Before leaving, Sharon also gave a loan to her adopted half-sister and Michelle’s daughter, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig), who actually used the money to help her partner, Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw), pay off a victim of his twisted teenage son, Joel Marshall (Max Murray).

Now, on Monday, Sharon finally arrives back in Walford, and a first-look clip has been released by the show which depicts her returning to Albert Square in a black cab with son Albie. Watch the clip below.

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However, Sharon gets the shock of her life when, across the square, she sees her old foe Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) staring back at her from the Slater house.

The pair share a dramatic staring down of each other before Sharon retreats to her home with young Albie as Zoe looks on, bemused.

What happened between Sharon Watts and Zoe Slater in EastEnders?

Fans will recall that Sharon and Zoe were once fierce love rivals for Sharon’s adopted brother and later second husband, Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).

Despite a romance with Zoe, Dennis was madly in love with Sharon and the pair were poised to leave Walford together on Christmas Day 2004 until Dennis and Sharon’s evil father, Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), convinced Zoe to lie about being pregnant with Dennis’s child.

The result saw Sharon leave Walford with Vicki, and Dennis stay with Zoe. Zoe struggled to try and conceive a child with Dennis after this and was manipulated by Den into sleeping with him to get pregnant.

Ultimately, Dennis caught Zoe in bed with his father and, knowing the truth, ended their relationship and tracked down Sharon to reunite with her.

In the aftermath, Zoe was pregnant with Den’s child but was persuaded to get an abortion by his furious second wife, Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman).

In the aftermath, Zoe was pregnant with Den’s child but was persuaded to get an abortion by his furious second wife, Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman).

Chrissie and Zoe then teamed up with an aggrieved Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) to take further revenge on Den and engineered Sharon’s return to see Den’s true colours. As a result, Den violently attacked Chrissie until Zoe struck him with a doorstop and believed she had killed him to save Chrissie. Yet, after Zoe had left the scene, Den awoke until he was finally murdered by Chrissie with the same doorstop.

Sam witnessed the truth, but Chrissie allowed Zoe to think she was a killer, and they buried Den in cement in the Queen Vic basement. Eventually, Sam told Zoe the truth, and she punched Chrissie. Zoe also came clean that she aborted Den’s baby and did not suffer a miscarriage.

Zoe made a semblance of peace with Dennis and Sharon before leaving Walford for Ibiza in an emotional goodbye to Kat in 2005. The truth of Den’s murder was discovered later that year, with Chrissie going to prison for 20 years and Sam going on the run for four years.

In 2006, Zoe gave birth to twins, with her daughter apparently dying and the son being abandoned by a distraught Zoe. The father remains unknown.

What’s next for Sharon Watts in EastEnders?

Sharon is reunited with her adopted half-sister Vicki and biological half-brother Zack Hudson (James Farrar), but remains very much focused on Zoe’s presence in Walford and wants to confront her.

Despite any tension, Sharon eventually heads to the Vic and calls a truce with Zoe.

Elsewhere, the situation between Sharon and Phil remains awkward, but she tries to build bridges by suggesting he look after Albie, and he agrees.

Next, Sharon turns her attention to Vicki and the debt she owes her, but Vicki is struggling so much with Joel’s horrific behaviour that she leaves the house and runs into Zoe, leading to a brawl breaking out and Zack getting struck accidentally while he and Dr Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey) try to break up the fight.

Sharon is happy to share a warm moment with Phil, but soon discovers the drama between Vicki and Zoe.

Storming over to the Vic to confront Zoe, Sharon is left floored when Zoe delivers her a shocking confession that leaves Sharon in disbelief and furious.

Kat responds by throwing Sharon and Vicki out of the pub. While Sharon doesn’t know what to think about Zoe’s confession, and is consoled by her old friend and ex-husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) and his mother Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth). Ian is sure that Zoe is lying, while Kat and her husband, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), also question Zoe’s claims.

Just what is Zoe claiming, and is she telling the truth? And, if so, what will Sharon do now?