With the usual outrageous drama kicking off in Albert Square, it's no surprise to EastEnders fans how shocking the latest stories can be when they hit the headlines.
However, it's never easy when we have to say goodbye to some of our favourite EastEnders characters — and 2023 was a year full of emotional, dramatic and unexpected farewells.
Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold), Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), Rocky Cotton (Brian Conley) and many more all left the soap last year.
We also welcomed back a number of familiar faces to the Square, from Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) to Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins).
However, as we prepare to say another heartbreaking goodbye to more characters in 2024, let's take a look at who is returning and the newcomers set to call Walford their home...
Who is leaving EastEnders in 2024?
Here is our roundup of each Walford resident saying farewell to the Square...
Bobby Beale
EastEnders star Clay Milner Russell has quit the soap after five years and will leave his role of Bobby Beale later this year.
Clay, who is the fifth actor to play killer Bobby Beale, has decided to leave the soap to pursue other roles.
A source told The Sun: “Clay’s a talented actor and he’s ambitious. He was never going to stay in EastEnders forever. He’s loved playing Bobby but he became an actor to play all kinds of roles and he wants to do that. The door is being left open but for now it’s a definite goodbye.”
An insider added to the publication: “Clay is a young actor so he wants to use these years to try his hand at other roles.
“He absolutely loves working on EastEnders and has made such great friends on the show so it was really difficult for him to make that decision, but having been a part of the show since 2019, he now feels like the time is right to explore other options.”
An EastEnders spokeswoman confirmed the news in a statement: “We can confirm that Clay will be leaving EastEnders later on this year, and we wish him the best for the future.”
Bobby returned to Walford in 2019 after a stint in a young offenders institute after he killed his sister Lucy Beale and changed his life around by converting to Islam. He also suffered a breakdown and nearly died in the café fire that was caused by his grandfather Rocky Cotton. Now, he is in a relationship with Anna Knight.
Whitney Dean
EastEnders favourite Shona McGarty has decided to quit the soap after 15 years of playing Whitney Dean.
Shona, who has played the character since she was 16 years old, made the decision to leave EastEnders to "spread her wings."
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Shona said: “I have decided to spread my wings and will be leaving EastEnders. I have loved my years in the show.
“I have been trusted with some incredible storylines and have made amazing friendships — and family — which will endure.”
Speaking to Inside Soap Magazine, Shona explained the reason behind her decision to leave.
"It’s going to be the end of an era, or an earring, as the EastEnders saying goes. I’ve loved my time in Walford, but with the character of Whitney, bless her, she’s had some awful things happen to her, and I think she needs a break."
She added: "The door’s open and I could always come back in the future. But at the moment, I want to pursue things that are in my heart, like singing — stuff that I’ve been doing since childhood and dreaming about. EastEnders has been amazing; I just want to do other things."
Who left EastEnders in 2024?
Some much-loved characters have already left the soap this year...
Gloria Knight
Gloria Knight (Elizabeth Counsell) passed away in emotional scenes with her adopted son George Knight by her side after suffering a heart attack in court.
Her husband Eddie (Christopher Fairbank) had been standing trial for the racially aggravated murder of George's biological father, Henry Kofi Asare and was sentenced to prison shortly before she died.
George shared some moving final moments with Gloria in the hospital and had forgiven her for everything.
Ben Mitchell
Max Bowden left his role as Ben Mitchell after five years in March 2024.
Max has played Ben, who is the son of Walford hardman Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), since 2019 and was named soap superstar of 2023 at the Inside Soap Awards.
Ben's exit storyline was set in motion when he was arrested for a previous crime in America during husband Callum Highway's (Tony Clay) surprise birthday party at the Vic.
Although he protested his innocence, Ben was accused of committing credit card fraud while he was in the US getting treatment options for terminally ill Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold).
Even though the evidence was stacked against him, Ben was hoping for bail and conspired with his dad Phil to help him flee the country with his daughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), but his plan was exposed by the family.
Ben was denied bail and Callum was furious that he had lied to him about being innocent of the crime. Callum refused to see his husband and took some persuading from Phil to pay him a visit.
Callum managed to pull strings and visit Ben in his cell after Phil's encouragement. An emotional Bens vowed to fight his case and said it was unfair as he was trying to save Lola.
After a heated exchange and a heart-to-heart, Callum encouraged Ben to plead guilty and vowed to never leave him, refusing to let Ben push him away.
He promised to be there when Ben comes home and in a touching moment, he reiterated his love for Ben by using British Sign Language (BSL).
"Callum Highway-Mitchell...I love you too," Ben said as Callum kissed his fingers and put them on Ben's lips. A devastated Callum then left as Ben cried alone in his cell.
Troubled Ben has faced a number of devastating mental health battles throughout his time on the Square. He was sexually assaulted, suffered an overdose, was the victim of a homophobic attack and has recently been struggling with bulimia following the death of Lola Pearce-Brown.
Lucas Johnson
Don Gilet returned as Lucas Johnson for a brief stint on the soap after his spiralling ex-wife Denise Fox visited him in prison seeking forgiveness for her involvement in the murder of Keanu Taylor.
Karen Taylor
Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) made a dramatic return to Walford just weeks after her explosive exit last year, determined to find out what happened to her son Keanu Taylor on Christmas Day.
Keanu was murdered on Christmas Day 2023 after Linda Carter stabbed him to death to stop him from killing her best friend Sharon Watts.
The Six conspired to hide Keanu's body in the burned-out café and blamed him for Nish Panesar's attack, claiming that he did a runner after holding them hostage.
Karen was on the warpath to get answers about her son's disappearance and in a bid to stop Karen's trouble-making, she persuaded Phil Mitchell to take back The Arches from Sharon to settle Karen's debt and get her out of Walford for good.
But just as she agreed to leave again, she overheard Kathy and Stacey Slater talking and knew they were hiding something.
She then confronted The Six one by one, before coming to the conclusion that Sharon and Phil were responsible for Keanu's disappearance.
After giving everyone both barrels, Karen told daughter Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) that she knew Phil and Sharon had done something to Keanu. But Bernie insisted that Keanu would be fine, and insisted she stop chasing after him after everything he had done.
Bernie encouraged her mum to go back to Spain and Karen bid an emotional farewell, giving her some money before leaving in a taxi.
Kim Fox and Howie Danes
Beloved couple Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) left the Square after they were both offered jobs on a cruise for three months.
Howie landed a job as an entertainment manager on the cruise, meanwhile Kim was offered the role of social media manager.
Their departures are only temporary while actress Tameka Empson takes time out of her soap schedule to star in the Theatre Royal Stratford East's production of The Big Life. They will both be back on our screens later this year.
Martin Fowler
After Martin Fowler (James Bye) learned that his sister Michelle Fowler (Jenna Russell) was having an operation, he decided to fly to Australia to join her and Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) so he could support them in the aftermath of Michelle's surgery.
In real life, James is taking a break from the soap to star as the Prince in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and will be back later this year.
Sam Mitchell
After making a dramatic return three months ago following her run-in with drug dealer Camillo in Spain, Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) made an explosive exit from the Square once again.
Phil Mitchell and his sister Sam were at odds after she threatened to tell his wife Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) all about his affair with Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit) if he didn't hand over the £33,000 she inherited from Aunt Sal (Anna Karen).
Phil eventually handed over the cash on the condition that she left the Square. However, when Phil harshly insulted her, she finally had enough of her brother's bullying and decided to exact her revenge anyway.
Sam got up on stage at Phil and Kat's joint karaoke birthday party to announce in front of everyone that Phil slept with Lola's mum Emma.
This was enough for the whole of Walford to turn their backs on her, so she left after giving her son Ricky Jr (Frankie Day) some money from Peggy's and told Zack Hudson (James Farrar) that she would be going to Canada.
Could Sam make another troublesome return at some point?
Who is returning to EastEnders in 2024?
While we say goodbye to some beloved residents, we'll also be welcoming back some of our favourite EastEnders characters...
Bianca Jackson
EastEnders announced the return of Bianca Jackson as Patsy Palmer reprised the iconic role after four years.
The much-loved character last appeared in the Square in 2019, but she returned for a short stint when Whitney Dean and boyfriend Zack Hudson (James Farrar) visited her in Milton Keynes following her off-screen break-up with Terry.
However, Bianca is never far away from drama and it wasn't long before chaos kicked off!
Bianca first appeared on the soap in 1993 as the fiery, sharp-tongued daughter of Carol Jackson and remains heavily connected to Walford through the Branning family as well as step-daughter Whitney and sister Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).
Bianca returned in spring as part of a special episode focusing on Whitney and the drama she faced in Milton Keynes.
Now, she's set to make a comeback to the Square, where Sonia is shocked to see her big sister and the surprises keep on coming when Bianca is introduced to Son's other half, Reiss Colwell.
As the family catch up, Bianca is distracted by the news that Zack has done a disappearing act. Bianca heads straight over to Whitney's to try and find out why Zack has gone AWOL.
When Zack finally does show his face he's met by a barrage of questions from an unimpressed Bianca. She refuses to back down and in the end Zack storms out.
Bianca is clearly intending to stick around in Walford and wastes no time bagging herself a job at the café!
As Vinny Panesar hands out flyers to drum up custom, tearful Bernie Taylor watches on while her brother’s killer Linda Carter and co-conspirator Denise Branning struggle to contain their guilt.
Bianca offers Bernie Taylor comfort as Vinny Panesar hands out flyers to drum up custom after Keanu Taylor's body was found underneath the floor. Bianca seizes the opportunity to make a few quid by pointing out she’s a dab hand at making bacon butties.
Having landed her old job back, Bianca then has a heart-to-heart with Bernie and gives her the courage to returns to work.
Mo Harris
EastEnders legend Mo Harris (Laila Morse) will return to Walford with her great-grandson Freddie Slater this spring.
But while the exact circumstances relating to their comeback are currently under wraps, one thing is for sure trouble will inevitably follow — especially with Mo around!
