EastEnders: Why is Ricky Butcher Returning to Walford?

Yesterday it was announced Sid Owen would be stepping back into Ricky Butcher's shoes after a decade away from the soap, but why is the character returning?

It has since been revealed that Ricky's return to Walford will be for a short stint, not a return as a long running regular.

His return is part of a bigger storyline focusing on Ricky's sister Janine, and his ex-wife Sam Mitchell, with an insider telling Digital Spy: "Ricky's reappearance will form part of some big storylines airing in the final months of the year and everyone on the show is very excited about what's in store."

Sid's upcoming return is part of Chris Clenshaw's plan to revitalise the existing family units on the soap, an insider explaining earlier this year: "He's really keen to take the show back to its roots, build up the clans again with some big explosive long-running stories. It's an exciting time to be on the show."

EastEnders airs weeknights on BBC One or BBC Two, with all episodes available to watch on BBC iPlayer from Monday morning.