EastEnders: Fans beg producers not to kill off Peggy Mitchell after Barbara Windsor’s shock return

EastEnders fans are begging show producers not to kill off character Peggy Mitchell after actress Barbara Windsor made a shock return to the role last night.

The former landlady of the Queen Vic made a surprise return to the soap yesterday evening and told son Phil Mitchell: “I’m dying.”

Phil, played by Steve McFadden, could be seen swigging from a bottle of alcohol and was heard slurring his speech as he was told the news.

But soap fans are concerned for Peggy’s health and don’t want the legendary character to be killed off.

One viewer tweeted: “You can’t kill off Peggy Mitchell, you just can’t!”

Another wrote: “Oh Christ Almighty, not Peggy Mitchell too!”

One other posted: “What a time for Barbara Windsor’s character, Peggy Mitchell, to announce her cancer is back and that she is dying!”

During last night’s episode a drunk Phil could be seen breaking into a house to find Peggy sitting inside, before saying: “What is all this, eh? You’ve been back a week and no one has heard anything from you.

“I just want Louise’s address, I just want to talk to her.”

In another scene in the kitchen, Peggy threw her handbag at Phil so he could find his long-lost daughter Louise’s phone number.

Interrupting his rant, Peggy told him her cancer had returned before locking herself in a bedroom.

Phil, who has been diagnosed with liver cirrhosis as a result of his drinking, begged: “Why, why didn’t you tell me? How long? Mum just open the door please,” before telling his mother he was also dying.

Only a few dozen people were told of Peggy’s return in a bid to keep it top secret.

Producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins has persuaded a number of former major characters to return since joining the EastEnders team in 2013 – Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and Stacy Branning (Lacey Turner) are all back on screen.

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