Today, Tracy-Ann Oberman returned to EastEnders as her legendary character Chrissie Watts was revealed as the mastermind behind Zoe Slater’s stalking torment.
Having teamed up with Zoe’s scorned, secret daughter Jasmine over the past three months, Chrissie has done everything within her power to frighten Zoe in preparation for Christmas Day, where she prepares to take ultimate revenge as recompense for Zoe’s involvement in Den Watt’s murder, which saw Chrissie incarcerated for 20 years.
It’s currently unclear exactly what Chrissie has in store for Zoe, but if her string of previous malicious acts is anything to go by, it’s safe to say that Zoe’s Christmas will not be a happy one.
Zoe returned to Albert Square in recent months, but has been sent threatening messages, letters and warnings from the anonymous person.
Zoe’s stalker is suspected to be Jasmine’s father Anthony Trueman, who was furious with her for having two kids he didn’t know about.
Finally, tonight’s episode of EastEnders will reveal all, putting speculation to rest.
Today, Tracy-Ann Oberman returned to EastEnders as her legendary character Chrissie Watts was revealed as the mastermind behind Zoe Slater’s stalking torment
Tracy Ann-Oberman said of her return: ‘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.’
‘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!’
‘Ben and I were keen to keep Chrissie’s return a complete secret, so I’m delighted my return was kept under wraps. 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.
Zoe’s stalker is suspected to be Jasmine’s father Anthony Trueman, who was furious with her for having two kids he didn’t know about
‘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.
‘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.’
Chrissie’s character was sent to prison for the murder of her husband Den Watts, played by Lesley Grantham.
She had first joined the soap in April 2004 and quickly became a prominent figure and racking up a huge list of enemies, including Kate Mitchell (Jill Halfpenny) and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace).
But her biggest storyline saw her bludgeon ‘Dirty Den’ to death in self-defence in the show’s special 20th anniversary episode.
The infamous moment was watched by a staggering 14.34 million people, with almost 60% of possible viewers’ tuning in.
Alongside Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), Chrissie attempted to cover up the murder, burying Den under the floor of The Vic barrel store.
She managed to get away with her crime for months, living with Den’s beloved adoptive daughter, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), and his son Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).
But when Sam drunkenly dug up the body, she was held responsible for the murder until Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) returned to help their sister and uncovered the truth, with Chrissie being sent to prison.
EastEnders’ continues with its Christmas Day special tomorrow at 7:45pm on BBC One and will be available to stream on iPlayer.
