PATSY Palmer has been pictured back in London sparking rumours she’s returned to EastEnders.

The star – who plays Bianca Jackson in the BBC soap – recently reprised her role for a short stint for on-

screen daughter Whitney Dean’s exit.

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Patsy returned to the long-standing soap after a five-year hiatus but originally joined the cast over 30 years ago in 1993.

Bianca follows Shona McGarty’s character – Whitney – back to Walford as chaos ensues, leaving the two estranged.

After Whitney Dean made her exit, Bianca was left to fend for herself with her sister Sonia and her partner Reiss – but soon clashed with them.

Before she left she made an emotional confession to Kat Slater about how she’d been battling depression for months.

She drove off in her van, drunk, determined to make a new life elsewhere.

Viewers watched as Bianca warned Reiss that she was onto him having discovered his secret theft of comatose wife Debbie’s money to fund his and Sonia’s IVF treatment.

But since she’s been gone, Reiss has got even worse – murdering his wife Debbie in harrowing scenes.

Sonia has no idea she’s expecting a baby with a killer – and could be in danger.

So if Patsy returns as Bianca, she could be the one to expose him – or become his next victim.

And she wouldn’t be the only one to return ahead of the 40th anniversary next year.

EastEnders’ James Farrar shares a fun video with Patsy Palmer before stripping off at the gym

EastEnders bosses have announced the returns of Walford icons David Wicks and Chrissie Watts for individual short stints over the next few months.

And there’s more to come.

Boss Chris Clenshaw told The Sun: “As we head towards our 40th year, I think the nostalgic element means a lot.

“Into the autumn and the end of the year, we’ve got quite a few treats coming up.”

Asked if that meant a return for long-departed characters, Chris replied: “Maybe. It all depends on the story and where the characters are.

“But it has to come from character, it has to come from story.”