Six EastEnders 'facing the chop'

Six EastEnders 'facing the chop'
Six EastEnders 'facing the chop' (Image credit: BBC)

Charlie Slater and Minty Parisi are among six characters who are being axed from EastEnders by its new executive producer, according to the papers. The Sun reports that Bryan Kirkwood - who used to be in charge of Hollyoaks on Channel 4 - broke the news to cast members including Cliff Parisi, who plays Minty, and Derek Martin, who plays Charlie, on Friday. Others who are being shown the door are Libby Fox (Belinda Osuwu), Danny Mitchell (Liam Bergin), Liz Turner (Kate Williams) and the disabled character Adam Best (David Proud). All of them will reportedly be phased out of the soap in the coming months, and some could even be killed off. And it left other stars of the show fearing that they could be next. People have been worried that the new guy would be getting rid of people. Now we know that he is," said a source close to the show. But insiders said it was part of Kirkwood's plans to breathe some new life into EastEnders. "It's sad to see characters go, but when a new executive producer comes in they're always keen to refresh the show," a source close to Kirkwood added. "Some new people will be joining - and some of those will be youngsters." Kirkwood had a similar cull of cast members when he took over Hollyoaks, axing ten characters. However he also introduced the popular McQueen family to the show.

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.