Jane Beale actor on return to EastEnders: ‘It’s going to be intense’

Actor Laurie Brett has said her character Jane Beale’s return to EastEnders will be “intense, exciting and emotional”.

During Monday evening’s episode Jane came face to face with Cindy Beale, Ian Beale’s first wife, before the famous “duff duff” sound signalled the credits.

Speaking about the scene, Brett, 55, said she thought it gave viewers “a bit of a shock”.

“They’ve never met before, but Jane knows an awful lot more about Cindy than Cindy knows about Jane because of all those years she spent with the Beale kids,” she said.

“So, Jane is sideswiped by Cindy, but she’s also a bit indignant, thinking, what are you doing in my house?

“Seeing Cindy is almost like seeing a ghost for Jane. Jane’s head is spinning, which is only natural, given how bizarre this situation is.

“It’s going to be intense, exciting and emotional.”

Brett’s character was forced to leave Walford by Max Branning in 2017, having previously left Albert Square in 2012 when she took up a job in Cardiff.

Cindy, played by Michelle Collins, returned to the soap last year almost 25 years after she was said to have died in prison while giving birth.

Before she was “killed off”, Cindy had been in prison for hiring a hitman to kill Ian, played by Adam Woodyatt, as the two had been in a custody battle over their children – Lucy and Peter Beale.

Brett went on to say there would be “a lot of drama” between her character and Cindy in the coming weeks.

“Cindy is angry with Jane, and she also feels guilty that she wasn’t there, so she’s lashing out for all sorts of different reasons,” she said.

“They have both made mistakes, and they both know that, so it’s quite complex.”

The Scottish actress added: “I was quite nervous on the first day (of filming), thinking, gosh, do I remember how to be Jane?

“But even though I was nervous, I’d had quite a lot of time to think about it, having had the scripts for a while, so it was just about getting back into the swing of it.

“When I walked on set and saw Adam Woodyatt and Michelle Collins, and also our director Karl Neilson, who directed the live episode in 2015, plus loads of the crew that I knew, all my worries melted away.

“There were so many familiar faces who were so welcoming. So, about half an hour in, it was like I’d never been away.

“It’s been so long since we last saw Jane that I was keen to know what the story would be to bring her back.

“So I had a meeting with Chris Clenshaw (the series’ executive producer), and he laid out the story for me and why they’d love me to be a part of it.

“By the end of that chat, I was in. I was excited to work with Adam again, as well as Michelle and Clay.

“It was also great to be reunited with Thomas Law (Peter Beale), who I’ve known since he was a child, although these days I have to look up to speak to Tom, and I’m tall myself. It was just lovely.”

But despite the on-screen tension, Brett said she enjoyed working with Collins adding they were “very similar women off screen”.

She said: “Michelle is nothing like Cindy, and I’m nothing like Jane, but we are very similar creatures to each other in many different respects.

“On screen, it was like the new Pat (Butcher) and Peggy (Mitchell) with Cindy and Jane because the dynamic was very old school, but Michelle and I kept getting the giggles.”

Jane Beale’s return to EastEnders aired on BBC One on Monday evening and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.