http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/late...-save-the-show

The actress made a brief appearance in Walford on Friday when character Peggy Mitchell visited son Phil in hospital.

It proved a ratings winner as more than six million fans tuned in.

But while viewers loved seeing the 76-year-old back in EastEnders, they said her appearance was too short and they wanted more.

Now bosses are trying to come up with a plan to allow Barbara to come back to the show without putting her health under pressure. It is all part of a massive drive to boost ratings.

Show boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins is planning a winter of explosive drama that will include a bloodbath and a brutal assault.

He sees Peggy as the final piece of the jigsaw. The legendary actress admitted last week she could be tempted back if they could work out her hours.

Barbara, who said the soap is missing a tough matriarchal character, said: “I don’t know about full time, maybe part time. I can’t lie, it’s always there. I love EastEnders. I love the camaraderie.”

She previously struggled with the gruelling filming schedule, saying: “Towards the end I was so exhausted and not sleeping at night.”

A show insider said: “It was so good to have Barbara back. It gave everyone a real boost. Of course we would love to have Peggy back on a more permanent basis.”

Well the ratings didn't go up for her one off appearence so how would becoming a regular make a difference at this point?

Why do they think one character can save the show, they need to write good sls, invest in good characters instead of ones noone really cares about, this is what's going to save the show

It didn't prove a ratings winner though they need to think forwards not backwards.

Why was it a ratings winner no one cates about peggy

It proved a ratings winner as more than six million fans tuned in.

Wouldn't really call 6m a ratings winner

1. ADVERTISE IT TO DEATH BEFORE ITS AIRED!
2. Don't release a lot of spoiler pictures, they need to leave the viewers guessing!

In what world is 6 million a 'ratings winner'?

"Bloodbath and brutal assault."

I'm guessing Alice / Michael?

wasn't there a post saying the episode was a ratings dud? I would love to see Peggy back anyway.

If 6 million is a ratings winner, where is the crisis

Any of us could have written that story, easily. Daily Star making a spread out of nothing as per usual - tell us something we don't know

Remember thats coming from the Daily Star

What is a bloodbath

Hope Carl dies or goes back to prison!

Daily Star crap people, thrown together over a lunch break no doubt.

Whenever nameless insiders are referenced it translates as "We couldn't find an actual story to print in this section of the paper, so we had someone sit at a computer and make something up to fill space".

When several people are killed in a gruesome/violent manner.

But it's the Daily Star, it won't mean anything.

HOPE THATS TRUE!

Nice to see that he has more interests than Shirley.

Be nice to see Babs back, well if she wants to return anyway.

I bet he wants Babs back though. That bit has to be true.

i think they are just licking her butt at this point, the kind of money she'll be demanding will be ridicolous.And a big character will have to leave

Definitely. But it's no secret they would like her back, so this article is just cheap repackaging of old news to fill space really.

Or lots of little ones.

she can't, it's gone now and good riddance I say

One Actor cannot save a show.

They brought back Sharon last year and look what has happened!

The ratings have been around 6.5 million for a few weeks now, keeping the same ratings is hardly "a ratings winner".