EastEnders fans were left 'screaming' after an iconic character made a shock return to the soap after 36 years. Angie Watts, who was played by Anita Dobson in the 1980s made a surprise appearance on the nation's screens on Wednesday night's hour long special (February 19). Her daughter Sharon, played by actress Letitia Dean, became trapped under rubble on a staircase in the Queen Vic pub after a shocking explosion at the venue. Murderer Reiss Colwell had driven his car into the side of the pub after Cindy pushed her former lover Ian in front of his vehicle, causing him to swerve. But the drama didn't end there, as the vehicle set alight and the flames spread to gas cannisters, causing the iconic local to explode and erupt as part of the soap's huge 40th anniversary week. And during a tense moment on Wednesday, Sharon woke up beneath the rubble to see her mum talking to her from beside the staircase, urging her to scream out for help. Fans were instantly shocked and left 'screaming' after Anita's return to the screen, having previously left in 1988. She died off-screen in 2002, and rushed to air their excitement on social media. @benjaminavelcro posted: "ANGIE F***ING WATTS IN 2025!!!" as @madgekin wrote: "ANGIE WATTS??? HELL YEAH WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE OH MY GOD." Viewer @cosmictradegy shared: "the ghost of angie watts oh my days" as another viewer, @kaysiemay7 penned: "F***ING ANGIE WATTS IM SCREAMING." "Just when I thought # Eastenders couldn’t get any more iconic they bring back Angie Watts!" shared another.