EastEnders actor Neil McDermott has teased Ryan Malloy has a hidden agenda as he returns to the Square.

Ryan is back amid news of his daughter Lily Slater's pregnancy - but actor Neil has now teased that there are other reasons for him coming back, as he teases drama ahead. Lily's mum Stacey has been supporting her daughter throughout it all after finding out the 12-year-old was expecting on New Year's Day, whilst Martin Fowler has also been supporting them too.

However, Ryan will return next week and he's determined to give all the help he can - even if it's not wanted.

Speaking ahead of his return, he said: "Ryan comes back with a bit of an agenda of his own. He’s of course not been around for a while, so whatever he thinks should be the right thing, isn’t going to be taken too well by Stacey and other members of the Square – he hasn’t been around, so why should he have a right to say anything at all, which I understand.

"In Ryan’s mind though, something massive has happened here and he tries to be of some help."

He added: "We learn that he’s doing alright for himself and has money that could help the situation. He’s carefully trying to tread his way through to become a bigger part of Lily’s life, but its whether or not Stacey, Lily and the family want him around."

Neil admitted he was thrilled to be back to be on the BBC soap.

"I was just excited to revisit the character again. When you’ve been doing EastEnders for a long time like I did, it stays with you for your whole life and you wonder where that character is. People on the street talk to you about it, too," he said.

"They say, ‘where is he? Is he dead? What’s happened to him?’ I always sort of know where he is because I know he’s up in Wakefield with Helen but I often wonder what his job is and what they’re doing."

He was on his own filming for the first day, but was glad to reunite with his co-stars Shona McGarty and Lacey Turner.

He said: "Funnily enough, I was on my own on the first day. Viewers will see the first scene is Ryan on his own, so initially it was just me on my own with the crew and the director. It was so lovely to see members of the crew that were here before. I was in and out on my first day – when I shot that first scene. The next day, I came back and shot some more scenes with Shona and Lacey."