Grey’s Anatomy will be welcoming back a beloved favourite from the series after a staggering 17 years.
All hands are on deck for the upcoming 21st season, which will feature a bumper recurring role for series stalwart Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo).
Also coming back for more episodes this time around is Meredith’s man Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), bringing his total up to at least five.
However, the series has dropped another bombshell just in time for the weekend as Grey’s veteran Kali Rocha is officially reprising her role as Dr Sydney Heron, TVLine confirms.
Sydney hasn’t paid a visit to the ABC drama since season four, so fans will undoubtedly be intrigued to find out what she’s been up to in the interim.
The upbeat doc first graced our screens way back in season two as a fourth-year resident.
She was substituting for Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) while she was on maternity leave to oversee the interns, and continued to pop up for a little while longer.
Sydney even landed a date with Derek ‘McDreamy’ Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) before the late heartthrob settled down with Meredith.
Could she be back to substitute for someone else, or will Sydney be taking up a more permanent residence on the show going forward?
Season 21 will sadly see the end of Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) and Mika Yasuda (Midori Francis), so there’s definitely going to be room on the roster if actress Kali wants to stick around.
It’s not all bad news, though, as Michael Thomas Grant will be introduced to the cast as Grey Sloan’s new gay chaplain, James.
Details about Sydney’s storyline are being kept under wraps for now, but fans may find out more closer to Grey’s Anatomy’s September premiere.
In the intervening years, Kali has kept herself busy with a main role on the Disney Channel comedy series Liv and Maddie.
She has also co-starred with Friends legend Matt LeBlanc in four seasons of the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan.
Grey’s Anatomy season 21 premieres Monday, September 26 on ABC and is available to stream on Disney+.