Chrissie Watts returned to EastEnders on Thursday night – but fans were left distracted

EastEnders fans were in for a surprise as Chrissie Watts made her return to the show, leaving audiences more than a little sidetracked.

Portrayed by actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, Chrissie became an iconic figure on Albert Square from 2004 to 2005. As Dirty Den’s (played by Leslie Grantham) other half, she quickly endeared herself to viewers across 218 episodes.

In her time at EastEnders, Chrissie was seen behind the bar as the landlady of the Queen Vic and was central to many dramatic plotlines. Notably, she is best known for murdering her husband Denthe father of Sharon Watts, portrayed by Letitia Dean.

As longstanding viewers will remember, it was Chrissie, together with Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), who confronted the nefarious Den, leading to his grisly demise. Having initially pinned the blame on Sam, Chrissie eventually got nabbed for her crime, culminating in her departure from the series in 2005.

Flash forward 19 years, fans were shaken Thursday evening as Chrissie unexpectedly appeared back on the screen in the episode aired on September 5. This twist came as Sharon found herself hauled off to jail due to an incident earlier in the week at court, reports the Daily Star.

Some may recall Sharon’s fiery tirade during Dean Wicks’ (Matt Di Angelo) hearing, where she berated the judge for “slut-shaming” her. Consequently, by the week’s end, Sharon found herself sentenced to a seven-day stint behind bars.

But it was the episode’s final moments that stole the show: a prison officer, after confining Sharon, proceeded to the cell next door to deliver cigarettes to an anonymous inmate. The mystery woman turned out to be none other than Chrissie Watts, as the camera dramatically revealed.

Endearing soap veteran Chrissie Watts caused quite the stir as she lit up a cigarette in her cell, leaving fans abuzz on social media. Fans quickly took to an EastEnders Facebook fan page to express their surprise at the sight of Chrissie smoking, with many remarking how unusual it was to see a character “spark up” on the BBC soap.

One online devotee exclaimed: “Chrissie Watts as I live and breathe smoking a cig in the cell next door to our Queen”. Someone else posted: “Chrissie sparking up in her cell? Iconic.” Another followed by commenting: “Highlight of episode was the ending, she’s back! ! ” while another stated, “Superb ending … loved Chrissie but isn’t it strange to see someone smoking on TV?!”

Echoing similar sentiments, one viewer observed: “I thought the same, I had to pause for a moment.” A different individual recalled past moments, noting: “Can’t remember the last time I saw someone with a cig in hand? Max B maybe? Or Karen?”

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer