EastEnders viewers were left scratching their heads during Wednesday's episode as Vinny Panesar made a sudden return to the Square with no explanation of his recent absence. The character, played by Shiv Jalota, was seen sitting in the Panesar kitchen during a confrontation between Avani Nandra-Hart and her mother Priya.
Fans had been questioning Vinny's whereabouts for weeks, particularly during Avani's storyline involving a strip search. One viewer wrote on X: 'Where has he even been the last 12 weeks?' Another added: 'Nugget and Vinny not being remotely around during this Avani storyline is totally unbelievable & silly.'
Vinny was last involved in major plotlines leading up to the death of his father Nish last year. Since then, he has been noticeably absent, with fans noting his lack of presence despite ongoing family drama. 'Another episode of me wondering where Vinny is... I see Ravi there more than him,' one fan commented.
Jalota first appeared as Vinny in 2019 alongside brothers Kheerat and Jags, and has been part of hard-hitting storylines including the death of Jags in prison. EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
