Lucy Beale returns to EastEnders as Bobby sees his dead sister

“I see you all the time. You’re always going to be here,” he despaired, before the camera panned round to reveal a shadowy Lucy sitting in the clothes she was wearing at the time he killed her back in 2014.

In the run-up to the cliffhanger scene, Bobby (Clay Milner Russell) had been noticeably absorbed by memories of his sibling, even opting to have a conversation about her with Max Branning (Jake Wood), who had been having an affair with Lucy at the time of her untimely demise and went on to temporarily take the rap for her murder.

• What happened between Max and Lucy? EastEnders affair explained
• EastEnders introduces Iqra's girlfriend Ash

At the close of the episode, the reason for Bobby’s preoccupation became clear when viewers witnessed him suffering a psychosis and talking to what appeared to be a vision of his sister. RadioTimes.com understands that Bobby will continue to experience these hallucinations in the weeks to come, but that a body double – rather than actress Hetti Bywater – has been employed to portray Lucy.

What happened to Lucy Beale?

The character of Lucy Beale was murdered back in 2014 as part of a year-long whodunnit storyline on EastEnders that ran until the soap's 30th anniversary in February 2015.

Hetti Bywater - who had portrayed the character at the time of her death - returned to the show for a special flashback episode which ultimately revealed that her 10-year-old brother Bobby was her killer (he'd hit his sister with a jewellery box) and that his mother Jane (Laurie Brett) had covered up the crime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGjAFre-xgg

Following an extended period in which the Beale family attempted to conceal the truth about what happened on that fateful night, Bobby was charged with unlawful killing, but only after he'd also put the life of Jane at risk by attacking her with a hockey stick.

Since his return in June, Bobby has been revealed to be considering a conversion to Islam in an attempt to make peace with his past.

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.