EastEnders icon teases more returns for the Moon clan - is Spencer on his way home?
An old face could be returning to Albert Square.
Shane Richie has teased that another familiar face could be returning to EastEnders - Alfie Moon's younger brother Spencer.
The character, played by Christopher Parker, originally appeared in the BBC soap between 2002 and 2005. He was involved in a number of high profile storylines during his tenure, from getting Vicki Fowler (then Scarlett Alice Johnson) pregnant after a one-night stand, to being blackmailed by Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
Spencer had an off-screen exit, with his family explaining that he'd moved to Australia to live with his second cousin.
Despite that, he continues to be mentioned over two decades later, with Alfie jetting off to visit him in yesterday's episode. Alf' was concerned for Spencer's wellbeing, knowing he had taken Vicki's (now Alice Haig) engagement to Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) badly.
It's been a busy week for the Moon family, after the return of Jake (Joel Beckett), who managed to lure his ex-partner Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) back to Albert Square in the hopes she could shed some light about Anthony Trueman's (Nicholas Bailey) death.
As viewers know, Chrissie had no involvement in the grisly murder - it was his daughter Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) who was responsible, and she later framed her own mother Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) for the crime.
The return of Jake left us wondering - could we see Spencer return one day? Speaking at Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club's gala night, Richie teased that his on-screen family could soon be expanded.
Radio Times has contacted an EastEnders spokesperson for comment.
"I know they’re really looking at the Moon family tree and bringing back some of the Moons" he explained to The Sun.
“Alfie just left now to see Spencer in Australia, so who knows what happens after that and who will come back.”
It's unlikely that Parker would reprise the role, given he now works as a lawyer - specialising in the negotiation of contracts on behalf of high profile television presenters.
This wouldn't be the first time that a much-loved character has been recast, with Barbara Windsor being the second actress to portray Peggy Mitchell, and Jenna Russell walking in Michelle Fowler's shoes between 2016 and 2018.
Read more:
- 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Shock arrest made after Anthony Trueman's funeral, as Max Branning professes his feelings
- EastEnders' Kat Moon and Vicki Fowler make risky move to secure Zoe's freedom in BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders reveals Mark Fowler Jr's secret and surprise connection to Walford local in BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders airs dark Ravi Gulati scenes amid revenge story in early BBC iPlayer release
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.
Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
