EastEnders viewers tuning in to tonight’s episode will be introduced to a brand-new character who is already set to shake things up for Linda Carter.

Bea Pollard, an old school acquaintance of Linda’s, makes a memorable and uncomfortable entrance, and she’s played by none other than iconic TV star Ronni Ancona.

The episode centres around Linda as she prepares for a school reunion, an event that brings back more anxiety than excitement. Having only recently returned to Walford, Linda is clearly unsettled by the idea of revisiting her past, and she even considers pulling out altogether.

However, her mum, Elaine, is determined not to let her hide away, convincing Linda that she needs to get herself out there.

Honey Mitchell is also thrilled at the prospect of attending the reunion and eagerly volunteers to go along for moral support and a night out. Together, Linda and Honey head to the event, but things quickly take an unexpected turn.

On arrival, the pair discovers that names are being checked at the door. Panicking, Linda improvises and hands Honey a name tag and prompts her to pretend to be ‘Bea’, an old schoolmate of Linda’s who Linda assumes won’t bother turning up. It’s a risky plan, and unsurprisingly, it doesn’t take long to unravel.

The real Bea Pollard soon arrives, exposing the lie and setting the stage for an explosive confrontation. As Bea strikes up a conversation with Honey, she begins to share her version of events from their school days, and it paints a very different picture of Linda to the one viewers might expect.

According to Bea, Linda was far from innocent at school and allegedly bullied her, a claim that leaves Honey shocked and Linda visibly rattled. It’s clear that Bea and Linda remember their past very differently, and the uncomfortable exchange forces Linda to confront aspects of her younger self that she’d rather forget.

Bea Pollard is played by Ronni Ancona, a hugely recognisable face to British TV audiences. Best known for her work on sketch shows such as ‘The Big Impression’, Ronni has built a career on sharp comedy, uncanny impressions, and memorable character performances. She’s also appeared in hit series, including Still Game and Skins, making her a familiar and respected figure across the industry.

Ronni’s casting was announced in early December, when it was revealed she would be joining EastEnders for a short stint as Bea, one of Linda Carter’s old school acquaintances.

Initial details were deliberately vague, teasing that Bea and Linda would come face-to-face at a high school reunion in the new year, with hints that their shared history wasn’t as straightforward as it first appeared.

At the time of the announcement, Ronni said: ‘I am honoured to have been invited to join the iconic institution that is EastEnders, and to go on this whirlwind of a journey with such an unpredictable, nuanced and complex character as Bea. I hope audiences have as much fun watching her as I have had bringing her to life.’

While tonight’s episode introduces Bea at the reunion, it quickly becomes clear that she won’t simply disappear after one awkward encounter. BBC teasers have confirmed that Bea sticks around in Walford beyond the reunion, finding herself drawn into the heart of the Square’s drama. Although little is known about her full backstory, it’s been promised that she will leave a lasting impression on everyone she meets.

Spoilers for the coming episodes suggest that the tension between Bea and Linda is far from over. Bea was in a more senior year at school, but Ronni has explained that this didn’t stop her feeling intimidated by Linda at the time.

‘They have both got very different perspectives on what happened at school,’ she said. ‘Initially, Bea is very upset and slighted by that.’

This role marks Ronni’s first appearance on EastEnders, but the soap holds a special place in her career history. She famously spoofed the show and its characters in sketch shows, including a well-known parody filmed on the very bench in Albert Square where her first EastEnders scene takes place.

‘Stepping onto the actual set for the first time was an especially strange experience,’ Ronni admitted. ‘My first scene was on the bench in the middle of Albert Square, exactly where Alastair and I once filmed our sketch The Bench of Tears.

She also shared a surreal moment filming inside The Queen Vic, recalling her much-loved impression of the late Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell. ‘I couldn’t help remembering my impression of Peggy, which mostly involved me shuffling around on my knees in padded knee guards because Barbara was so much shorter than I am,’ she laughed.

Thankfully, the current cast have embraced her arrival, with Ronni revealing that Jessie Wallace even did Ronni’s own impression of Kat Slater back to her on set.