Tonight's EastEnders sees epic surprise cameo and it's the best character return the soap has done all year

*Warning, this article contains spoilers for tonight's EastEnders airing on Thursday, October 10 on BBC One at 7.30pm and currently on iPlayer*

After welcoming back countless familiar faces over the last few months, EastEnders pulls out all the stops in tonight's episode with a character return that no one saw coming.

With the likes of Chrissie Watts, Jane Beale, Bianca Jackson and Jake Moon all returning recently, many for brief stints, fans would be forgiven for thinking that we'd seen all the past characters we would be getting for the year.

However, tonight's episode sees another familiar face return for a very brief cameo - and it is none other than David's son, Joe Wicks, played by Paul Nicholls.

The whole episode is a masterpiece from faces of old... not only do we have a scene with Bianca and David, plus Ian and David, but we also have some epic scenes between Cindy and David as they reminisce at Beales Eels. The former couple really lay their cards on the table after David saw Cindy kissing Junior Knight in last night's episode, sparking a deep and meaningful chat between the former lovers.

While David couldn't believe that Cindy was up to her old tricks even though she had just agreed to marry Ian, she told him that he had no right to judge her after he left her high and dry 30 years ago.

The former couple chat (which we later find out has been recorded by Freddie's bird-watching recorder - that is definitely going to come back and bite Cindy on the bum) and while David admits he still has feelings for Cindy, she reveals that while she might be engaged to Ian and sleeping with Junior, George is the man she loves.

However, during his whole time back on the Square, a mysterious woman called Holly has been ringing David. While we were led to think it was another of David's flings, he tells Bianca that it isn't like that and he wants to take her up north to meet the mysterious Holly.

But, it isn't until the end of the episode when David finally answers Holly's Facetime call that we realise she is in fact his granddaughter, and her dad is none other than Joe Wicks. Paul Nicholls then appears on David's phone screen - the first time he has been back in EastEnders for 27 years - and tells his dad that he can't wait to see him when he arrives for Holly's graduation day.

With this cameo being kept tightly under wraps, it is going to be a welcome bit of joy for soap fans and tonight's episode is one you don't want to miss.

EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday at 7:30 pm on BBC One.