Sunday 23 August 2026 08:58 BSTKellie Bright is leaving EastEnders after 13 years playing Linda Carter, with executive producer Ben Wadey promising viewers will see her character at her best before her exit. On-screen children Lee and Nancy Carter, played by Danny-Boy Hatchard and Maddy Hill, will temporarily return for a dramatic storyline ahead of Linda's departure. Both Hatchard and Hill expressed their excitement about stepping back into their roles and reuniting with their EastEnders family. Wadey said: “We’ll be welcoming Lee and Nancy back into the fold for a period in a story that… I guarantee your jaws will drop when you see the first cliff-hanger.”Meanwhile, Denise Fox's acute myeloid leukaemia storyline will introduce her long-lost half-brother Darnell and niece Grace as she searches for a stem cell donor. In fullEastEnders shock as Lee and Nancy Carter return for dramatic storyline ahead of Linda’s exit

EastEnders have announced that two huge characters are set to make their returns after years away from the soap, to reunite with Linda Carter ahead of the character's exit

‘Jaws will drop,’ the soap’s producer promises