Anita Dobson left EastEnders fans gobsmacked on Wednesday, as she made a surprise return as the iconic Angie Watts for the soap’s special anniversary episode.
The actress, 75, played the Queen Vic’s first landlady from the show’s very first episode in 1985 before bowing out three years later.
And to celebrate the soap’s 40th year anniversary, she made a brief cameo in the hour-long special with a heart-wrenching scene with her onscreen daughter Sharon – 37 years after she last played the iconic character.
Anita’s character Angie famously died off-screen of alcohol poisoning in 2002 but she returned in the form of a vision for her daughter Sharon – played by Letitia Dean.
In the poignant scene, Angie visited Sharon her and begging her to scream for help, where she lay trapped under a broken staircase.
The emotional scene saw Angie looking like she hadn’t aged a day, as she sported her famous brown curls and red lipstick.
Anita Dobson left EastEnders fans gobsmacked on Wednesday, as she made a surprise return as the iconic Angie Watts for the soap’s special anniversary episode
The actress, 75, played the Queen Vic’s first landlady from the show’s very first episode in 1985 before bowing out three-years later (pictured in September)
And to celebrate the soap’s 40th year anniversary, she made a brief cameo in the hour-long special with a heart-wrenching scene with her onscreen daughter Sharon (pictured)
She told her injured daughter: ‘You’re not giving up on us are you Sharon? Hello darling. I’ve missed you so much.
‘I wish I could just put my arms around you and give you a great big hug. But it’s not time for us to be together yet darling.’
Sharon admitted she was scared and her mother replied: ‘We’re all scared aren’t we? I mean look at me, spent my whole life being scared. But you’ve got to keep fighting Sharon.’
A weak Sharon confessed: ‘I need you’ causing Angie to become teary-eyed as she said: ‘Me? No, you don’t need me, because I’ve been watching over you and let me tell you, you are doing just fine on your own.’
She then pleaded with her daughter: ‘But you’ve got to be strong for me now Sharon, do you understand me? You’ve got a lot of life yet to live. Don’t throw it away. Don’t waste it like I did.
‘So don’t give up, do you hear me? You mustn’t give up, because we don’t give up do we? We are fighters Sharon. So come on my darling use that voice and you start screaming for help.’
As Sharon began to call out for help, Angie smiled through her tears and cried: ‘Go on Sharon go on! Louder! That’s it baby, keep screaming. Yes, that’s my girl’ before fading from view.
And viewers watching at home were left ‘screaming’ at the shock cameo, taking to X to admit they were ‘shook to the core’ and had ‘goosebumps’ at seeing Angie again, branding it the ‘tv moment of the year’.
They wrote: ‘i can’t believe we had an anita dobson cameo in 2025, i am truly shook to the core… best thing i’ve ever seen’; ‘ANGIE WATTS OH MY GOOD LORD’.
Sharon – played by actress Letitia Dean – saw a vision of her mother Angie visiting her and begging her to scream for help, where she lay trapped under a broken staircase
The emotional scene saw Angie looking like she hadn’t aged a day, as she sported her famous brown curls and red lipstick (pictured on soap in 1980s)
She tearfully pleaded with Sharon not to give up, saying: ‘You’ve got to be strong for me now Sharon, do you understand me? You’ve got a lot of life yet to live. Don’t throw it away. Don’t waste it like I did’
‘The nation screamed’; ‘Chris Clenshaw really did say “let’s make it legendary”. WHAT A PLOT TWIST TO SEE ANGIE WATTS.’
‘OMG! Angie!!!!! Dreams really do come true! I’m so damn happy she’s back for their 40th to the day episode!’; ‘She hasn’t aged a day and still a powerhouse of an actress’.
‘What a genius way of bringing back Angie Watts!! The wonderful Anita Dobson!’; ‘Amazing cameo that totally made sense for the moment. Bravo.’
”ANGIE WATTS, I PRAYED AND I WON’; ‘I bet they thought all their Christmases had come at once when Anita Dobson agreed to come back and do that cameo!’; ‘That Sharon and ghost Angie scene was perfect’.
‘Angie Watts back from the dead! I am shaking’; ‘I love how Angie hasn’t aged a day with that iconic wig plonked back on her head. I love Ghostenders!’
‘Angie Watts showing up is not what I expected from tonight but what a gift they gave us’; ‘ANGIE WATTS??? HELL YEAH WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE OH MY GOD THE GRIN I GRUN’.
