EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth has broken her silence on the revelation that her character,

Kathy Beale, was responsible for the attack of Cindy.

Cindy was assaulted on Christmas Day after an unknown assailant hit her on the head with a shovel, with the villainous schemer attempting to deduce her attacker’s identity in the ensuing weeks.

Despite being adamant that her estranged husband Ian was responsible for the attack, Monday’s (February 17) cliffhanger saw an armed Cindy confront the potential culprit in the family home, with Tuesday’s instalment seeing Kathy reveal herself as the perpetrator.

Following the dramatic scenes, which culminated in a giant explosion at The Vic, Taylforth has discussed the shocking revelation, sharing that she was surprised by the twist when she was informed by executive producer Chris Clenshaw.

“[I was] shocked!” said the actor. “Chris asked us all to come in for a meeting so he could tell us altogether which was great fun. We wouldn’t usually all find out as a group, but with it being the anniversary, they wanted to tell us together.

“None of us knew anything before that point, but apparently they all thought it was me anyway! I had a tiny suspicion it could have been Kathy, only because it’s no secret that there is no love lost between her and her daughter-in-law, but I was shocked when I found out.

“I was convinced it was going to be either Ian or Peter. I thought the tables would have turned and Ian would have a go at getting his own back on Cindy, or that Peter would have reacted on behalf of his dad.

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“I even thought it could have been Junior at one point as Cindy humiliated him in the pub and he was lurking in the shadows on Christmas night,” continued Taylforth, before she discussed the reasons behind her character’s decision.

“I think she’ll [Kathy] be more disappointed she didn’t finish the job! All jokes aside, Kathy has seen Ian be hurt by Cindy time and time again, and so I think she finally thought: ‘enough is enough.’

“Kathy knew that Cindy would try and worm her way back into Ian’s life at the next chance that she got because she always does, and ultimately Kathy did what she did to protect her son. Ian is a fool in love when it comes to Cindy, and Kathy couldn’t let him get hurt by her again.”

Whilst Kathy reasoned that she was looking out for her son, the lengths at which she went to weren’t necessarily a world away from some of Cindy’s previous antics, though Taylforth shared that the similarities between the pair weren’t plentiful.

“[They] have both come back from the dead so I suppose there’s that, but the beauty of their relationship is that they love to hate each other,” she explained. “Kathy is a fierce protector of her family and will do anything for her children, whereas Cindy is often looking out for [herself].

“She is a lot more hap-hazard in her approach, and has hurt a lot more people along the way. Kathy wouldn’t dream of treating someone she was supposed to love like the way Cindy has treated Ian.”

The drama has come amidst the celebration of the soap’s 40th anniversary, with other features of the week including a live episode and interactive storyline. Taylforth, who is an original member of the cast, shared her pride at being involved, describing it as a “privilege.”

“It’s an honour and privilege,” she said. “When we started all of those years ago, none of us had any idea of what impact the show would have had, and to be here forty years later alongside Adam [Woodyatt] and Tish [Letitia Dean] is just wonderful.”

The 40th anniversary also comes a decade after Taylforth returned to the soap following her departure in 2000, with the actor recalling her shock upon finding out that she would be back for a full-time stint.

“I can’t believe how fast the time has flown,” she said. “When I was asked back 10 years ago, I was asked to have a meeting with the then Executive Producer, Dominic Treadwell Collins, and I thought he was going to talk to me about doing something for Comic Relief with Adam.

“I had no idea he wanted to bring Kathy back from the dead. When he told me the storyline and his plan to bring back Kathy, I burst into tears. This show holds such a special place in my heart, and as cliché as it sounds, we are all, cast and crew, like a family.

“There is so much that goes into producing a show like this, week in week out, and I’m so proud to be here amongst all my fellow comrades. It’s just been wonderful. Tonight’s episode is just the beginning of what’s to come – it doesn’t end here.”