In the latest casting shakeups on EastEnders, the latest reports confirm that actor Neil McDermott is returning to reprise his role of Ryan Malloy this February. He will return to the soap opera for a short stint and get involved in the Lily Slater pregnancy storyline. For fans who might have forgotten, Ryan Malloy is Lily’s real father and is the brother of one of the long-running characters Whitney Dean. He was last seen in 2016 and will be seen on the soap soon.
First introduced in 2009, Ryan’s first storyline was establishing a sibling relationship with Whitney Dean. While they were around each other always, their selfish mother never let them know about each other. He later on, got involved with Janine Butcher and later got married to her. Then, he came to know that he had fathered Lily in a one-night stand with Stacey Slater. All of this lead to a complicated love triangle between Ryan, Stacey, and Janine. He finally fled Walford in 2011. However, he made a brief appearance in 2014 and 2016.
Now, Ryan will return to EastEnders in the upcoming days, and he will find that his biological daughter is expecting. Up until now, Stacey has been Lily’s primary support, but now, Lily might find some support in her father. However, we will have to see if things pan out the way we are hoping for. Speaking about his return, the actor says that when he heard what the story was, he was very happy. He was pleased that the stars aligned and he could come back as Ryan to the soap opera.
Neil McDermott is returning for a short stint, and he is clearly excited. Lily’s dad’s return to EastEnders is going to bring a new twist to the soap opera and Lily’s storyline particularly. How will Lily and Stacey react when they come to know about this return? We will know soon. EastEnders airs on BBC One, Monday through Thursday, at 7:30 PM. Don’t miss the action.