All soaps, but particularly EastEnders of the big three, have been known to play pretty fast and loose with the concept of death, fully embracing the epithet that ‘unless you see the body, you can bring them back’.

Though a controversial storytelling device, when it works, it works.

I’m unashamed to admit that, as a former Hollyoaks writer, I campaigned for five years to resurrect Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix)…and we’d actually seen her dead body. Sometimes a character is too good to leave in the grave.

Way back in 2003, Dirty Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) survived his gangland execution by way of…well, ducking a shooting? The Firm, EastEnders’ former omnipresent organised crime syndicate had ordered the hit, but when it failed and Den fled to Spain, they murdered their shadowy leader, Mr. Vinnicombe and after bricking out his teeth (ew), had him identified as Den.

Of course, he later ended up having his skull caved in and being buried under the Queen Vic cellar, a death from which he definitely didn’t escape and we all presumed that ‘Enders had played their first and last ‘death reverse’ card.

Enter Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth).

Kathy Beale’s death in 2006

After last being seen attending Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) wedding to Mel Owen (Tamzin Outhwaite) before departing with young son, Ben Mitchell, the next we heard of Kathy was when Ian received a phone call that changed his life forever.

20 years ago today, he learned that his mum, alongside her husband Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas) had died in a horrific traffic collision.

And that was that.

‘I was a bit upset at first because it was 13 years of my life and I didn’t like the thought of being killed off. I thought she might come back to see Ian and have some illness. But that’s the way it goes,’ Gillian said at the time.

Later executive producer, Diederick Santer, revealed his intense desire to resurrect Kathy, but had taken a personal vow to not bring any dead characters back from the grave.

Gillian later reaffirmed her desire to reprise her role, while stating that the executive producer who oversaw her demise, John Yorke, described killing Kathy off as one of his biggest mistakes.

Kathy’s return from the dead

As EastEnders embarked on an ambitious live week to celebrate it’s 30th anniversary, all eyes were on Walford as the much-lauded ‘Who Killed Lucy’ storyline finally reached a conclusion, while the death of Nick Cotton (John Altman) and the rape of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) at the hands of Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) played out.

Sounds stacked, right? It was! …but yet, ‘Enders boss at the time, Dominic Treadwell-Collins had a further trick up his sleeve. He righted the ultimate wrong in the eyes of so many soap fans: he brought back Kathy.

‘When Dominic approached me with his plan, I was so shocked I got into my car and burst into tears! Kathy has always been so close to my heart and it’s absolutely wonderful to be returning to the show and reprising the role,’ Gillian said once her alter-ego had made her glorious return to the screen.

On the decision to resurrect Kathy, Dominic himself said: ‘I have always made my feelings on Kathy Beale and Gillian Taylforth very clear – she is part of EastEnders history, mother to Ian and Ben and one of the most important and iconic television characters on British television.’

‘Six months ago, we set ourselves the challenge of bringing Kathy back to the Square in a credible way. And I believe we have succeeded. Viewers will have to keep watching to find out exactly why Kathy ‘died’, where she has been all these years and why she now wants to come home to Albert Square’ he added.

Gillian wasn’t the only one brought to tears by the return of Kathy, with Dominic revealing that Adam Woodyatt became incredibly emotional when he learned of the twist: ‘I told him, ‘Look, we’re bringing someone back’. He looked at me and he went, ‘Not my mum?’

‘He broke, and he started sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. He looked at me and said, ‘Really? That’s all I ever wanted, all I ever wanted is for my mum to come back.’

Kathy’s fake death came as a result of slimy husband, Gavin’s elaborate insurance con, from which he claimed an enormous amount of cash. Kathy, by this point, was well aware of how abusive, manipulative and sinister Gavin was and agreed to ‘die’ to keep her kids, Ian and Ben, safe from him after he threatened to kill them to keep her in line.