Mad May returns to 'EastEnders'

EastEnders actress Amanda Drew is to reprise her controversial Walford role as warped Dr 'Mad' May Wright.

The 38-year-old actress will resurrect her sinister screen counterpart after almost a year's break. Viewers last saw May tangled in the midst of Albert Square's baby abduction storyline which led to her character's exit from the soap.

Last year, BBC bosses made the decision to substantially re-write and re-film the ending to the storyline due to events surrounding Madeleine McCann in Portugal. The climax episode still attracted almost 200 complaints.

The plot saw May and husband Rob Minter (Stuart Laing) attempting to steal Dawn Swann's (Kara Tointon) baby via a forced caesarian and came to a head with Drew's character being arrested and subsequently sectioned.

Now, May is to return to the Square when she overhears Jase Dyer (Stephen Lord) talking about Dawn and baby Summer.

Speaking of her comeback, Drew told The Sun: "May is a gift of a role for any actor because of her complexity. I am so excited to be playing her again.

"It would be a shame to give too much away but she has changed in many ways."

Executive producer Diederick Santer added: "It's great to have Amanda back. Dr May is a hugely popular and exciting character, brilliantly performed by Amanda, and I'm sure viewers will be keen to see what she gets up to and how she's changed."

A spokeswoman for the show this morning told DS: "There are no current plans for Stuart Laing to reprise his role as Rob Minter."

Drew has already begun filming at Elstree Studios, home of EastEnders, and will re-appear on screen in early summer.