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"EastEnders has cast Cornell S John as Dexter Hartman&amp;#039;s father Sam James. John - who has previously starred in the films Kidulthood and Adulthood - will join the BBC soap next month.  Ava and Dexter will be shocked when Sam returns following the death of his father, and is determined to get to know his son. Sam left Ava not long after Dexter was born, when he went out for a pint of milk and never returned. John said: &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a great honour and pleasure to be joining the EastEnders family. I look forward to working with the cast and to Sam&amp;#039;s adventures on the square... doof doof.&amp;quot; Lorraine Newman, executive producer of the soap, added: &amp;quot;We are delighted to have Cornell join the cast of EastEnders playing Sam. Cornell&amp;#039;s powerful presence and natural gravitas will ensure he&amp;#039;s a strong presence on screen. &amp;quot;The addition of Sam gives us a solid family unit with Dexter and Ava. However, after such a long absence, sparks are sure to initially fly. Let&amp;#039;s just hope he&amp;#039;s got the milk!&amp;quot; John&amp;#039;s first scenes will air in May. Digital Spy Soap Scoop video - press play below to watch Amie Parker-Williams reveal gossip on Janine&amp;#039;s EastEnders return, Jacqui&amp;#039;s Hollyoaks exit, false allegations in Coronation Street and tragic news in Emmerdale.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a472957/eastenders-casts-cornell-s-john-as-dexter-hartmans-father/>