EastEnders airs surprise return and three major exits in early iPlayer release

EastEnders has aired a surprise return as Sonia Fowler leaves Walford behind – and she isn’t the only one saying goodbye.

Having decided to move to Bali with her long-lost dad Terry, Sonia packed up the last of her things in today’s episode, while listening to an emotional recording of her grandmother Dot.

But not everyone was happy about her plans, as Bianca had seen Terry’s dark side when he violently grabbed her the previous evening.

She confided in Kat and Freddie, who encouraged her to tell Sonia the truth. Bianca showed her sister the bruises on her arms, so Sonia angrily confronted her dad.

rocky cotton, eastenders

While Sonia believed Bianca, she was left torn about her future. She visited the prison to get some advice from none other than Rocky, with Brian Conley making a surprise return for a heartwarming cameo.

Viewers will remember that Rocky once posed as Terry for several months, so as a former father figure in Sonia’s life, he gave her the permission she was looking for to leave Albert Square.

As the community gathered in The Albert to bid farewell to one of their own, with Sonia giving a poignant speech, it appeared that she had decided to go to Bali after all. But she soon revealed that she was no longer leaving with Terry and would go to stay with Whitney instead.

terry cant, eastenders

Terry’s true colours came to the surface, and he raged at Sonia and Bianca, with his horrid behaviour confirming Sonia’s decision.

Back home, Terry returned for the money for the flights and ended up admitting that he had come to Walford to improve his image rather than to make amends with his daughter.

As he got aggressive with Sonia and Bianca, Bex intervened, pushing him into the garage and locking the door. Bex had the tickets to Bali, so they decided to go anyway – with Bianca taking Terry’s place.

bianca jackson, sonia fowler, eastenders

Sonia said a final goodbye to Martin at his memorial, then told delighted Lauren and Peter that they could rent her house when the Knights move back into The Vic.

With Bianca asking George to let Terry out of the garage after a few hours, the trio left in Terry’s car. Bex took the wheel, while Sonia and Bianca made a stylish exit in the speedboat.

Advertisement – Continue Reading Below

There was a hilarious final nod to Sonia’s trumpet, as she, Bianca, Bex and baby Julia headed into the sunset.

Related articles

EastEnders fans only just realising they’ve seen Sonia’s dad Terry before – did you recognise him from iconic role?

EASTENDERS fans have been left stunned after clocking where they’ve seen Sonia’s dad Terry Cant before – and it turns out he played a major role in…

Two Walford murderers ‘join forces’ in killer EastEnders plot

Nicola Mitchell has a job for Ravi Gulati (Picture: BBC) Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) teams up with Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) in EastEnders next week – as she desperately attempts…

EastEnders fans admit exit story for four major characters felt ‘rushed’ and ‘could have been worthwhile’

Fans had to say goodbye to Sonia Fowler and three other characters(Image: BBC) EastEnders fans have admitted that the exit story for four major characters felt ‘rushed’ and…

Unearthing Shadows: Sonia’s Father Terry Cant’s Sinister Past Revealed Through Bianca’s Clue

EastEnders’ Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) has been thrown a curveball as she’s presented with the opportunity to start anew away from the drama of Walford. On Monday…

EastEnders airs huge change for Avani in emotional scenes

EastEnders aired a big change for Avani Nandra-Hart in emotional new scenes tonight, following on from her shocking strip search ordeal. Recently the teenager and friends Amy and Lily…

Natalie Cassidy breaks silence after EastEnders exit as she teases Sonia’s future

Natalie Cassidy has broken her silence on her exit from BBC’s EastEnders – just hours after her emotional final scenes as Sonia Fowler aired Natalie Cassidy makes…