MORE MOONS Shane Ritchie says MORE former EastEnders stars WILL return after Jake Moon’s shock comeback as he lets slip BBC plans
SHANE Ritchie has revealed that more former EastEnders stars are set to return to the show, following the comeback of his on-screen cousin.
The BBC soap saw character Jake Moon return to Albert Square earlier this month, two decades after he quit the show.
Jake, played by Joel Beckett, is the second cousin to Shane’s character Alfie Moon, and has got stuck into the East End drama already.
And talking to The Sun, Shane revealed that Jake won’t be the only family member of Alfie’s to return this year.
“I know they’re really looking at the Moon family tree and bringing back some of the Moons,” said Shane, who spoke at Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club’s gala night, where he watched Matt Willis take to the stage.
He continued that character Spencer Moon could also be set for a comeback, 21 years after leaving the Square for Australia.
Read more soap news
Recent storylines on the soap have seen Alfie head to Australia to check on Spencer, and he has now hinted that they may return together.
Shane added: “Alfie just left now to see Spencer in Australia, so who knows what happens after that and who will come back.”
The show is no stranger to bringing back iconic characters – with this Christmas’ special episode even seeing the return of Pat Butcher – who died several years prior.
And this year, Libby Fox, played by Belinda Owusu, is another return to add to the list – with the character already spotted in the show’s 2027 flash-forward, confirming she is returning to the screen,
But before that, there’s plenty more drama to unfold in the square.
In fact, the soap is set to explore the dark and dangerous world of artificial intelligence with a groundbreaking new storyline.
Delving deep into the online world where all is not as it seems, Patrick, played by Rudolph Walker, will get sucked into the clever software after the death of son Anthony (Nicholas Bailey).
He was killed on Christmas Day by his own daughter Jasmine (Indeyarna
Donaldson-Holness).
As distraught dad Patrick struggles to cope with his grief, he seeks
solace on the internet.
He becomes more reliant on AI and spirals, causing concern for those around him.
EastEnders has sought inspiration from chatbot apps, which are trained
by having the user answer a series of questions to create a specific
neural network and can seem like they’re chatting to a real person.
The plot is part of the BBC’s AI Unpacked Week, which runs the first
week in March, where the broadcaster will out out a week of programmes
exploring the technology and how it’s shaping our world.
EastEnders stars returning for 2026
As Shane teases more returns this year, here are the characters we already know are coming back to the square in 2026…
Jake Moon
Jake Moon has already made his return to Albert Square, despite quitting the show two decades ago.
Actor Joel Beckett, 52, quit the soap in 2006 but later returned in September last year as Jake Moon reunited with his former flame Chrissie Watts.
Jack and Chrissie left Walford together but she later returned on Christmas Day to reveal herself as Zoe Slater‘s secret tormentor.
Fans watched-on as Chrissie ignored Jake’s text messages and went full steam ahead carrying out her twisted stalking plot.
In episodes airing soon, viewers will see Jake visit Zoe, who is currently in prison for Anthony’s murder.
Jake has an inkling something isn’t quite adding up with Chrissie and he becomes determined to find out exactly what happened at Christmas
Libby Fox
Also starting the new year with a shock return was Denise Fox’s daughter Libby, who is played by Belinda Owusu.
Making a shock return to the soap 17 years after her original exit, Belinda originally joined in 2006 as part of the new Fox family before leaving in 2010 when her character won a place at Oxford University.
Libby then returned to Walford in 2014 for a three year stint on and off.
But now she’s back in Walford and made a shock appearance in the New Year’s Day flashforward set in 2027.
The move means that Libby will be back in Walford for definite then – but also she’ll be making appearances before then.
Mark Fowler Jr.
Last month, Mark Fowler Jr. shocked fans and his family as he returned to the soap, turning up on his uncle Phil Mitchell’s doorstep.
Mark- now played by Stephen Aaron-Sipple – is the son of Grant Mitchell and Michelle Fowler.
He last appeared on screen in 2016, but was then played by Ned Porteous.
Sean and Stacey Slater
While a return is not confirmed for Sean and Stacey Slater, the real life actors have hinted that it could be on the cards.
Last year, Stacey was seen leaving Albert Square to live with her brother, Sean, in Brazil.
And reuniting for a selfie recently, actors Lacey Turner and Robert Kazinsky hinted it may not be the last we see of them.
Sharing a selfie to Instagram, Robert teased: “Love from Brazil (seriously who’s idea was that?)
“Like time never passes with the best of the best. @laceyturner”
Pat Butcher
While this comeback was technically in 2025, it certainly deserves a mention.
Pat Butcher made a shocking return from the dead over the festive period, in a scene depicting Nigel Bate’s dementia battle.
Actress Pam St Clement has reprised her role for the special episode despite Pat dying of cancer back in 2012.
But with the episode a flashback to the 90s, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing Pat again in 2026.
