EastEnders has revealed Phil Mitchell and Sharon Watts’ new scheme ahead of Ruby Allen’s comeback.

The soap set the stage for Ruby’s return next week by revealing some background about what she’s been up to since she was sent to prison three years ago.

Ruby was framed for growing cannabis plants by Jean Slater in 2021, as revenge for Ruby’s own false assault claims against Stacy Slater.

Thursday’s (November 14) episode continued Sharon’s attempts to help her friend Martin Fowler discover whether Ruby really gave birth in prison. Sharon ultimately enlisted Phil to help as well.

Phil wanted to reach out to an old friend of Ruby’s father, Johnny Allen, but was unable to put his attorney Ritchie Scott on the case because she was on holiday.

Johnny Carter volunteered to do some digging for Phil and Sharon because he could use “the extra crash”. It wasn’t long before Johnny got a lead on what’s become of Ruby.

Johnny reported that Ruby has been living in Essex since being released from prison. The lawyer also confirmed that Ruby had indeed delivered a baby boy in 2021.

Phil offered to look for more information about Ruby’s son, but Sharon assured him she would handle things now that she knew where Ruby had been living.

The BBC soap dropped the first hints about a potential comeback for Ruby earlier this year when Sharon learned she’d been Chrissie Watts’s prison cellmate before she gave birth.

Ruby will be set for a potentially nasty surprise when she arrives back in Walford to find out that Phil Mitchell has sold her former nightclub.

Louisa Lytton recently previewed her return to EastEnders after a three-year absence by revealing Ruby has changed significantly since she was imprisoned.

“Now she’s a mum, she does have her priorities in order. Although she’ll still make mistakes, I don’t think she’ll go out of her way to make mistakes or make wrong decisions like she has done in the past,” the actor told The Sun‘s TV Mag.

“Being a mum has finally given Ruby a purpose in life, which I think has been something that’s been missing for a long time.”