Fans have been speculating the return of a certain EastEnders legend for several months now, and it gives us great joy to finally be able to say what they’ve been desperate to hear: David Wicks is coming back!

Michael French is set to reprise his iconic role later this year, and we couldn’t be more excited.

As the son of legendary matriarch Pat Butcher (Pam St Clements) and original Walford barrow boy Pete Beale (Peter Dean), David is engrained in Albert Square’s history.

First appearing in 1993, David was involved in some huge storylines, including an affair with step-brother Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) wife Cindy (Michelle Collins).

Though the circumstances surrounding David’s return to Albert Square have not yet been revealed, with Cindy and Ian currently going through a rough patch, we can’t imagine his appearance will help much!

Viewers will remember that Cindy arranged to have Ian shot so that she could be with David – something that she was later sent to prison for. Awkward…

It wasn’t just Cindy that David was romantically involved with, as he also developed feelings for Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), who he later discovered was his daughter! Talk about messy!

After returning to Albert Square in 2013, it looked as though he was set to get his happy ever after with Bianca’s mum Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson), but when he failed to show up to their wedding after suffering a heart attack, she called time on their relationship.

Despite having left Walford in 2014, David has been mentioned in numerous scenes over the past few months, which didn’t go unnoticed by fans.

When Cindy was found to have secretly gone into business with a Wicks, many fans speculated that it could have been David, before it was revealed to be rapist Dean (Matt Di Angelo).When Martin Fowler (James Bye) detailed the history of his fruit and veg stall to date Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), David was once again mentioned, before being the topic of discussion when Cindy and Bianca came face to face for the first time since Cindy’s return from the dead.

Speaking about his Albert Square comeback, actor Michael French said: ‘I feel honoured to be asked to reprise the role of David Wicks once again. It may only be a brief visit, but we know from his past that David never fails to create a lot of drama in a very short time.’

Producer Chris Clenshaw was quick to echo his sentiments, adding: ‘David Wicks is undoubtedly one of EastEnders’ most beloved rogues, and we are thrilled to welcome the talented Michael French back to the legendary role as we lead up to the show’s 40th anniversary.

‘David’s character was never shy of drama during his precious stints, and I can assure you this return will be no different.’