‘SAM’S GOING TO CAUSE LOTS OF DRAMA’
Actress Kim Medcalf promises trouble in Albert Square as she reprises her role of Sam Mitchell
Afamiliar face is returning to Walford this week – Sam Mitchell. And the feisty troublemaker, who has been in and out of the soap since her debut as a schoolgirl in 1990, is set to give her son, little Ricky, quite a shock. Sam was originally played by Danniella Westbrook, who has expressed her bitter disappointment at not returning to the role that made her a star.
Instead, actress Kim Medcalf – who played Sam between 2002 and 2005 – will be back to stir up trouble as Phil and Grant’s little sister.
Speaking about her decision to return to the soap after a 17-year gap (which saw Danniella briefly return as Sam on several occasions), Kim says it was a no-brainer.
“I was so thrilled and it didn’t take me long to say yes,” the 48-year-old says. “I was at home when I got the call and it really was a lovely surprise. I’ve been watching the show when I can, so I was really genuinely thrilled to be asked back.”
The actress goes on to describe being back on set as “incredible” and “surreal” and reveals that it also feels strange to return to the show that is now missing many of the familiar faces from her first stint.
“It’s so wonderful to still have some of my on-screen family, including Steve [Mcfadden] and Perry [Fenwick],” Kim says. “I have to say, though, it’s very sad not to have the incredible Dame Barbara Windsor, who played my on-screen mum, here. There’s a big hole in the Mitchell family where Peggy should be, and we all miss her very much. She was an icon in front of and behind the camera.”
When we last saw Sam on the soap, it was at her mother’s funeral in 2016. She’d been struggling to be a mum to Ricky, her son with Jack Branning, and she made the decision to leave the Square without him.
As she returns, fans can expect her to have a run-in with Kat and Sharon, and it’s safe to say not everyone will be pleased about her reappearance.
Kim adds, “I’m having so much fun working with some of the newer cast. I’m really enjoying it, and I’ve been made to feel very welcome.
“Trouble follows Sam in her wake. She’s going to cause lots of drama in typical Sam Mitchell style.
“Let’s just say her return isn’t going to go down well with most people. I really can’t wait for the viewers to see it all.”