The BBC has confirmed that Jamie Bamber will return as Archie Hughes in the upcoming fifth series of Beyond Paradise, putting an end to fan speculation about his future on the show.
Concerns arose after it was announced that Bamber, 53, had joined the cast of EastEnders as Ned Roper, part of the Hawkins family estranged from Nicola Mitchell. He will appear alongside Patricia Potter, who plays his on-screen wife Gemma Hawkins.
New role in EastEnders
Bamber's EastEnders character is joined by Felix Uff as their son Ryder, Marian McLoughlin as Nicola and Gemma's mother Rose, and Anna Constable as Nicola's youngest sister Jodie.
Speaking about his new role, 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."
Archie's return confirmed
Despite the new commitment, the BBC confirmed to Digital Spy that Bamber will reprise his role as Archie for the new series of Beyond Paradise, meaning viewers can expect more of Archie's on-off romance with Esther Williams.
Filming for series five began in July, with the show's official X account announcing: "Filming has begun this week on the latest series of #BeyondParadise. Sunny shores, secrets to solve and scones to scoff - Beyond Paradise will be back on iPlayer and BBC One soon!"
Fans had expressed worries in the comments, with one asking "Archie's coming back right? Right?" and another noting his EastEnders casting "doesn’t bode well." However, the confirmation puts those fears to rest.
Beyond Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
