EastEnders' Charlie Cotton is set to make an explosive return.

Roxy and Charlie with baby Matthew

Roxy and Charlie with baby Matthew

Viewers were left wondering whether the loveable businessman - portrayed by Declan Bennett - would make a return to Walford to claim his son Matthew following the horrific death of his ex-wife Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) earlier this year and, although four months have passed since she was found dead in a swimming pool on the day she married Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), it looks like Charlie is now about to come back and take his baby son for good.

Tongues began wagging earlier this week when Declan was spotted on set with Jake Wood - who plays Jack's on-screen brother Max Branning - although details on his return are being kept tightly under wraps for the time being.

Charlie joined the long-running soap in 2014 as the secret grandson of Dot Branning (June Brown) and quickly fell for the blonde bombshell Ronnie.

The pair had a baby together and quickly got married but things started to crumble when Charlie fell in love with the bar owner's sister Roxy (Rita Simons).

In a bid to continue his relationship with the drug addict, Charlie begged her to help him steal his son Matthew and run away abroad with the pair of them.

However, Roxy swiftly changed her mind and told her sister of his motives.

Charlie then disappeared and viewers were left wondering whether Ronnie had ordered her friend Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood) to kill him.

Ever since Ronnie's death, Dot has been begging Jack - who is her late husband Jim Branning's son - to get in touch with Charlie because she feels the youngster deserves to be with his real father now that his mother is dead.