EastEnders Danny Walters' life as Keanu Taylor makes surprise return to the soap

EastEnders fans were left in shock last night (December 13), after Keanu Taylor made a surprise return to Albert Square.

Viewers will remember that Keanu had a steamy affair with Sharon Watts, before Phil Mitchell confronted him in an explosive showdown that led to the death of Sharon’s son Denny.

Keanu subsequently left the square – but his appearance at the end of last night’s episode left viewers wanting more, as they speculated about his surprise return.

READ MORE: EastEnders fans in meltdown as Keanu Taylor makes epic return two years after sad exit

As fans wait to see what will happen next, Daily Star takes a closer look inside the life of Keanu Taylor actor Danny Walters.

Benidorm fame

Five years before stepping onto Albert Square as Keanu Taylor, Danny rose to fame in the 2012 film Broken Hearts as Carl Lucas.

From there he has not left our screens, appearing in Call The Midwife and Our World War.

In 2016, he also took on the title role of Jack in his first pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Billingham Forum Theatre.

However, he is just as famous for playing Tiger Dyke in hit ITV comedy Benidorm between 2014 to 2017, as he is for starring in EastEnders.

Speaking to What’s On TV about landing the role, he said: “It was the best feeling of my life.

“That day something changed for me. I went from being a young wannabe actor to being surrounded by amazing talents.”

Danny became a fan favourite on Benidorm as Tiger, with his character soon causing mischief at the Solana, before deciding to depart the programme in 2017.

However in the same year, he landed his role as Keanu in EastEnders, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Shock soap return

EastEnders fans were left in shock last night, after Keanu made a surprise return to Albert Square.

The character had previously been run out of Walford by Phil Mitchell in 2019, after Keanu and Sharon Watts had an explosive affair.

However, the showdown with Phil led to the tragic death of Sharon’s son Denny – with Keanu seemingly leaving the square for good.

This made his return even more surprising, with fans left flocking to social media to share their shock and delight.

One said: “Keanu!!!!!!!!!!!! Is he back for Sharon ???’ Wow! Loving these surprises! Another cracking #Eastenders.”

“OMG Keanu’s back #EastEnders,” added a second.

“Ooh Keanu back, that’s a much better surprise than the return of Ian Beale #EastEnders,” agreed a third.

Speaking about returning to EastEnders, Danny shared his excitement for his return – and revealed the real reason why Keanu has come back.

“I feel very privileged to come back on such an iconic episode. The way I play him moving forwards it is a new type of character, it is exciting,” said Danny.

He added: While he was in Portugal, he had a lot of time to think and grow up. There was only way – and that is to come back to Albert Square.

“Sharon was always the reason Keanu had purpose and drive.

“He comes back to the Square with the intention to create a relationship with his son and to rekindle his relationship with Sharon – that is maybe a motive.”

Alternative career

Danny has showcased his talents in some of the UK’s biggest programmes – but did you know that acting was not always on the cards for the young star?

Digital Spy reports that Danny originally wanted to become a footballer, as the actor is a huge fan of Arsenal F.C.

However, his mum spotting his talent for performance and encouraged him to take up drama lessons, with Danny ultimately pursuing this career path instead.

He later studied at the London School of Musical Theatre, before landing his first acting role in 2014.

Lavish lifestyle

Away from the limelight, Danny certainly likes to treat himself to a holiday or two – with the actor regularly posting snaps of him travelling to locations including Marbella, Malta and Gibraltar.

He can often be seen taking part in water sports such as paddle boarding while on holiday, with Danny captioning one snap: “Showing off our paddle boarding skills in Marbella. Another great day in Spain.”

He also likes to treat himself to a spa day occasionally too, with the actor gushing about a “peaceful” trip to Staffordshire’s Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat.

Sharing a snap of himself at the Spa on Instagram, he captioned the post: “Everything is just perfect. I could go on and on about how amazing this place is however you should all go and see for yourselves.”

Famous girlfriend

Danny was previously in a relationship with long-term girlfriend Lily Smith for almost six years, and would often share sweet snaps of them together on social media.

Danny would also gush about Lily at award ceremonies, including at the National Television Awards 2021, saying: “There’s so many people to thank for this… I’d mainly like to thank my partner Lily. There’s been time when I’ve doubted myself and my talent but she’s the one who’s given me the inspiration.

“So I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her.”

However, the long-term couple parted ways earlier in 2019, with OK! Magazine reporting that the split was mutual.

A source also told The Sun: “Danny and Lily still have a lot of respect for each other, but want to spend time concentrating on their own goals”.

Early in 2022, it was reported that Danny was is in a relationship with TV personality Maddi Faircloth, who rose to fame on Channel 4 programme Shipmates.

A source told The Daily Mail at the time: “Danny is smitten with Maddi but wanted to keep the relationship low profile.

“It’s still early days but they enjoyed spending Christmas together and pals believe they’ll get even more serious. Everyone is chuffed to bits for them as they get on so well.”

The couple have since been spotted out and about together, including at the opening night of Wicked at the Apollo Theatre, London on March 24, 2022.

Danny and Maddi could be seen cuddling up together, as the stunning pair showcased their fashionable style – with Maddi wearing a beautiful emerald green skirt and blazer jacket, while Danny looked dapper in a black shirt and jeans.

Eastenders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One at 7.30pm

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk