EastEnders airs big Sam Mitchell twist in early BBC iPlayer release – what does it mean for her future?

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Kim Medcalf’s character, Sam Mitchell, always falls right back into the thick of things in EastEnders whenever she reappears, as if she never left.

The character reappeared in early December after being gone for nearly two years. She first tried to trick Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley), pretending to be his supposed step-daughter, Clare (Gemma Bissix).

Sam eventually reconciled with her brother, Phil, after a period of conflict, and shared the news of her breast cancer diagnosis with her former partner, Jack Branning.

Before her lumpectomy, she finally shared her diagnosis with their son, Ricky (Frankie Day). She’s now been informed she’ll also need radiotherapy, and had planned to receive this treatment at her home in Spain.

But today, she realized that living in Walford allowed her to build a connection with Ricky and her granddaughter, Charli.

Saying goodbye to the Brannings and Charli’s mum, Lily Slater, was hard for Sam, and she admitted she didn’t want to leave. When Denise Fox suggested Sam finish her treatment in London, it felt like a solution, and everything started to look brighter.

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There was no reason for her to leave after all, and Sam would be sticking around.

But how long will she be in Albert Square?

Is Sam Mitchell staying in EastEnders for good?

In November, EastEnders’ executive producer, Ben Wadey, announced he was happy to have Medcalf return for a brief appearance on the show.

She’s been dealing with health problems, and has unexpectedly become involved in the conflict between Zoe Slater and Chrissie Watts. This has brought the three women – along with someone connected to the past – together, recalling the night of Dirty Den’s death.

The Mitchell family is facing a challenging time in the coming months as Nigel’s early-onset dementia continues to worsen.

Ross Kemp will reprise his role as Grant, Sam’s brother, for a longer storyline. This will also allow Grant to reconnect with his son, Mark Fowler, played by Stephen Aaron-Sipple, after years of separation.

After not being seen together since their mother Peggy’s funeral in 2016, will the Mitchell brothers and sisters reunite?

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Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, keeping fans up-to-date with all the latest news and spoilers from popular shows like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he worked as a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and even worked on the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2026-02-19 16:34