Jaime Winstone will reprise the role of a young Peggy Mitchell as part of a mental health storyline involving her on-screen son Phil, who will be seen suffering from depression and symptoms of psychosis
EastEnders is set to air a huge storyline with four major characters returning to the show.
Jaime Winstone is making a dramatic comeback to the BBC One soap opera, stepping back into the shoes of a young Peggy Mitchell for a storyline centred around mental health issues faced by Phil Mitchell. Fans of the soap might recall Winstone’s portrayal of national treasure Dame Barbara Windsor in the biopic Babs.
She previously embraced Windsor’s iconic role as the tough pub landlady Peggy in an episode that threw us back to 1979, and now, Winstone will return for scenes set in 1985.
Currently, Phil, played by veteran actor Steve McFadden, has been dealing with intense feelings of isolation after his ex Sharon Watts – acted by Letitia Dean – struck up a romance with Phil’s long-lost cousin Teddy Mitchell, who is played by Roland Manookian, on top of the breakdown of his marriage to Kathleen ‘Kat’ Slater, played by Jessie Wallace.
As Phil battles depression and experiences symptoms of psychosis, viewers will witness the severity of his condition as he endures troubling hallucinations of a young Peggy from his past. In a poignant upcoming sequence, EastEnders will portray Phil as an observer to a vital episode in his teenage years, involving conversations with his younger self, portrayed by Daniel Delaney, amidst the iconic setting of The Square and the infamous No 55.
Joining the flashback shift are George Russo and Teddy Jay, reprising their roles as the youthful Eric Mitchell and Grant Mitchell respectively, harking back to their performances seen in September 2022’s captivating look-back episode. Additionally, Sam Miles will be introduced as the cast’s fresh face, set to depict a younger Nigel Bates, seamlessly following Paul Bradley’s nostalgic return last year as Phil’s buddy.
Winstone gushed about her return to the beloved soap, saying: “It was such an honour to be welcomed back to play Peggy Mitchell, she is a dream role for me; so to be able to contribute to this iconic family on this major storyline has been such a joyous and emotional journey and I truly hope I have done her justice.”
She added her thanks: “Thank you to all the EastEnders family, this has been such a wonderful experience.”
As EastEnders tackles Phil’s depression storyline, they’re collaborating with The Samaritans, Rethink Mental Illness, CALM, and Mind to ensure it’s handled with care. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the show, which will see the return of Phil’s brother Grant (Ross Kemp) after nearly a decade.
His comeback is shrouded in mystery but promised to be “explosive”. Chris Clenshaw, the executive producer of EastEnders, expressed excitement: “We are thrilled to welcome back the young Mitchells for these special scenes as we lead up to our 40th anniversary week.”
He praised Jaime’s performance in 2022 and felt it was the right moment for her return: “In 2022, fans and critics alike celebrated Jaime’s portrayal of Peggy, and with Phil’s story, this feels like the perfect time for her to reprise the iconic role – joined once again by George, Daniel, Teddy and now Sam as a young Nigel.”
Clenshaw also highlighted the importance of flashbacks: “Flashbacks like these give the audience a unique opportunity to better understand Phil’s mindset and the traumatic events that have led him to his mental health crisis.”
