BBC fans were thrilled to spy an old favourite from Emmerdale on new series Bloodlands on Sunday night.
The new crime series stars Cold Feet lead James Nesbitt and is written by Line of Duty and Bodyguard writing genius Jed Mercurio.
As the biting drama got going, it was almost immediate that soap fans realised they recognised the character of Larry when he entered the scene.
While only appearing briefly to start with, actor Asan N’Jie later returned for a longer scene with Detective Tom Brannick (Nesbitt).
N’Jie was the original actor to play Ellis Chapman on ITV soap Emmerdale, and became a fan-favourite in the Yorkshire Dales.
But with only a year under his belt in the village, N’Jie’s Ellis suddenly disappeared without much warning, and was later recast with actor Aaron Anthony.
Behind the scenes, N’Jie was prematurely axed from the soap following a heated brawl with I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! star Jamie Lomas at The TV Choice Awards.
N’Jie wrote an apology for his actions at the time, and hasn’t been seen on-screen until now.
The actor announced he would be playing a role in the new BBC drama last year, prompting fans to share their support for his TV comeback.
Taking to Twitter to promote his return this week, N’Jie also wrote: “Hope you all enjoy Bloodlands tomorrow 9pm BBC One really grateful for having the chance to be a small part of the journey! You guys will love it."
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But while some were already thrilled and looking forward to the actor’s next role, saying they were "sure it would be great", many more hadn’t known in advance.
Soap fans flocked to Twitter in surprise, with one tweeting: "Original Ellis from Emmerdale!"
"Great to see Asan N'Jie aka the real Ellis Chapman on TV again," another posted.
A third fan noticed: "Original Ellis."
While a fourth praised: "Good to see Asan N'Jie given another opportunity."
Bloodlands airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC One.
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