A Sunday tabloid today claims that former Coronation Street actor Ian Reddington - who played Vernon Tomlin on the Cobbles - is to make a return to EastEnders at Christmas as market inspector Richard 'Tricky Dicky' Cole.

The 50-year-old played the Walford role for two years between 1992 and 1994 before his character fled Walford when Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) discovered that Richard was a former councillor who had stolen £40,000 and framed a colleague.

Despite reports, I can confirm that the story is entirely untrue. A spokesperson told me this afternoon: "There are no truth in the rumours whatsoever."

If you're a fan of Ian's, though, you might like to know that he recently filmed a guest appearance in BBC One's daytime medical drama Doctors.