EastEnders is reportedly set to welcome back two original characters 30 years after they last appeared in the show.
According to The Sun newspaper, barman Lofty Holloway and Mary Smith, aka Mary the punk, are set to return to Albert Square next year.
Played by Tom Watt and Linda Davidson, the characters were part of the soap's original line-up when it launched in 1985.
Lofty and Mary the punk will return to #EastEnders for a famous character’s funeral https://t.co/5andgJkFcq
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) December 12, 2018
The newspaper reports that the duo will return as part of a storyline that will see another member of the soap's original line-up - Dr Harold Legg - being killed off.
"Lofty and Mary The Punk are two of the most memorable characters of the original set of stars. It’s staggering to think it’s been more than 30 years since they were last on the Square but soap fans will be delighted to hear of their comeback", a source told the paper.
"Regular viewers will know Dr Legg’s health is bad and it’s thought his death will play out in February next year, and these two will be back around the time of his funeral."
Watt and Davidson were part of EastEnders' original cast, which included 26 characters, but have not returned to Albert Square since their last scenes in 1988.
The pair are expected to start filming their scenes in the coming days.
Mary was one of the soap's most controversial characters, arriving on the Square with a newborn baby having previously been a punk rock groupie and struggling with drug addition.
Queen Vic barman Lofty fell in love with Michelle Fowler and married her after she became a single mother. But when their marriage broke down, he left Walford in 1988.
In real life, both Watt and Davidson have given up acting. Watt is a sports journalist and Davidson runs a social media agency.
