up with the character after 19 years and a lengthy stint in prison. The details of her comeback are currently under wraps, with a BBC source only teasing that there are ‘fireworks’ ahead.

Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer said:

“I’m delighted to welcome the immensely talented Tracy-Ann back to the iconic role of Chrissie Watts. Although the character hasn’t been seen on screen for almost twenty years, Chrissie is cemented in EastEnders’ rich history for her murder of Walford’s most infamous villain, and Sharon’s beloved father, Dirty Den. I’m keeping tight-lipped on the exact circumstances relating to her return for the time being, but what I can promise is that it’s never quiet when Chrissie Watts is around.”

EastEnders Monday-Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer