Soap Stars To Return In 2026 Odds: Helen Flanagan And Charlie Brooks To Return?
Justin Bieber is known for singing hit song Never Say Never, but fans could be forgiven for thinking the tune belongs to UK soap stars.
That's because most utter the "never say never" line when asked if they'd like to return to Soapland, but some are much shorter prices than others on betting sites to head back to their respective serial dramas.
Some of the stars have made no secret of the fact they would be up for a return to their former soap.
To Hel And Back To Corrie
Step forward Helen Flanagan, who has said on several occasions she would love to grace Weatherfield with her presence again. Helen is 4/6 favourite on betting apps to reprise her role as Rosie Webster on the ITV soap.
Last month, Helen told the Daily Star: "I really want to go back, but they just have not asked me. If the cobbles come calling, I would love to. I am literally just down the road, but sadly, they have not yet."
Kym Marsh (4/5) is another former Coronation Street star who has been linked to a Weatherfield return. She portrayed Michelle Connor for 13 years, from 2006 to 2019, and previously told The Sun she would "never say never" about heading back to the Street.
Soap Stars To Return In 2026 Odds:
Soap Star To Return | Odds | Probability |
Helen Flanagan (Coronation Street) | 4/6 | 60% |
Charlie Brooks (Eastenders) | 8/11 | 57.9% |
Kym Marsh (Coronation Street) | 4/5 | 55.6% |
Charley Webb (Emmerdale) | Evens | 50% |
Shona McGarty (Eastenders) | 11/10 | 47.6% |
Joe Swash (Eastenders) | 6/4 | 40% |
Kevin Kennedy (Coronation Street) | 2/1 | 33.3% |
Angela Griffin (Coronation Street) | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Keith Duffy (Coronation Street) | 3/1 | 25% |
Charlotte Jordan (Coronation Street) | 4/1 | 20% |
Kelvin Fletcher (Emmerdale) | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Danny Dyer (Eastenders) | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Suranne Jones (Coronation Street) | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Sarah Jayne Dunn (Hollyoaks) | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Charlie Lawson (Coronation Street) | 20/1 | 4.8% |
It wouldn't be a surprise to see fellow pop star Keith Duffy back on the soap either. The Irish singer and actor previously played ladies' man Ciaran McCarthy on the ITV programme.
Ciaran had a former romance with Michelle, and if Kym makes a cobbles comeback Keith might not be too far behind. He is just 3/1 to return to Coronation Street.
Catherine Tyldesley and Lucy Fallon have recently made Corrie returns, and Patsy Kensit is set to return to Emmerdale, as Sadie King, in the coming weeks.
Charley And Charlie Back On Soaps?
Charley Webb could be set to follow in Patsy's footsteps, because she is just Evens to return to Emmerdale. Best known for playing Dales favourite Debbie Dingle, fans have voiced their recent frustration that one of their favourite characters isn't on the soap.
Charley is one of the "never say never" crew, recently saying as much on a Live, Laugh, Luke podcast episode last month and she is Evens to return to Emmerdale before the year is out, and Shona McGarty - who is of strong Irish descent - is 11/10 to be back in EastEnders before 2027.
Shona departed EastEnders in 2024, after 16 years of portraying Whitney Dean, and she made a short but sweet two-episode cameo in May. Fans have since hoped she could be back again soon, but Shona looks set to try her hand at a music career instead.
"We could get a Charley and a Charlie returning to Soapland before the year is out, with Emmerdale's Webb and EastEnders' Brooks short prices for soap returns. Helen Flanagan is keen for a Corrie comeback, but the power is in the producers' hands. But don't expect to see the likes of Danny Dyer or Sarah Jayne Dunn make soap returns anytime soon." - James Leyfield
Earlier this month, EastEnders star Charlie Brooks (8/11) hinted her jailbird character Janine Butcher could be back in East London soon. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, she said: "I love Janine, I love playing her she’s a wonderful character, I always get blessed with such great storylines. So who knows."
Another EastEnders actor who could be back in Albert Square this year is Joe Swash. He shot to fame as Walford's Mickey Miller in the 2000s, but is now better known as the other half of former X Factor star Stacey Solomon. Joe made a brief EastEnders comeback in 2024, and it's just 6/4 he does the same before the end of 2026.
Several former Corrie stars could also make comebacks, including Kevin Kennedy (2/1), Angela Griffin (5/2), and Charlotte Jordan (4/1). But Charlotte recently admitted to Radio Times that nobody has asked her back to Corrie, since she departed in 2025, and she's "happy" to keep "exploring" other acting roles for now.
Ender The Road
However, it looks like being the Ender the road for some stars in their respective soaps. Former EastEnders actor Danny Dyer is an 8/1 outsider to return to the show, after he has criticised the soap since departing the programme.
Sarah Jayne Dunn is a 16/1 longshot to make a Hollyoaks return. She was previously axed from the E4 soap after refusing to shut down her OnlyFans site.
Corrie legend Charlie Lawson is a longshot to make a cobbles comeback - after bosses killed off his iconic character Jim McDonald. Jim was dispatched off-screen, when his son, Steve McDonald - played by Simon Gregson - received a call to say his dad is dead, and Charlie has described his character's exit as a "tragedy".
He previously told The Sun: "It’s a tragedy he didn’t go in a shooting or something dramatic, powerful and great." While Charlie could still reprise his role in some sort of dream sequence, he is a huge 20/1 to be back on Corrie before the end of the year.
