Alfie returning to the Square will be one of the big storylines new boss Kate Oates will be overseeing as she takes charge of the soap
New EastEnders boss Kate Oates has promised she won’t be axing a mass of characters when she takes over the job at the end of the month.
Kate, who was in charge of Coronation Street until earlier this year, has assured fans there won't be a bloodbath.
She revealed that she didn’t believe chopping a load of characters at once from a soap works.
Talking to Metro, she said: ‘It’s always been the case that cast members come and go from serial dramas but I’m not a big fan of axing sprees, because I think you have to have faith in the talent you inherit and need to work out the best way to use it.
“I’ve watched the shows before when there’s been a mass-clear out, and sometimes you run the risk of changing the landscape so much, the show feels odd and quite different for quite a while.
Kate, who’s also worked on Radio 4 soap The Archers and Emmerdale, went on to say that have an axing spree would also be bad for the morale of the cast of EastEnders.
“It’s not great for morale, which is important to me. I’d rather do my best with the existing casts that I’ll be working alongside, and hope that enables them to do their best with stories that feel true to their characters.”
Kate also revealed that she’d be brushing up on her EastEnders history before taking over and that she had her eye on certain characters, who she could see being the centre “of some very exciting storylines”.
In her new job Kate will also be overseeing Holby City and Casualty. On getting her new job, she said: “Working across EastEnders, Casualty and Holby City is an amazing opportunity for me to have creative input into three of the UK’s leading dramas.
"I’m excited about meeting the teams and talent behind each show and can’t wait to get stuck in and tell some unmissable stories.”
