EastEnders fans speechless after infamous killer makes unannounced return TONIGHT

*This article contains spoilers for tonight's (Wednesday, January 31) episode of EastEnders on BBC iPlayer and is yet to air on TV*

EastEnders fans were gobsmacked after a legendary character made an unexpected return during tonight's jaw-dropping episode.

Denise Fox (Diane Parish) has been struggling to cope after the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) on Christmas Day.

Ever since she dropped her 'D' necklace in Keanu's grave underneath the floor of the café, Denise has been spiralling more and more each day.

Tonight's episode sees Denise have a terrifying nightmare where Keanu buries her beneath the café.

Denise wakes up screaming and crying, only to find that husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) is nowhere to be found as he spent the night with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).

Jack eventually returns home and he criticises her for running out of Charli Slater's guardianship hearing. As Denise questions him on his whereabouts, she becomes paranoid when he reveals that he had been called out to investigate a possible sighting in a missing person's case.

Denise grows concerned that it was Keanu's case and secretly takes Jack's phone from his coat pocket to dig for more information.

Later on, she voices her fears to Stacey, who reassures her that he wouldn’t have been put on the case if they thought she was connected to it.

But when Stacey realises that Denise has Jack's phone, she panics as she sent Jack a flirty text just moments earlier.

At the salon, Jack's daughter Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) comes in asking for an appointment, but when she attempts to call Jack about loaning her money for a deposit, she soon realises that Denise has his phone.

Stacey quickly tells Jack that Denise has his phone and he rushes over to the salon where Penny is pressing Denise for more information.

While Jack insists that she drop it, Denise breaks under the pressure and lets slip that Jack cheated on her.

Denise and Jack get into a heated argument and she storms out, before accompanying Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) to her church group at the community centre.

While there, Pastor Clayton suggests that she unburden herself by confiding in God. Although Denise isn't sure God would want to listen, Pastor Clayton encourages her to seek advice from someone who has been in her position.

After his words of wisdom, Denise decides to pay a visit to someone in prison — and it turns out to be none other than her evil ex-husband Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet)!

Fans were completely stunned by the shocking reveal...

EastEnders airs tonight at 7:30pm on BBC One.