If you were looking forward to a peaceful and relaxing New Year, forget it. Lucy Beale's returning to Walford - and if past form is anything to go by, trouble won't be far behind.
Hetti Bywater will be playing Lucy, who has been living in sleepy Devon for the past year. She'll be back in Walford in January 2012. We do wonder what she will make of her dad Ian's new living arrangements with Mandy?
Newcomer Hetti says "I'm really excited to be joining such an iconic show as EastEnders, especially becoming part of the Beale household. I'm looking forward to find out what's in store for Lucy and seeing what she's going to get up to when she returns to Walford"
Meanwhile there's a new face in town, in the form of Ray Dixon, Bianca's ex and Morgan's dad. Whitney contacts him as she thinks that he should contribute more to Morgan's upbringing... not realising that he doesn't even know that he has a son.
Wethinks Whitney will be in for a verbal bashing from Bianca, when Ray arrives in the Square in January, wanting to play a part in his son's life...
Ray will be played by Chucky Venn who you might recognise from his roles in The Bourne Ultimatum and The Dark Knight.
"I have had the pleasure of working on many great productions with fantastic artistes such as Morgan Freeman and I have to say working on EastEnders feels like it is up there with the best of them. EastEnders is etched in British history and it is an honour and a pleasure to be part of it."
Bring on the New Year!
