EastEnders' Bunmi rules out Walford return

Former EastEnders star Bunmi Mojekwu has ruled out a return to Walford. The 22-year-old actress, who played Mercy Olubunmi in the BBC soap and its internet spin-off EastEnders: E20 until she left last month, would prefer to "move on to bigger things", although she has great memories of her time on Albert Square. "Leaving was kind of a mutual thing - it was coming towards the end of the character's journey. I felt it was time for me to come off the back of this and challenge myself before I became a bit too rooted in the show," she told Kent News. "I didn't want that to happen, so I definitely feel comfortable coming out of EastEnders now. I have gained enough exposure and I want to move on to bigger things." Bunmi added: "I have a couple of things lined up - we are in talks at the moment, so I am crossing my fingers and waiting for the green light. "Although I love EastEnders, I wouldn't return - I am not a believer in going backwards. I like to go forwards and that chapter is definitely closed, but I had a great time there." Mercy's screen departure saw her leaving husband Fatboy Chubb (Ricky Norwood) heartbroken when she decided to return to Nigeria.

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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.