AN EastEnders star made a shock return to the soap today – just a year after quitting the soap.

The Sun previously revealed how the famous actor, 63, left the soap after bosses stopped him from appearing in lucrative pantomime.

But in the latest episode that dropped today on the BBC iPlayer, fans saw the return of Brian Conley, who plays “Rocky” Cotton.

The actor made a surprise reappearance in the soap, after Sonia Jackson visits him in jail.

In scenes that will air this evening, the character will be seen in prison, a year after he was sent there for setting fire to the café in an insurance scam.

It will come as a surprise to fans as Brian was very open about why he had no choice but to quit EastEnders.

The comedian joined the soap in May 2021, but left in late 2023 claiming he felt “restricted”, and was unable to do his annual panto stint.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain last summer, Brian explained more about why he quit.

He said: “You could go back…but you’ve said actually it’s probably too much?

“I left because you’re not allowed to do anything else.”

Appearing slightly miffed, he continued: “Although I’ve now found out you can.

“But at the time, they said you can’t do anything.”

Brian went on: “I’m a live performer, I love being live, I love getting out there – musicals and my own show which I’m currently doing.

“So for me I felt very restricted with those sort of ties.”

Brian earned a six-figure sum for playing Buttons as Cinderella, while other stars are also regulars on the panto circuit.

However show executives told him he had to decide between that or Albert Square.

ROCKY ROAD

Brian’s character Rocky’s gambling spiralled out of control and it led to him burning down wife Kathy’s cafe in the hope of an insurance pay out.

Rocky’s final scenes aired in December 2023 when he confessed all to the police after a tearful goodbye with Kathy.

Brian is one of Britain’s biggest panto stars, with his first role as a 17-year-old in Dick Whittington in 1978.

He has dressed up as Buttons for the past 30 years.