returning on 1 march 2012 after 20 years of absence, lorraine appears in the queen victoria public house after lucy beale (hetti bywater) contacts her to come to walford, assuming she is a man that mandy is having an affair with. mandy does not want her around, but she bonds with mandy's partner ian beale (adam woodyatt), who invites her to stay with them. when they are alone, lorraine is verbally and physically abusive to mandy. lucy is shocked to overhear lorraine telling mandy that nobody cares about her and men do not fall in love with girls like her. during a meal at a restaurant, where lorraine convinces ian to order champagne, lucy reveals that lorraine has stolen ian's money and that she is an alcoholic. in retaliation, lorraine accuses mandy of using ian for money and making him work for sex, upon which ian banishes lorraine on 9 march 2012.