Fair City star Rebecca Grimes says she feels "very, very lucky" to be returning to the much-loved soap with a bang (and a bump).
The actress, who plays Hayley Collins on the show, was last seen in Carrigstown in December before she made a sudden departure to Dubai, leaving her husband James Rafferty blindsided.
In her dramatic return, Hayley blindsides the Raffertys with her pregnancy news. She visits the family, unaware that it is Milo's birthday party.
In a heated confrontation, James refuses to believe he is the father and accuses Hayley of faking the pregnancy.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment ahead of her new scenes, she said, "It's been a rollercoaster but it's also been lovely. I was curious how I’d feel coming back - I thought I’d be dragged back kicking and screaming, holding on to the door at home. But I’m really not. I’m actually skipping out to work in the mornings."
Rebecca welcomed a baby girl with her husband Paul Donegan in December. She admits she was unsure how she would feel about returning to the show after taking time off for maternity leave.
"It’s so nice to get back to doing something creative and something you love, and to be surrounded by people you genuinely enjoy working with. I feel very, very lucky."
Asked how it feels to be welcomed back with such dramatic and explosive storylines, Rebecca said it's great to hit the ground running.
"It’s been so much fun," she laughed, reflecting on her dramatic on-screen return. "As an actor, you never really know what you’re coming back into - you have no control over it. I could’ve been in The Hungry Pig chatting someone up, or I could’ve been flying back from Dubai in the condition I came back in."
She added with a laugh, "It’s great to come back with a bang - and a bump!"
Fair City airs on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
