EastEnders airs surprise return as Jake Moon returns from the dead

As she comes face to face with Sharon (Letitia Dean) during her week in jail for contempt of court, Chrissie’s return to our screens has been an emotional rollercoaster ride as she embarks on a mission of revenge against Sharon and later confides in her about her miscarriage.

Well, things are set to take an even more surprising turn in tonight’s episode (which is now available on BBC iPlayer) as Chrissie prepares to leave prison after 19 years behind bars.

While much of the episode sees Sharon and Chrissie have a heart-to-heart about Chrissie’s murder of her husband Den Watts (Lesley Grantham) in December 2005, the episode also sees Chrissie reunite with an old flame for a proper farewell in Albert Square.

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In the final scenes of the episode, we see a now-free Chrissie driving to the Queen Vic in a vintage red convertible, but she has a mystery man at her side.

That’s right, it’s none other than Jake Moon (Joel Beckett).

In an unusually quiet moment on the square, we see the car park right next to the café – something only Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) sees as they drive around. Once parked, Chrissie gets out of the car, now in heels and a dress, and looks up at the Queen Vic.

Walking out next to her, Jake also looks up at the pub when Chrissie says, “I just had to see him one last time. Fancy a quick half hour?”

But stopping for a drink wasn’t part of their plan, as Jake says: “I’ve waited 19 years to find you again. A cheeky half hour at the Vic is not what I had in mind.”

Back in the car, the couple take one last look at the pub before driving off into the East End sunset. As they drive away, Jake’s cousin Alfie (Shane Ritchie) stumbles out of the pub, unaware that his relative is just a few steps away.

Of course, Jake first arrived on the Square in 2004 and had a fling with Chrissie, later getting back together, but their relationship was cut short by the rather major revelation that Chrissie had killed Den.

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But while Chrissie was in prison, Jake didn’t give up on their relationship. Until he proposed to her and Chrissie revealed her intention to plead guilty to Den’s murder, before telling Jake to never visit her in prison again.

Due to a name mix-up, Jake’s exit from EastEnders was left open-ended, as viewers assumed he was mistakenly killed by one of Johnny Allen’s (Billy Murray) henchmen.

After deciding to leave Walford, Jake was stopped by a man and we thought he had been killed. But, as is often the case in EastEnders, they have a habit of bringing back familiar faces.

While we don’t expect Jake or Chrissie to return to the Square, given that they’re set for a new life together elsewhere, we really can’t rule anything out.

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide and streaming guide.