Jane Beale has a strong connection with Bobby Beale on EastEnders, having brought him up for many years but she is not his biological mother

Jane Beale has a strong connection with Bobby Beale on EastEnders.

The iconic character – played by Laurie Brett – made her return to the BBC soap last night when Ian (Adam Woodyatt) went to meet her in Gloucestershire, unknowingly followed by Cindy and George and Peter and Bobby.

Speaking about her return to the show, Jane said: “I was quite nervous on the first day, thinking, ‘Gosh, do I remember how to be Jane?’ But even though I was nervous, I’d had quite a lot of time to think about it, having had the scripts for a while, so it was just about getting back into the swing of it. When I walked on set and saw Adam (Woodyatt) and Michelle (Collins), and also our director Karl Neilson, who directed the live episode in 2015, plus loads of the crew that I knew, all my worries melted away. There were so many familiar faces who were so welcoming. So, about half an hour in, it was like I’d never been away.”

Jane made her return last night, leaving the whole Beale family reeling. Jane is desperate to reconnect with her adopted son Bobby, but what else will her return bring – and is there chaos ahead for the family?

Speaking about what it is like when she sees Bobby again, she said: “The minute Jane sees Bobby, it’s almost like an out-of-body experience for her. The whole world stops, and all she can see is him. Her heart is exploding with love, and everything else fades to black. It’s a beautiful moment. I think there are a few scenes that are going to make people cry. No matter what Bobby has done to Jane in the past, a mother will always forgive. You only have to look at Dot and Nick back in the day to see that’s true.”

Fans of the show will know that Bobby is the son of Ian and Laura Beale. Laura – who was played by Hannah Waterman – originally believed that Garry Hobbs was the father of