New EastEnders boss Kate Oates has promised to place the soap’s iconic families – like the Mitchells and the Fowlers – “at the heart” of the show.

After previously giving Coronation Street and Emmerdale a boost during her time on those soaps, Kate is now looking to wave her magic wand over EastEnders.

And Kate, who’s just started on EastEnders, reckons the way to go is to put the soap’s biggest families in the centre of the action.

Plus, while talking to the Daily Star, Kate promised she wouldn’t be axing a load of characters.

“No-one will be going. I go with it when the story goes with it – I haven’t come in with a list of people to axe.

“At Corrie I put the iconic families, like the Barlows and Platts, back at the heart of the show and I think a similar approach is needed at EastEnders.”

Kate Oates in her old Corrie job

And what better way of putting the Mitchells at the heart of the show than perhaps brining back Ross Kemp as Grant Mitchell?!

While Kate didn’t say who she was looking to bring back, she did say she is looking at the possibility of some fan favourites returning.

“We’re going to be brining some people back. So that’s exciting.

“I haven’t made the calls yet but there will definitely be two, possibly three old faces returning. You’ll probably see them in the first quarter of the new year.”

As well some old characters returning, Kate also says she plans to introduce some “new faces” into the mix.

It was revealed earlier this year that Kate was becoming Senior Executive Producer overseeing not just EastEnders but also Casualty and Holby City.

At the time Kate said: “Working across EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City is an amazing opportunity for me to have creative input into three of the UK’s leading dramas. I’m excited about meeting the teams and talent behind each show and can’t wait to get stuck in and tell some unmissable stories.”

EastEnders continues on BBC1.