By Stefania Sarrubba

Published: Wednesday, 25 January 2023 at 12:00 am


EastEnders fans may not have seen the last of villain Janine Butcher.

Played by Charlie Brooks, the character is now behind bars following the tragic events of Christmas Day.

After Janine and Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) tied the knot last December, Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) revealed the new Mrs Carter’s involvement in Linda’s (Kellie Bright) car crash. This led to a perilous car chase, resulting in Mick drowning after jumping into the sea to save his ex-wife and true love Linda.

According to Brooks, however, Janine may make an unexpected comeback to EastEnders in the future.

“She’s so high drama, I don’t know how you’d keep a character like that in the show without diluting them slightly,” the soap star said appearing on This Morning on Monday January 23rd.

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Charlie Brooks as Janine Butcher in EastEnders.
BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron

“I think she can be a useful tool and cause some explosions and go there again,” she added.

It wouldn’t be the first time a baddie has returned to Walford following a prolonged absence, after all.

First introduced in 1989, Janine has been an intermittent presence on the Square, with Brooks taking on the role in 1999 following Rebecca Michael and Alexia Demetriou.

Despite seemingly leaving Walford for good in 2014, she returned in 2021 under the alias of Judith Bernstein, ultimately setting her sights on Mick and prompting Linda’s relapse.