Michael French to leave EastEnders later this year

EastEnders star Michael French is set to leave the BBC soap in an upcoming storyline.

The actor returned to play David Wicks last autumn, but EastEnders bosses have confirmed to Digital Spy that the character will quit Albert Square again.

Michael originally took on the role between 1993 and 1996, briefly reappearing for the death of his screen mum Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) in 2012, but was then asked back for a longer run last year.

Apparently, Michael had only signed up to a short stint in EastEnders when he returned for Pat's exit, but ended up agreeing to extend his deal when Dominic Treadwell-Collins arrived as executive producer, with the plan always being for him to leave this year.

David's exit storyline is currently being kep secret by EastEnders.

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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.