EastEnders is tipped to bring back Cindy Jr (Mimi Keene) as her mum Cindy Beale’s (Michelle Collins) attacker will be revealed during the shows 40th anniversary week next month.
Since Cindy returned to Walford in 2023, most of her children have reunited. Peter Beale (Thomas Law) met his half-siblings Gina and Anna Knight, played by Francesca Henry and Molly Rainford, before Cindy even stepped foot back in Walford.
As EastEnders viewers will know, Lucy Beale was Cindy’s eldest daughter who was accidently killed by Bobby in 2014, but Cindy has another daughter who is yet to reunite with her mum on-screen.
Cindy was ‘confirmed’ dead in 1998 after supposedly dying in during childbirth with Cindy JR. At the time she was serving a sentence for attempting to murder her former husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). When Cindy JR was born she was told her mum didn’t survive labour but Cindy was living in witness protection.
EastEnders’ Cindy Jr is tipped to return for the shows 40th anniversary week in February -Credit:BBC/Kieron McCarron
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In April 2024, EastEnders offered a fresh update on absent character Cindy Williams Junior as the Beale’s came together to make 10 years since Lucy’s death.
Cindy was heartened to find a text from daughter Cindy Jr, who she attempted to visit in hopes of connecting with for the first time. Cindy Jr’s message read “hope you’re ok today” followed by a heart emoji.
It transpired that Ian, who had grown close to Cindy Jr when he cared for her as a teen, had got in touch with the young woman to tell her how much it would mean to Cindy to hear from her.
With Cindy Jr having “slammed the door in [her] face” last time the pair saw each other, Cindy was grateful for this happy development, but the mum and daughter are yet to have a happy reunion.
Cindy is yet to reunite with her mum Cindy Beale after she ‘returned from the dead’ in EastEnders -Credit:BBC
Who is Cindy Williams Jr in EastEnders and what happened to her?
Cindy Williams Jr is the daughter of Cindy Beale and Nick Holland. Between 2013 and 2015, Mimi Keene played Cindy JR, after taking over the role from Eva Sayer who played the part in 2007.
The character made a comeback to Albert Square in August 2013 to live with the Beale family after leaving her grandparent’s home in Devon. It transpired that Cindy wanted to live in the East End with her half-siblings Peter and Lucy Beale after learning of her mothers ‘death’.
Ian and Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) soon became parent figures to ‘lost’ Cindy, but it wasn’t long before she became a complete tearaway. Peter was constantly finding himself getting Cindy out of tricky situations that she mostly brought on herself. But you couldn’t help but love the devious teen.
Cindy relied on Ian to make her feel like part of the family but this didn’t stop her from getting caught up in the dramatic ‘Who killed Lucy Beale’ storyline in 2014.
Despite being a part of a family she had always longed for, Cindy left Walford in August 2015 with her boyfriend Liam Butcher (James Forde) to live in Germany. Cindy also gave birth to her daughter Beth after falling pregnant at 15, and so far there has been no sign of her returning.
EastEnders’ Cindy was attacked on Christmas Day with her family all be suspects -Credit:Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron/BBC/PA Wire
Will Cindy Jr return to EastEnders?
On Christmas Day, Cindy was attacked by a mystery person after she was exposed as having an affair with Junior Knight (Micah Balfour). As Cindy recovers in hospital she has been trying to piece together the events that led to her attack, but cannot yet remember who exactly hit her over the head with a shovel nor has Cindy Jr tried to visit her mum when she was in a coma.
EastEnders has confirmed Cindy’s attacker will be revealed during the shows 40th anniversary week in February. The storyline has sparked rumour that Cindy Jr is set to make her return to Walford as the ‘whodunit’ surrounding her mum unfolds.
According to Gambling.com, Mimi Keene is now the new favourite to return to EastEnders as Cindy Jr with odds of 8/15. This comes as Ross Kemp confirmed he has reprised his role as Grant Mitchell and will return to Walford very soon.
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer