EastEnders viewers were left stunned on New Year’s Day after a long-absent character made a surprise return to Walford.
The BBC soap aired a special flashforward episode set on New Year’s Day 2027 showing Albert Square preparing for Max Branning’s latest wedding.
While Max (Jake Wood) was getting ready to marry for the fifth time the episode dropped a major twist when he also appeared to have a pregnant lover. The identities of both women were kept secret.
Things took an even darker turn when Jack Branning revealed Max had been arrested for soliciting murder.
Moments later, phones belonging to Chelsea Fox, Linda Carter, Cindy Beale and Denise Fox all rang at the same time.
That’s when Libby Fox walked into the Trueman household looking for her mum.
Picking up Denise’s ringing phone Libby said to Patrick Trueman: “Look who it is.” The episode then cut back to Max leaving fans reeling.
Libby, played by Belinda Owusu, first arrived in Walford in 2006 and left in 2010 to attend Oxford University. Her last on-screen appearance was in January 2017.
Her storyline included a harrowing kidnapping by her father Owen Turner, who later died after being killed by Lucas Johnson.
Fans immediately took to X to share their shock.
“LIBBY OMG I’M SHAKING,” wrote one viewer.
Another said, “My jaw dropped when I saw Libby.”
A third added: “Not Libby just rocking up like that!”
Libby’s return appears to be locked in for 2027 and viewers are already bracing themselves for what it means for the Fox family.
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