An EastEnders legend is set to return to Albert Square to host the soap’s insightful 40th anniversary special episode.

Joe Swash – who is well-remembered by fans for his role as Mickey Miller – will present EastEnders Revealed: The Lock In.

The TV star, 43, will give viewers a deeper look into recent storylines – including Cindy Beale’s attacker as well as Denise’s love triangle with Jack and Ravi – in the 45-minute interview episode.

Moreover, the explosive special format will also feature Joe getting inside info on the live episodes with the cast directly involved – including Patsy Palmer, who plays Bianca, and Natalie Cᴀssidy, who announced her exit earlier this week.

The actor joined the beloved soap in April 2003 until 2008, but returned for frequent appearances reprising his role in September 2011, and more recently in December 2024.

Joe also made a surprising cameo ahead of the special 45-minute episode in a bid to help save the Bridge Street Market from closure.

An EastEnders legend is set to return to Albert Square to host the soap’s insightful 40th anniversary special episode

Joe Swash, 43, will give viewers a deeper look into recent storylines – including Cindy Beale’s attacker as well as Denise’s love triangle with Jack and Ravi 

Speaking on returning to Albert Square, he said: ‘It was a privilege to take another trip back to Walford to reunite with my EastEnders family ahead of the 40th anniversary.’

‘I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil it for the viewers, but the week is full of explosive drama, and it was great to hear from the cast themselves about what we can expect from the week,’ he teased.

Joe added: ‘It was amazing to go back. I was super honoured to be asked back; it was so nice to see all the new crew and the crew that was there back in the day when I first started. It felt like home.’

Joe’s stepsons are following in his footsteps and have bagged roles of their own in Hollyoaks.

Fans were shocked to see that Joe’s wife Stacey’s eldest sons Zachary, 16, who she shares with ex Dean Cox, and Leighton, 12, whose dad is her ex fiance Aaron Barham, made their acting debut on the Channel 4 soap.

The official Instagram account for the show announced the exciting news earlier this month by posting a snap of the youngsters alongside fellow castmates Charlie Clapham and Charlie Wernham, alongside stills of them acting.

A video showed a snippet of the scenes they starred in, with Zachary playing a Parcel Patrons worker who was delivering a fruit package and bumped into Mercedes (Jennifer Metcalfe).

And Leighton took on the role of a paperboy, who also got told off by Price Slice employee Pearl Anderson (Dawn Hope) after he was late to delivering his papers.

He is well-remembered by fans for his role as Mickey Miller from 2003 to 2008 alongside frequent guest appearances on the soap

The special format will also feature Joe getting inside info on the live episodes with the cast directly involved – including Patsy Palmer, who plays Bianca, and Natalie Cᴀssidy, who announced her exit earlier this week (pictured)

The actor joined the beloved soap in April 2003 until 2008, but returned for frequent appearances reprising his role in September 2011, and more recently in December 2024

Joe also made a surprising cameo ahead of the special 45-minute episode in a bid to help save the Bridge Street Market from closure

She quipped: ‘Oh late Leighton, what time do you call this to be collecting papers? I’ll be having a word with your mother. Go on.’ 

Meanwhile, she told Zachary: ‘My papayas I presume. I was expecting them first thing this morning. Round the back, please.’

The duo seemed to keep their own names for the brief appearance and it’s yet to be revealed whether it’s a one-off or they will be playing returning roles.

Hollyoaks simply posted the eyes emoji for the caption, which sent fans wild in the comments as they begged to find out whether they new additions were there to stay.

And Zachary and Leighton aren’t the first well-known faces to make a debut into acting by turning to Hollyoaks.

Love Island star Curtis Pritchard and his brother AJ had a widely-panned cameo on the soap back in 2021.

In 2021, the twins played twins Marco and Jacob; but their scenes soon went viral due to their ‘wooden’ acting. 

In particular, Curtis’s delivery of the line, ‘How’s Trish?’, was mocked by viewers unsure whether the brothers were plotting to murder long-time character Trish Minniver or throw her a surprise party.

Stacey Solomon’s nepo baby sons -who are Joe’s stepsons – are following in his footsteps and have bagged roles of their own in Hollyoaks (Zachary, 16, pictured right and Leighton, 12, pictured left)

The official Instagram account for the show announced the exciting news earlier this month by posting stills of them acting on set, as well as a video

In the scene, she quipped: ‘Oh Leighton, what time do you call this to be collecting papers? I’ll be having a word with your mother. Go on’

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Other soap stars – such as former EastEnders regular Michael Greco and Hollyoaks’ own Parry Glᴀsspool – hit out at the Pritchards and slammed casting directors for hiring them, when there were trained actors looking for roles.

Gerard McCarthy, 43 – who is best known for playing Hollyoaks’ Kris Fisher for four years – penned: ‘The next time a producer/casting director says the words “but they have a big social media following”…. Just point them in the direction of this absolute car crash!’ 

EastEnders Revealed: The Lock In will air on BBC Three, BBC One and BBC iPlayer.