Earlier this month EastEnders revealed that Johnny Carter, who disappeared from Walford back in 2014, is set to rejoin his mum Linda (Kellie Bright) and dad Mick (Danny Dyer) in the Queen Vic.
But, with Sam Strike unwilling to return to the role, it seems as if Johnny is going to look a little different after his globetrotting adventure.
Yup, he’s getting a brand-new face!
EastEnders have confirmed that Johnny Carter is to be re-cast and played by Call The Midwife’s Ted Reilly.
On securing the role, Ted said: “I’m truly delighted to be joining such an iconic show.
“The Carters are a fantastic family and I can’t wait to get started!”
Johnny was last seen in Walford just before Christmas 2014 when he dropped everything to follow his heart and join his boyfriend Gianluca to live in Rome.
Which meant that he kinda missed those MAJOR Christmas Day bombshells; namely, that his mum had been raped by Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), and that Shirley (Linda Henry) isn’t his auntie, but his grandma.
Throw in the fact that his brother, Lee (Danny-boy Hatchard) is suffering from depression, that Lee’s girlfriend Whitney (Shona McGarty) snogged his dad, and that his sister, Nancy (Maddie Hill), is enduring a series of increasingly severe epileptic fits, and you have a LOT of drama for Johnny to come home to.
Is his happy bubble about to be burst by his family’s many secrets?
Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the show’s producer, says: “Johnny is a key member of the Carter family and he's been missing over the past year and a half, when so much has happened to the Carters.
“As the family embark on their next big storyline to take them through 2016, it felt wrong not to have Johnny back to play a big part in that - and learn everything that has happened while he has been away..."
He added: “We have so much in store for Johnny and so many stories to tell and, after massive casting sessions and recalls with Danny and Kellie, we have found in Ted not only a brilliant actor, but the perfect Johnny Carter.”
Are you excited to see the new Johnny in action?
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