Sandy Roscoe to return to Hollyoaks? Actress Gillian Taylforth weighs in
Reveals why character failed to come back to Cheshire-based soap for funerals of on-screen sons
SAD news for fans of the Roscoe family, soap royalty Gillian Taylforth has completely ruled out a return to Hollyoaks.
The 60-year-old, who left the Channel 4 show last year and has since reprised her role as Kathy Beale in EastEnders, made her stance very clear.
Speaking to The Sun Online about the possibility of heading back to Hollyoaks, she said: “No, no, no, I’m firmly back home [in EastEnders] where I belong.”
Gillian, whose ‘Oaks character Sandy was mother to six sons, also quipped about being a bad soap mum, having failed to return when two of them died – well, one had only been pretending to be dead.
She laughed: “I know! What sort of mother am I!
“And then [with my kids in EastEnders] I pretended that I was dead for 10 years.”
Gillian first arrived in the Cheshire-based show in 2013 as the no-nonsense matriarch of the Roscoe family.
She was last seen on-screen in January 2015 when she left to start a new life in Canada, but is frequently mentioned by her remaining family.
In a statement at the time, she said: "I have loved the role of Sandy Roscoe playing mum to six gorgeous boys, all of whom I will miss desperately, but the time is right for me to spend more time with my own family.
"It has been enormous fun and hugely rewarding to be part of settling in a new Hollyoaks family and it fills me with pride that they have so quickly been taken to viewers' hearts.
"I am really happy that I will still be able to pop back to check on the Roscoe boys but it's now time for them to fend for themselves!"
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The blonde actress originally starred in EastEnders from 1985-2000, when her character was killed off-screen in a car crash.
She made a sensational return last year during the show’s 30th anniversary episode along with screen husband Gavin Sullivan {Paul Nicholas).
Being back in Walford meant she got to be part of Peggy Mitchell’s recent sad exit storyline when actress Dame Barbara Windsor decided to have her killed off.
Reflecting on it, Gillian said: “It was fantastic to be involved in it, but very sad the fact that she was going.
“Barbara Windsor was fantastic as Peggy.”
She added: “They will never replace Peggy; there will never be another Peggy Mitchell.”
Gillian was also full of praise for another co-star, Steve McFadden.
She hailed what the Phil Mitchell actor had done within his Cirrhosis storyline as “wonderful”.
As for her own character, she teased that while Kathy and controlling Gavin are currently estranged, that doesn’t mean his influence over her has lessened.
She explained: “He’s still controlling Kathy to a certain extent. That will be seen through upcoming scenes with Sharon’s son Denny.”
EastEnders next airs Monday at 8pm on BBC One.