It’s fair to say David Wicks (Michael French) and Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) don’t have the most conventional father-daughter relationship in EastEnders.
And while David’s long-awaited return to Walford was billed as him coming back to help Bianca in her time of need, next week he risks exploding their relationship with a hurtful new plan.
Bianca has continued to unravel as she has tried to prove that Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) was responsible for his wife Debbie’s death, and not her sister Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), who is currently locked up for the crime.
Fresh from arriving back in Albert Square, David is deeply concerned after talking to Bianca about her mental health and after hearing more from Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) about her alarming behaviour.
However, David soon has other things to think about when he comes face-to-face with former lover Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), 27 years after their tempestuous affair.
David is stunned to see Cindy alive and well, still believing she had died in prison in 1998 – as the rest of Walford had also thought until her return from the dead last year – and has plenty of questions for his ex.
Later in the week, David and Bianca have a heart-to-heart about her mental health issues.
Although reluctant at first, Bianca agrees to go to see the doctor, pleased to have her dad’s reassurance that he’ll be by her side.
Despite promising to be there for Bianca, David soon reverts to form when things become difficult in other aspects of his life, and he makes plans to leave Walford once again.
Will he desert his daughter in her time of need?
Teasing the scenes ahead, actress Patsy Palmer, who plays Bianca, says: ‘They have so much light and shade in their relationship. One minute, there will be a really funny moment between David and Bianca and we’re doing comedy, and the next minute, they’ll be crying their eyes out.
‘There is so much history there, too, so it’s golden to have that to work with as two actors.’
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 7 October at 7.30pm on BBC One and from 6am on iPlayer.
