Soaps
© Rex Features
The 32-year-old actress, who plays the murderous Tracy Barlow, said that working with her former best friend had been a big influence on her decision to return.
Gulati - who played Dev Alahan's wife Sunita until 2006 - also reprised her role in the serial last year.
Ford told TV Times: "Part of the pull of my going back was to be with Shobna. She used to pop in to see me when she was in London with her son, but we hadn't seen each other for a while."
She added: "Because I was there for so long and formed such strong bonds, it's like being reunited with good friends - you don't see them for a while but when you meet them again you just slip back into it."
> Kate Ford: 'TV comeback scared me
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