EastEnders have confirmed that Thomas Law is permanently reprising his role as Peter Beale following his shock return during Thursday's episode.
The actor, 30, stunned fans as he reappeared as Peter in the BBC soap after 13 years away from the show, alongside co-star Jacqueline Jossa, who made a one-off appearance.
The pair made a comeback amid Cindy Beale's explosive return from the dead, with Peter having been secretly living with his mum in France alongside dad Ian Beale - who also returned.
And while Jacqueline has only made a cameo in the soap, EastEnders have verified that Thomas will be coming back to Walford alongside stalwarts Michelle Collins and Adam Woodyatt later this summer.
In a post on Instagram, show bosses teased that Peter's return home will be 'far from smooth-sailing' after he fled Albert Square on bad terms with his grandmother Kathy and brother Bobby.
Speaking about stepping back into Peter's shoes, Thomas shared: 'Over the years, I had hoped for a return to the Square although I never thought it would happen so it's an absolute delight to be back in Walford as Peter Beale.
'It's been great to see familiar and new faces, and I can't wait to explore the character again in the wake of Cindy's return - it's an exciting time to return!'
While Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw added: 'I'm thrilled to welcome Thomas back to the role of Peter Beale. Although his time away from the Square has been short-lived, the Beale family dynamics have changed immensely since he last left Walford.
'Viewers will soon learn the details relating to how he came to learn that his mum, Cindy, was in fact alive, and how he and dad, Ian, reconciled their differences.
'We're delighted to have him back permanently, but one thing is for certain, the Beale's comeback will be nothing less than explosive for The Square.'
The character of Peter last appeared in 2022, when the character (at the time played by Dale Hudson) did a runner after clearing Kathy Beale's bank account.
Before this, Ben Hardy - who's since found Hollywood fame in X-Men and Bohemian Rhapsody - portrayed the character between 2013 to 2015.
He had replaced Thomas who played Peter between 2006 and 2010.
It comes after Jacqueline Jossa left fans completely gobsmacked as she appeared on screen in the opening moments of the episode to visit the Beale family at their European home.
Her and Peter were not the only familiar faces to appear on the soap opera this week as Michelle Collins returned to her role of Cindy Beale, while Adam Woodyatt also came back as her long-suffering husband Ian Beale.
Jacqueline's grand entrance saw Lauren arriving at the Beale's family home in Europe to visit Peter and their son Louie, but little did she know that they were also living with Cindy and Ian.
Fans were floored by Jacqueline's surprise return, taking to Twitter to comment on the closely-guarded secret, while they also gushed over Thomas being recast as Peter.
Jacqueline's return came after her one-off reappearance on the BBC soap opera for Dot Cotton's funeral, and she recently shut down rumours that she would be returning as Lauren, with her appearance coming as even more of a shock to fans.
In January, she had insisted: 'Just been inundated with people being lovely, but thinking I'm coming back to Eastenders full time, I don't know if something has been taken out of an interview or been completely made up but either way I'm just shutting down any rumours or stories.
'I am not on the way back the the square full time, it's not in talks, I 100 have not confirmed a return.
'That's also not me saying I would never go back, when and if the time is right, I would love to.'
Thursday's episode also saw Cindy's complex backstory finally revealed, 26 years after she was said to have died in childbirth while in prison.
Her death was off-screen at the time of her departure in 1998, and it was revealed that all was not as it seemed in Thursday's episode.
Cindy made her epic return to the soap opera in the closing moments of Wednesday's episode, as she was finally revealed to be George Knight's mysterious ex-wife Rose.
And in Thursday's episode, the huge twist of how she is still alive was finally revealed, as she was seen living with her husband Ian in Europe.
Meanwhile, Jacqueline gave fans a fun behind-the-scenes glimpse of her unexpected soap cameo by posting a gallery of snaps with fellow returnees Adam Woodyatt and Thomas Law on Friday.
The actress' one-off return had been kept completely under wraps ahead of its broadcast on Thursday, leaving viewers staggered when she appeared on screen.
And Jacqueline shared a collection of fun images alongside her co-stars, sharing her excitement at appearing alongside Thomas.
She also shared an image of the moment Adam playfully photobombed her selfie with Thomas, along with a fun mirror image of her getting makeup done for the scenes.
Jacqueline captioned her post: Surprise! Photo bombed by the one and only @adamwoodyatt!!
'Glad to see you guys back where you belong @thomaslaw44 was my first Peter, I remember watching the show when I was younger and rooting for Lauren and Peter, before I even knew I would ever be her.'