‘i can’t believe we got her back, even if only for a moment. and wearing her first-ever dressed-up outfit too. after all this time, angie watts came home!!!’; ‘I’ve got tears the ghost of Angie Watts returns to tell Sharon to keep fighting!’
‘Angie Watts on the #EastEnders end credits for the first time since 1989 – and among some 90’s legends. What an actual goosebump-inducing moment.’; ‘#eastenders tv moment of the year’.
And viewers watching at home were left ‘screaming’ at the shock cameo, taking to X to admit they were ‘shook to the core’ and had ‘goosebumps’ at seeing Angie again, branding it the ‘tv moment of the year’
Speaking about her return to Walford after all these years, EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw said: ‘Angie Watts is undoubtedly one of EastEnders most formidable and iconic landlady’s.
‘Since the very first episode, Anita instantly created a character that the audience adored and she not only shaped EastEnders into the show it is today, but also had a huge impact on British television.
‘Anita was of course top of our ultimate wish list when we were discussing what we would love to include in our special anniversary week, so it was the best birthday present we could ever receive when she said yes.
‘Watching Angie Watts grace the halls of The Queen Victoria, 40 years to the day she made her first appearance in Walford, is a day we will never forget as we all celebrate this show that has played such an important part in British television. Happy birthday EastEnders.’
While Anita admitted she had worked very hard to keep her return a secret, only spilling the beans to her Queen rocker husband Brian May.
She said: ‘I obviously told Brian, but I honestly haven’t told anybody! It’s been really hard because so many people that I’m really close to have said “oh are you going back?” because I’ve gone back to do the documentary, so it’s been so hard not to say anything.
‘But, I’ve been a really good girl and I’ve kept my little mouth shut because I didn’t want there to be any spoilers!’
EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw said: ‘Anita was top of our ultimate wish list when we were discussing what we would love to include, so it was the best birthday present we could ever receive when she said yes’ (Leslie Grantham, Anita and Letitia pictured on soap in 1984)
While Anita admitted she had worked very hard to keep her return a secret, only spilling the beans to her Queen rocker husband Brian May (pictured together last month)
While she gushed about filming again with Letitia, comparing it to ‘stepping back into warm water’ and admitted their reunion was what convinced her to return.
She said: ‘It was absolutely lovely. That’s what clinched it for me. When they initially asked if I would come back when I was filming for the documentary, I wasn’t really thinking of the whole picture at first, and then when they said Letitia had said that she’d like me to do it with her, I thought “oh my god, I can’t say no to seeing my baby again.”
‘It was very emotional. Incredibly emotional in a lovely, happy way. Working together again was seamless.
‘We didn’t really think about it, or talk about it, or even rehearse it that much because we just did it. It was lovely. She’s a gorgeous human being and a lovely little actress.’
Anita bid goodbye to Walford in 1988, with her memorable exit being watched by 30 million viewers, with the now-classic scene of her husband Dirty Den (played by Leslie Grantham) serving her with divorce papers on Christmas Day.
Anita previously shut down rumours that she would return to Walford, admitting she thought she was ‘too old’ to do so back in 2022.
I didn’t realise the impact that we would have on the public and to this day I’m thrilled. I love the fact that everybody took the Watts to their hearts,’ she said on Lorraine.
‘I don’t think I could [go back] at my old age, I’m too old now! Everybody nearly has gone!’
Despite playing one of the most famous EastEnders characters, Anita recently admitted that she doesn’t watch the BBC soap.
While she gushed about filming again with Letitia, comparing it to ‘stepping back into warm water’ and admitted their reunion was what convinced her to return (pictured together at Soap Awards in 2022)
Anita bid goodbye to Walford in 1988, with her memorable exit being watched by 30 million viewers, with the now-classic scene of her husband Dirty Den serving her with divorce papers on Christmas Day (pictured as Angie with Leslie Grantham as Den in 1985)
Speaking in December, the star admitted she struggles to keep up with the number of episodes per week, and has only seen ‘bits and pieces’.
She told The Mirror: ‘I tend to always miss it. But I do try to catch up with stuff now and again.
‘But it’s hard with that because it turns over so quickly. You’d have to be constantly catching up. So no, I have watched bits and pieces.’
‘I don’t really watch television very much at all, I watch things like a series because then you can get your teeth into it, and you can watch it when you want to rather than having to keep playing catch up’.
