EASTENDERS icon Tracy-Ann Oberman has broken her silence about returning to the soap for an explosive Christmas storyline.
The actress – who plays Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap – was revealed to be behind the revenge scheme against Zoe Slater in tonight’s episode.
And now Tracy-Ann has revealed why she returned to the show.
She said: “I enjoyed my return storyline with Sharon [Letitia Dean] last year so much that when Ben Wadey asked me to pop back for Christmas Day, how could I say no?
“Chrissie is in my DNA; she is such a great character, so, I love the idea of her returning at Christmas to create havoc.”
She added: “What I love about Ben, and the team at EastEnders, is that they are very open to discussing the character, and her motivations.
“They are so respectful about the characters and the actors that originated them. So, we had a long discussion about why Chrissie would actually come back to the Square, and what her motivations were and are.
“Who wouldn’t want to be part of the storyline on Christmas Day in Albert Square, particularly when it’s Chrissie!”
And while Chrissie’s return was a bombshell – the limited stint will see her reunite with Zoe and Sam Mitchell for the first time in more than two decades.
“Ben and I were keen to keep Chrissie’s return a complete secret, so I’m delighted my return was kept under wraps,” she added.
“I think that Chrissie has always felt that’s it’s very unfair she spent 20 years in prison and has never really been able to move on from the trauma of Dirty Den and living in Walford. When the opportunity came up to have something over Zoe Slater, who she has always found to be an irritating little girl, she jumped at the opportunity.
“She clearly has time on her hands! Also, Chrissie, whilst being very hard and tough, has a strong sense of justice, and in her mind, Zoe never really paid for Den’s murder, and the part she played in destroying the Watts family.
“What started off as a game for Chrissie, has ended up becoming a little bit of an obsession, and finding this gorgeous daughter, who was also hurt by Zoe, seemed like too good of an opportunity to miss.
“Also, I do think she is genuinely very fond of Jasmine. She’s like the daughter she never had, and I think she wants to empower Jasmine to also get revenge on the woman who abandoned her. Chrissie thinks Zoe needs to take responsibility, and that’s her motivation.”
Tracy-Ann added: “The other absolute joy of coming back to EastEnders on Christmas Day was the opportunity to work with Jessie, Michelle and Kim.
“I spent so much time with them in my short but powerful stint on EastEnders. Being back in The Queen Vic with Michelle and Kim was really emotional.
“We kept hugging each other and discussing how a lifetime had passed since we were last together, and there was so much to catch up on, including sharing photos of children, and talking about how our lives had evolved over the last 20 years. It’s been a really amazing experience.
“It also was a reminder of what EastEnders does best. Strong female characters, in dynamic storylines, working together to create the drama.”
