A blast from the past has arrived in Albert Square.

Tonight’s episode of the soap kicked off with more turmoil for Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), in the wake of the explosive podcast exposé by her sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).

Bianca had hoped that telling her story would act as a form of therapy, but it had quite the opposite effect.

Son’ was furious that she’d revealed intimate details of their ordeal with killer Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) – who had allowed her to be imprisoned for a murder he committed, and subsequently held Bianca hostage.

The realisation that she’d agreed to the interview came last week when a group of teenagers flocked into the area to take photographs of her house.

Despite trying to give her reasoning, Bianca was thrown out and disowned.

It really seemed like this could be the end for the Jackson sisters, who first appeared in 1993.

A series of events this week will be the catalyst for Sonia’s decision to pack her bags and leave for good.

Things were still tense between the two, intensified by Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and Mo Harris (Laila Morse), who were conducting a guided tour around locations that the ‘coma killer’ frequented.

As the group were ushered away by a frustrated Sonia, a man (Glen Davies) watched on from afar.

Pictures of her had gone viral alongside Bianca’s tell-all, and she began to fear that she would never be able to feel safe in her own home with the world knowing her address.

Later, Kim and her groupies surrounded Bianca in the gardens, all of them desperate for a selfie.

She began to suffer a panic attack, and Sonia stepped in to save her sister from further upset.

Will they make amends before they reach the point of no return?

Bianca then noticed the mysterious stranger still lurking around, and confronted him head on – unaware that they’d already met.

He asked her about mum Carol (Lindsey Coulson), and judging by his words, they hadn’t seen one another in decades.

The man is Sonia’s father, Terry Cant.

As long-term viewers are aware, she has never had a relationship with her abusive dad, as he left shortly after she was born – taking everything that Carol owned.

A Blast From the Past Shakes Albert Square — Sonia Faces Heartbreak, Betrayal, and a Shocking Reunion | EastEnders Spoilers

Albert Square was rocked tonight by yet another emotional storm — and at the center of it all stood Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), whose life is unraveling in ways she never expected. With the return of her sister Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), a podcast scandal, and now the sudden appearance of a long-lost figure from her past, Sonia finds herself confronting ghosts she thought were buried for good.

The episode kicked off with a wave of tension rippling through Walford, following Bianca’s decision to reveal their traumatic story in a popular true-crime podcast. What she thought would be a healing journey quickly backfired, exposing private details of their ordeal involving killer Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman), and opening old wounds that Sonia had desperately tried to forget.

Viewers will recall that Reiss, who murdered a man and then manipulated Sonia into keeping quiet, left behind a trail of emotional devastation. To make matters worse, he even held Bianca hostage, leaving both sisters emotionally scarred. While Bianca had hoped her podcast interview would help others and perhaps even bring some closure, it only managed to reopen Sonia’s trauma — and make her the unwilling subject of public fascination.

It all came crashing down when Sonia realized her personal life had gone viral. Teenagers swarmed her street, snapping pictures of her home as if it were some macabre tourist attraction. That was when the truth hit her — her privacy had been destroyed by her own sister.

Bianca tried to explain her intentions, but the damage was done. In a furious confrontation, Sonia accused Bianca of betrayal and told her to leave. The argument was so explosive that it felt like the end of the line for the Jackson sisters — a duo who first appeared on our screens back in 1993. Their once-solid bond now lies in ruins, fractured by secrets, trauma, and unresolved pain.

But the drama didn’t stop there. Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and Mo Harris (Laila Morse) added fuel to the fire by leading a group of true-crime enthusiasts on a guided tour of Albert Square — including stops at locations linked to Reiss, dubbed the “coma killer” by the podcast community. As this absurd spectacle unfolded, Sonia’s frustration boiled over. She demanded the group leave, only to find herself being watched from the shadows by a mysterious man.

As Sonia tried to maintain some semblance of control, the feeling of being hunted by the media and gawking fans took a toll. She felt unsafe, exposed — a prisoner in her own home. Even her quiet moments by the window were haunted by paranoia. Her picture was out there. Her story was no longer hers.

Meanwhile, Bianca was also spiraling. In the community gardens, Kim and her selfie-seeking groupies cornered her, eager to take photos with the woman who had survived a true-crime nightmare. The attention was too much. Overwhelmed and ashamed, Bianca began to suffer a panic attack.

In a surprising moment of compassion, Sonia stepped in, shielding her sister from the crowd and pulling her away from the chaos. Despite the bitterness and betrayal between them, Sonia couldn’t ignore Bianca’s distress. Was this a sign that forgiveness might still be possible? Or simply the last act of kindness before one of them walks away forever?

Just as emotions simmered down, Bianca spotted the same mysterious man lingering nearby. Driven by instinct, she confronted him — unaware of the deep connection he had to her family. The man wasn’t just a curious passerby.

He was Sonia’s father.

Yes, Terry Cant — a name EastEnders fans will recognize — has returned to Walford. But this isn’t a joyful reunion. Longtime viewers will remember Terry as an abusive, absent father who abandoned Sonia and her mother Carol (Lindsey Coulson) shortly after Sonia was born. He took everything Carol owned when he disappeared, leaving nothing behind but pain.

Sonia never had a relationship with him. She only knew the destruction he caused. And now, out of the blue, decades later, he’s back — asking about Carol and clearly hoping to rekindle some form of connection. But why now? What does he want? And is his reappearance truly a coincidence, or was he drawn back to the Square by the podcast’s publicity?

This twist opens a floodgate of questions. Can Sonia handle another emotional blow? Will Bianca stand by her as she processes this new trauma? And perhaps most importantly — can Terry really be trusted, or is he hiding even darker secrets?

As Sonia weighs whether to leave Walford behind for good, viewers are left wondering if this could mark a major turning point in her life. With her sister’s betrayal still fresh, her home turned into a tourist attraction, and her estranged father suddenly reappearing, Sonia’s world has been turned upside down.

Could this lead to a redemption arc for Bianca? Might she prove herself by helping Sonia confront Terry and find closure at last? Or will past wounds prove too deep to heal?

One thing is certain — Albert Square has rarely seen such emotional turbulence, and the coming days promise even more revelations, confrontations, and possibly, reconciliations.

Stay tuned to EastEnders as Sonia’s story continues to unfold. And don’t forget to join our Metro Soaps WhatsApp community for instant updates, spoiler galleries, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. You won’t want to miss what happens next — because in Walford, the past never stays buried for long.