Since taking over the role of Vicki, Haig has put in consistently powerful performances, with viewers firmly on her side as she has tried, in vain, to steer stepson Joel Marshall (Max Murray) off the toxic, misogynistic path he’s on.

Of course, given the nature of Joel’s vile behaviour, it’s not been hard to understand Vicki’s point of view.

But through the storyline, we’ve come to not just empathise with her situation, but develop an increasing respect for her.

It’s been frustrating to watch Joel’s father Ross (Alex Walkinshaw) bury his head in the sand, and for Vicki to be left in charge of the young man when Joel has absolutely no respect for her, or for women in general.

But fiery Vicki has repeatedly stood up to Joel, and we’ve seen traits of both her mum Michelle (Susan Tully, Jenna Russell) and late father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) as she refused to back down.

Then, when Joel dared to ask Vicki what the point of her was, without being a mother, the outrageous comment left us protective of her; not just as a legacy character, but as a strong East End presence in Albert Square.

As much as we’ve missed Sharon, her months away have been key in showing us what makes Vicki tick and how she handles any given situation solo.

There was no sense in gluing Vicki to Ms Watts’s side so early on, before we got to know her properly, but now that we have, we’re craving a soap sister act that lives up to the days of Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons).

Of course, now that Sharon is back in her rightful place, that doesn’t mean she and Vicki should be around each other all the time.

But if ever the moment called for them to stick together, this is surely it.

At every turn, Joel has managed to turn the tables on Vicki with nasty intimidation, so we’re counting on Sharon for some much-needed backup where Ross has failed spectacularly.

Based on what we’ve seen from Vicki so far, she would come into her own with Sharon in her corner to bolster her.

In upcoming scenes, Joel will be seen hitting Vicki after a troubling incident at school, and this would be the perfect moment for Sharon to step in and help her sister take the teen down a peg or two.

It may take more than a tough approach from Vicki and Sharon to change his warped view of the world, but at the very least, Joel would soon realise this pair are not to be messed with.

In the wake of Zoe’s bombshell over the late Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), Vicki has been there for Sharon in a way no one else really could be, as the only other person who really got to know Dennis.

Now, with her years of experience around men who think bullying women is the way forward, Sharon can be there for Vicki in her hour of need, and EastEnders have a big opportunity to make the reunited sisters a formidable team.

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