Comedian and actor Brian Conley has joined the cast of EastEnders playing Terry Cant, the long-lost father of Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).

In scenes which aired last summer, Sonia was seen unsuccessfully searching online for Terry, who has been mentioned before but never seen on screen.

As part of an upcoming storyline, Terry will show up in Walford and quickly make himself at home - but how will Sonia react to his shock arrival? The character is described as "the ultimate people pleaser and will be quick to charm everyone on the Square".

"As you can imagine being a Londoner and now being part of EastEnders is such an incredible moment for me," said Conley, known for his "it's a puppet!" catchphrase.

"I know for sure my dad's looking down from above and saying 'Good on yer son!' It was always his favourite programme.

"So 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."

EastEnders exec producer 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."

Conley's debut as Terry will air later this spring.