The new pictures show Lord Cashman as Colin Russell, smiling widely as he greets Dot Cotton, an old friend of his from the Square, with Sonia Fowler looking on.
Russell, played by Lord Michael Cashman, was the soap’s first gay character and left the show in 1989.
He was one of the soap’s most popular characters and kept his homosexuality a secret from the other residents of the Square but Dot Cotton discovered him in bed with his boyfriend Barry Clark and began spreading the rumour that he had AIDS.
They soon became unlikely friends.
The BBC have released a picture of the moment the actor turned Labour politician’s character turns up at the home of his old friend Dot, to be aired tonight, raising a big question for her. The storyline will then continue in tomorrow’s (9 September) episode.
Speaking about his return to the role, Lord Cashman previously commented: “It was a real joy, indeed a privilege, to return to my old home of Albert Square.
“To be amongst so many friends again, and to be back in the place where 30 years ago I started an amazing journey, an amazing journey which incredibly helped to change the country, and certainly its attitude to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.”
Will there be trouble ahead?
Photograph: (C) BBC – Photographer
