David Essex to leave EastEnders in October

David Essex to leave EastEnders in October
David Essex to leave EastEnders in October (Image credit: PA)

David Essex is leaving EastEnders, but bosses have left an open door for him to come back. The Hold Me Close singer set fans' pulses racing when he arrived on Albert Square five months ago as Eddie Moon. But after less than half a year on the BBC soap, the star is quitting to work on an album and go on tour with a new musical. He told This Morning: "Being on EastEnders has been wonderful, challenging and intimidating and it does take over your life. "But I've been blessed to work with wonderful actors. I've really enjoyed it and I'm pleased it went so well." A spokeswoman for EastEnders said: "As has always been planned, David was only going to be in EastEnders for a specific amount of time, but the door has been left open." The 64-year-old is set to make a dramatic exit in October. "Eddie's storylines from now until October are incredible, so powerful," David revealed. The star is set to work on a new album to be released before Christmas. He will also tour in the musical All The Fun Of The Fair, which features some of his best-loved songs.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.