EastEnders fans have been celebrating the return of David Wicks (played by Michael French) for a special storyline airing later this year, part of the show’s 40th-anniversary celebrations oxfordmail.co.uk+15metro.co.uk+15thesun.co.uk+15. David—son of Pat Butcher and Pete Beale—was a central figure from the mid‑1990s to early‑2000s, and his upcoming comeback is confirmed as a limited but pivotal arc metro.co.uk+1oxfordmail.co.uk+1.
His reappearance aligns with a wave of legacy character returns already underway: Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) returned last Christmas after 26 years reddit.com+8bbc.com+8thesun.co.uk+8, and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) is set to make a short-term comeback for the anniversary thesun.co.uk+11thesun.co.uk+11en.wikipedia.org+11. Plus, there was a surprise early‑2025 cameo from Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) thesun.co.uk+4thesun.co.uk+4reddit.com+4. David’s return is next in this nostalgic cascade.
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Intertwined storylines: David’s arrival is expected to intensify the drama surrounding Cindy Beale, her recent return, and Ian Beale’s current tumultuous relationships en.wikipedia.org+1metro.co.uk+1metro.co.uk+1digitalspy.com+1.
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40th‑anniversary buildup: As part of the extravaganza, EastEnders is staging high-stakes events—including a live interactive episode, a major Queen Vic explosion, and multiple legacy returns manchestereveningnews.co.uk+15express.co.uk+15en.wikipedia.org+15.
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Shaking up Walford: David’s reconnection with daughter Bianca Jackson (also returning) and his surprise emergence in resident storylines promise new family drama and emotional cliffhangers reddit.com+4thisismoney.co.uk+4metro.co.uk+4.
David Wicks’ return is now officially “sealed” by BBC confirmation—and with the anniversary just around the corner, viewers can expect a dramatic and heartfelt comeback. It’s shaping up to be a reunion packed with leftover secrets, emotional reckonings, and massive soap momentum.
