EastEnders fans beg bosses NOT to bring Ian Beale back
WALFORD stalwart Ian Beale hasn’t been seen in Albert Square for months on end.
Initially eager for his return, EastEnders fans are backtracking, demanding bosses keep him away to spare Sharon from turmoil.
Ian Beale was a long-standing resident in the fictional London borough of Walford, appearing in the long-running drama’s first ever episode on February 19, 1985.
But after taking part in Dennis Rickman Jr.’s tragic death in 2020, the local businessman felt forced to flee when his former wife Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) tried to poison him to get revenge.
The Square stalwart left in January, 2021, and hasn’t been seen or heard of ever since.
Soap fans were firstly curious to know when actor Adam Woodyatt would be reprising his iconic role as another legend will return this summer.
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However, as Sharon is at the forefront of drama once again, following the purchase of local nightclub Ruby’s (rebranded to pay tribute to Peggy Mitchell), viewers have made a huge U-turn.
After some thought and considering recent events on their screens, viewers are begging show bosses not to bring Ian back as they believe it could ruin Sharon due to her almost murdering him.
But their refusal to ever see Ian again is also due to the character’s evolution in the BBC One drama.
“I have a feeling we won’t see Ian for some time, not that I’ve missed Ian too much either. He’s been ruined, unfortunately”, one viewer wrote on a Digital Spy forum.
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This prompted another to comment with: “I don’t think anyone in the show misses him either. Most of them seem to be aware that Sharon was poisoning him and don’t give a hoot. I guess that’s what happens when you behave the way Ian has over the years.”
A third viewer echoed these thoughts: “Even his own family don’t seem to give a toss.”
“Hope he never returns”, another simply wrote.
Sharon found out about Ian’s part in her son’s death and instigated an attack against him with her former husband Phil.
Ian was left in a critical condition and, after he was diagnosed with a bleed on his brain, proposed to Sharon, fearing he may die before tying the knot with her.
She agreed to marry him although his mother Kathy demanded that she get the marriage annulled – but this didn’t mean she was willing to make peace.
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Instead, Sharon was hellbent on getting payback and vowed to do so by keeping her enemy as close as possible.
She took it to another level by adding doses of lithium to Ian’s Christmas pudding to poison him.
Sharon ultimately carried out her plan all the way to a carbonara dish but Ian finds out the truth.
Devastated, Ian agreed to eat the poisoned food but Sharon had a change of heart and saved his life by making him throw up the pasta.
As mentioned above, Ian left Albert Square before Phil could get to him, making Sharon the sole owner of The Queen Vic which she returned to Mick and Linda Carter a few days later.
Despite the clear loose end, EastEnders fans will most likely never get the closure, even if they wanted it.
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While he was tipped to come back to the iconic show, Adam Woodyatt made it clear he had no plans to make his way back to Albert Square.
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday on BBC One.
