EastEnders: Jaime Winstone will play young Peggy Mitchell in a flashback episode

< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph eq5iqo00">Peggy Mitchell is about to return to EastEnders in a flashback episode about her and her family's past. lle.

A younger version of the famous fictional owner will be played by Jaime Winstone, the BBC has confirmed.

Mitchell, the matriarchal head of the family, was notably portrayed by the late Dame Barbara Windsor.

Dame Barbara joined the soap opera in 1994, becoming one of its biggest stars. She died in 2020 at the age of 83 after living with Alzheimer's disease for six years.

Before the actress joined the full-time soap opera, Peggy Mitchell first appeared as a guest character in 1991, played by Jo Warne.

Winstone, the 37-year-old daughter by actor Ray Winstone, once portrayed a younger version of Dame Barbara herself in the 2017 BBC biopic Babs.

"It was such an honor to step into Peggy Mitchell's shoes for the first time, and into Barbara's shoes for the second time,” she said.

"There's definitely a fair amount of pressure when you take on such an iconic role - I really enjoyed it."

Playing the role, a said Winstone, had "really t cemented my love and admiration for Barbara", adding that she hoped to have "done justice".