Dean Gaffney is set to reprise his role as Robbie Jackson in EastEnders. The actor, who was last seen on the BBC soap in 2010, will star in six episodes later this year.
"All they've told me is that Robbie, as always, is hapless in love and business, so I think this trend is continuing," Dean said when confirming the news. "And I believe he comes back with a son."
The actor is returning as part of his on-screen mother, Carol Jackson's, exit from the show. Actress Lindsey Coulson, who has starred in the long-running soap on and off since 1993, recently announced that she would be leaving the show five years after making a comeback.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDean Gaffney is returning to EastEnders
However Dean said he would love for Lindsey to stay on the much-loved show.
"I would actually surrender me coming back for Lindsey to stay," Dean revealed. "I think it's a shame for the show she's leaving, but I think she'll go on to bigger and better things."
The 37-year-old revealed that he was in a supermarket with his friend, Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas, when he received the call with the good news.
© Photo: BBCDean Gaffney played Robbie Jackson in the BBC soap
"My agent said, 'Are you sitting down?' He said, 'They want you to come back to do a stint on the show,'" Dean said. "I'm standing with Ryan, so then I had to put the phone down and we couldn't scream because we were in a supermarket.
"When I got outside, I just let off a big scream."
The father-of-two is not the only one excited about his return to EastEnders. News of Dean's comeback led to his name becoming a trending topic on Twitter in the UK, with many fans expressing their happiness that he would be reprising his much-loved character.
Dean will start filming his comeback scenes in mid-July and they will air towards the end of summer.
