She immediately ruffled feathers with brother Phil (Steve McFadden), who she hasn’t seen since destroying his marriage to Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) and running off with his inheritance from their dear Aunt Sal (Anna Karen).

Having had a brief run-in with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) — who accused her of being her tormenter — she walked into the Mitchell house and began raiding the safe.

Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) caught her in the act, but believed she was his adoptive daughter Clare (Gemma Bissix) and let her continue. He later described the woman he saw, and Phil assumed it was Nicola (Laura Doddington) who was responsible.

However, after challenging her, he spotted Sam across the Square.

She darted off in the other direction, calling estranged son Ricky (Frankie Day) and summoning him to a meeting at McKlunky’s.

There, she told him that she wanted to set him up for the future by putting the cash she’d stolen into a high interest rate bank account. Ricky longed for a proper relationship with his mother, but knew that it would likely never happen.

Just moments after their conversation, she ran off again and headed for the tube station. Ricky alerted his dad Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) to what had happened and he raced after her.

There, Sam opened up about why she had to come back – she believes she’s dying.

As we know, a breast cancer storyline is set to play out over the next month, with Sam’s friends and family urging her to seek medical attention after finding a lump.