Brian Conley has been cast as Sonia Fowler's long-lost dad, Terry Cant, in EastEnders...
Legendary actor of the stage and screen Brian Conley has joined the cast of EastEnders and will arrive in Albert Square this spring.
Brian's character, Terry Cant, is Sonia's long-lost dad who she has been trying to find online since last year.
Fans of the soap will remember that Sonia was left feeling lonely after her daughter Bex left Walford to go travelling last year.
Sonia's loneliness left her wondering what became of her father and she started searching for him online, but without any success.
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However, it seems Sonia's luck is about to change, because Terry is making his way to Walford to see her.
Terry's arrival is set to shock Sonia, who had given up any hope of seeing her dad.
A new start for Sonia
An official EastEnders statement has revealed that Terry is the ultimate people pleaser and will be quick to charm everyone on the Square, where he is set to make a home for himself.
Brian's new role at EastEnders comes after a hugely successful career on the stage and screen that spans four decades.
He's hosted his own chat show, The Brian Conley Show, and starred in the popular comedy drama The Grimleys.
Brian has also recorded five albums and had sell out UK tours, as well as appearing a record eight times on The Royal Variety Performance.
He's also a well-known face in the West End, playing the lead in musicals such as Me and My Girl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hairspray and Oliver.
More recently the 59-year-old actor has appeared in 9 To 5 The Musical and also A Christmas Carol at the Dominion Theatre London.
'It really is an honour'
Speaking of his new role, Brian said: "As you can imagine being a Londoner and now being part of EastEnders is such an incredible moment for me.
"I know for sure my dad’s looking down from above and saying 'Good on yer son!' It was always his favourite programme.
"In so many ways it really is an honour to be part of such an iconic show and to be working with an incredibly talented team on camera and off. I cannot wait to order my first pint at The Queen Vic."
Executive producer of EastEnders, Jon Sen, added: "We are delighted to welcome Brian to Albert Square.
"We had been searching for some time but the moment we met Brian, we knew instantly we had found our man.
"Brian’s a talented performer whose charm, wit and charisma are exactly the qualities we want for Terry.
"We’ve got some wonderful stories in store for him and can’t wait for the audience to see Brian bring him to life."
EastEnders airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.35pm and Fridays at 8.30pm on BBC One - see our TV Guide for full listings.
