Patsy Palmer: 'I can't bear to leave my baby'

EastEnders' Patsy Palmer has revealed she can't imagine going back to work full time as she couldn't bear to leave her baby son. The 38-year-old actress gave birth to her fourth child, Bertie, in December and while she's on maternity leave her character Bianca Jackson is in jail for assaulting Connor. Patsy told Closer magazine: "I can't imagine going back full time because I just don't want to leave him. I don't even want much time to myself!" Bianca was due to return to EastEnders this year and soap bosses revealed she was due to be part of a huge storyline, but then Patsy revealed in January she wasn't sure if she would return to the soap. However she said: "I'm just seeing what happens. I'm not on contract there any more but I would never write it off." Patsy has two other children with husband Richard Merkell and another child from a previous relationship. Bertie was seven weeks premature, which meant he spent his first three weeks in an incubator. But the actress says she's feeling "more relaxed than ever." She added: "I was worried at first even though I've got three others. You do think you might forget what to do!"

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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.