EastEnders icon Anita Dobson reveals extra Angie Watts scene was cut from anniversary episodes
There was initially going to be a whole extra 40th anniversary scene involving Angie.
EastEnders icon Anita Dobson has divulged details of an extra Angie Watts scene that was cut from the soap’s anniversary episodes earlier this year.
The star, who last appeared in the soap more than 37 years ago, made an unexpected reappearance as the legendary Queen Vic landlady back in February as the show celebrated 40 years on air.
Appearing in the form of a vision, Angie graced the halls of The Queen Vic once again to support her daughter, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who was fighting for her life after an explosion at the pub.
Trapped under rubble and drifting in and out of consciousness, Sharon was starting to lose hope. That was, until saw the only person who could urge her to keep fighting: her mother, Angie Watts.
Speaking to Radio Times magazine in next week's issue, Dobson explained that initially there was going to be a whole extra 40th anniversary scene where audiences heard Angie’s voice, but that it was cut to make sure the character's appearance remained a surprise.
"There was going to be a little scene before you saw her when you heard Angie’s voice reading a letter to Sharon. But I thought that if you do that, the audience will know she’s going to come on," she explained.
"So I said, 'Can’t it just be one scene?' and then it’s a lovely surprise. They said, 'OK, we’ll go with that,' so that’s what we did – and it was lovely and surprising."
This week on EastEnders, Zack Hudson's (James Farrar) plan to take secret son Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) goes horribly wrong and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) tries to make things right with Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley).
Elsewhere, a terrifying car crash puts multiple lives at risk.
Read more:
- Is Jean Slater leaving EastEnders amid affair heartbreak and Slater shocks?
- EastEnders confirms Lacey Turner exit as grieving Stacey Slater to take a break from Walford
- EastEnders boss says soap is exploring "uncharted territory" under new producer
- EastEnders boss teases character return, says fans won't "be disappointed"
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
