'EastEnders' nastiest villain, Nick Cotton, will makes a shock return to Albert Square on Christmas Day, to visit his long-suffering mother Dot Branning.
Nasty Nick, played by John Altman, has not been in Walford for seven years, since Dot threw him out for killing his son Ashley.
The explosive return in the Christmas show was unveiled at a screening of the soap's two Christmas episodes by the BBC.
He enters the Square after being released from prison, and he has a special guest in tow - his secret daughter Dotty.
The former drug addict, who murdered Queen Vic landlord Eddie Royle in 1991, has repeatedly betrayed Dot's trust, stealing her money, lying to her about having Aids and attempting to poison her.
Dot, played by June Brown, finally kicked him out in 2001 after his botched attempt to murder Mark Fowler, which resulted in the death of his own son Ashley.
Nick's return ruins Dot's Christmas, which was set to be a happy one after she was reunited with husband Jim Branning who lives in a care home after suffering a stroke.
Elsewhere in the Square, Susie plants a message in Sean's Christmas cracker revealing that he is not the father of Roxy's baby.
Sean, played by Robert Kazinsky, asks Roxy if it is true, and is devastated when she confirms his worst fears.
He guesses that Jack is the biological father and the pair come to blows outside the Vic.
Kazinsky said: "I wanted to leave EastEnders with a bang and the way they have written me out is superb. I'm looking at producing and directing at the moment but it's really difficult after being in such a high profile soap."
Last year's EastEnders Christmas special was the most watched show of 2007 with 13.9 million viewers, as Bradley Branning uncovered dad Max's affair with his new wife Stacey.
