EastEnders has confirmed that Kim Medcalf will be reprising her role of Sam Mitchell for a short stint this Christmas, and the actress has opened up on her return.
Angie Quinn Screen Time Reporter
05:00, 29 Nov 2025
EastEnders has announced that Kim Medcalf is set to return as Sam Mitchell for a brief Christmas appearance.
Sam has been absent from Walford for nearly two years, during which time her old foe, Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), has also made her way back to the Square, convinced that someone is following her every move.
The duo haven’t crossed paths for two decades, not since they were both embroiled in Den Watts’ (Leslie Grantham) murder. Whilst it was his spouse, Chrissie (Tracy-Ann Oberman), who struck the killing blow, Sam initially bore the blame for his demise.
When she makes her comeback on Monday, December 8, Sam immediately makes a beeline for her older brother Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) place to pinch cash from his strongbox. But what’s driving her desperate need for quick funds?
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Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) allows Sam to take the money, having confused her with his daughter, Clare. Meanwhile, elsewhere on the Square, Zoe immediately tracks down Sam, leading to a tense confrontation between the pair, reports OK!.
Kim Medcalf, 51, has opened up about her character Sam’s genuine emotions regarding this unwanted encounter with Zoe on the BBC drama.
She explained: “Zoe is one of the last people that Sam wants to see. Coming face-to-face with Zoe is triggering for Sam and brings up a whole series of memories that she’d much rather forget. So, she tries to avoid having any long, deep conversations with Zoe.”
Discussing Zoe’s stalking nightmare, Kim revealed: “You can’t blame Zoe for suspecting Sam, they’ve got history! They both shared this terrible experience that traumatised them in their own different ways.
Zoe and Sam both played a part in Den Watts’ death (Image: BBC)
“Sam is adamant that she’s got her mind on other, far more important things. She tells Zoe that she’s here to sort her own life out, not to destroy Zoe’s. I think Zoe is convinced by Sam’s protests, but Kat isn’t quite so sure about her.”
Reflecting on reuniting with Michelle Ryan after two decades apart, Kim gushed: “It’s been absolutely fantastic. Michelle is such a lovely person, and it’s been brilliant to be back on set with her again.
“It’s had us taking a trip down memory lane to remember where our characters were when we were last in the show, and what was going on in our lives in Walford. Having this chance to reminisce together has been lovely.”
Beyond Zoe and Sam’s clash, the returning Mitchell finds herself confronting a health scare as she confides in Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) that she has discovered a lump in her breast and fears it could be cancer.
Sam and Phil Mitchell aren’t on the best of terms in EastEnders (Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Jack challenges Sam when she admits she hasn’t sought medical advice, but Phil barges in to reclaim his pilfered cash. Denise Fox (Diane Parish) approaches Sam after learning of her health worries through Jack and proposes an arrangement.
“This is the second time that Sam has found a lump in her breast and 20 years ago, she felt very lucky that it wasn’t anything serious,” Kim explained.
“But this time, when she finds the lump, Sam assumes it’s going to be a different outcome because of Peggy’s history. Sam feels like the same thing is going to happen to her and so she’s putting her head in the sand. The only thing she can think of is Ricky.”
Kim added: “I really hope that Sam’s story shows the importance of getting checked out as soon as possible. We all need to encourage each other to regularly check our breasts because if you can catch breast cancer early enough, it can make a big difference to the prognosis and treatment.”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer
