The BBC has confirmed that Jamie Bamber will reprise his role as Archie Hughes in the upcoming fifth series of Beyond Paradise, putting an end to speculation about his future on the show following his casting in EastEnders.
Return to Beyond Paradise
Filming for series five is underway, and the BBC has confirmed to Digital Spy that Bamber will return as Archie, ensuring viewers will see more of the on-off romance between Archie and DS Esther Williams, played by Zahra Ahmadi.
New Role in EastEnders
The 53-year-old actor is also set to join the cast of EastEnders as part of the Hawkins family, the estranged relatives of Nicola Mitchell. Holby City's Patricia Potter will play Gemma Hawkins, with Bamber as her husband Ned Roper. Felix Uff from Amadeus will portray their son Ryder, while Trying's Marian McLoughlin joins as Rose, Nicola and Gemma's mother, and Imposter 22's Anna Constable takes on the role of Jodie, Nicola's youngest sister.
Speaking about his EastEnders casting, Bamber said: "When 12-year-old me rushed home from school in 1985 to catch the very first episode of EastEnders, I could never have dreamed that one day I'd be walking onto the iconic Albert Square as a character myself. It's a privilege I don't take lightly, and I'm thrilled to be making my mark on this crown jewel of my beloved BBC."
Hawkins Family Arrival
EastEnders teased the arrival of the new family: "A new family is set to crash into Albert Square this summer as the Hawkins, the estranged family of Nicola Mitchell, arrive in Walford. Viewers are already aware that Nicola has a fractured relationship with her family and has kept them at arm's length for a number of reasons. Now, Gemma, alongside her husband Ned and their son Ryder, are heading to Walford with her mother Rose and Nicola's youngest sister Jodie. With old wounds and complicated family dynamics in tow, the Hawkins are set to make an explosive impact on the Square."
Ben Wadey, Executive Producer, added: "The Hawkins family are a fantastic addition to Walford. While the family share a fierce loyalty to one another, decades of complicated history and Nicola's estrangement from them has left fractures within the family that are far from healed. We're all very excited for what we have planned for the family, and we can't wait for the audience to meet them."