Before they arrive on screen, an exclusive first look at Mo and Freddie’s decision to return home will premiere on the EastEnders TikTok channel in a limited series, following both characters in Mo’s caravan where she has been living ever since leaving Walford.
Mo left the Square in 2021 to go on a cruise with on/off love interest turned fiancé, Fat Elvis and her latest guest appearance in 2022 saw her and Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) living in a caravan together during Jean's mental health battle, as well as attending Kat and Phil Mitchell's (Steve McFadden) failed first wedding.
Laila Morse said on returning to EastEnders: “I’m delighted to be coming home to Walford to bring Mo back to life. EastEnders holds such a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to be reunited with my on screen family, who are like my family, as well as old and new faces.”
Executive Producer Chris Clenshaw added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome back Laila Morse to the role of Mo Harris. Although her time away from the Square has been short-lived, the Slater family has endured a huge amount of drama since she last appeared on screen and Mo’s return will be no different. We’re delighted to welcome Laila back permanently as she is thrust into the heart of the drama alongside great-grandson Freddie.”
Freddie Slater
Bobby Brazier has become a huge fan-favourite playing teen Freddie Slater, who is the son of Little Mo Slater (Kacey Ainsworth).
The 20-year-old went on a break from EastEnders as he took time out of his busy filming schedule to compete in Strictly Come Dancing 2023 and reached the final.
Now, he's set to return with his great-grandmother Mo Harris in spring.
Bobby's EastEnders exit storyline saw his character Freddie attack stalker Theo Hawthorne (William Ellis) in a fit of rage after he walked in on the twisted teacher trying to rape his cousin Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
Following the attack, Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) walked in on the crime scene and attempted to make it look like Freddie acted in self defence by planting a wrench in Theo's hand as he lay unconscious on the floor.
However, Freddie was arrested by the police for attempted murder and was taken away in a police car.
To the relief of the Slaters, Freddie was released on bail and his final scene saw him drive off in the back of a taxi to go and stay with his mum.
Shirley Carter
Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) temporarily left Walford after her son Mick's devastating Christmas exit.
Heartbroken Shirley was grieving the presumed death of Mick and bid an emotional farewell to her best friend Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) as she told her that the Square no longer felt like her home.
Shirley then closed the pub and left with bulldog Lady Di to stay with her daughter Carly Wicks (Kellie Shirley) as she needed to get away from Walford.
A lot has gone on since Shirley's departure, including the arrival of the Knight family and her rapist son Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) also returned to the Square after seven years.
Upon his return, Dean issued a worrying update about Shirley and claimed that she had a mental breakdown following Mick's death and is currently in a psychiatric hospital, unable to speak.
Dean then went on to reveal that the breakdown supposedly caused Carly to cut Shirley off again.
Given the twisted villain's lying past, it's possible that he may be lying about Shirley's current situation.
It has not yet been confirmed when Shirley will be returning to the soap, but we'll potentially see her back at the Vic this year.
EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw teased to Radio Times that Shirley will be back in the future, but didn't say when: "So, Linda Henry is currently taking a break from the show.
"But you know, when she walked off with Lady Di last year, in the wake of Mick’s disappearance, it won't have been the last you see of her. I can say that for sure."
Who returned to EastEnders in 2024?
Some familiar faces finally made their long-awaited comeback to EastEnders...
Nadine Keller
Nadine Keller (Jazzy Phoenix) returned to EastEnders and dropped a baby bombshell on Jay Brown.
Nadine was an escort Jay connected with due to her striking resemblance to his late wife Lola Pearce-Brown.
Jay was consumed by grief when his wife Lola passed away from a terminal brain tumour and found solace in Lola lookalike Nadine. He paid her to spend the night sleeping with him, but when he started buying drugs off her, he suffered an overdose and got into a car accident.
Wanting to get his life back on track, he cut her off, but Jay was floored when she came back to tell him that she was pregnant with his baby.
Viewers now know that Nadine’s pregnancy is all a sham, and Lexi Pearce is also convinced Nadine is up to no good.
The youngster knows she can’t prove her theories alone, so decides to enlist the help of her great-great-grandfather, Stevie to expose Nadine's baby lie.
Martin Fowler
Martin Fowler returned to Walford from Australia — and he was in for a nasty surprise as he caught his ex Stacey and Jack Branning kissing!
He also sets his sights on a new lady in Walford as he goes on a date with Priya Nandra-Hart in upcoming scenes.
Johnny Carter
Johnny Carter returned to the Square after five years, after being recast for the third time with Charlie Suff taking over the role from Ted Reilly.
Prior to this, Johnny was played by Sam Strike when the character first arrived in 2013 alongside his mum, Linda Carter and dad, Mick Carter.
Johnny was last seen in Walford in 2018 after getting a training contract to become a solicitor in Manchester.
The solicitor returned from Manchester, only to find a dishevelled Linda in a heap on the floor drunk.
Linda has been spiralling ever since she murdered Keanu Taylor on Christmas Day to stop him from killing her best friend Sharon.
Johnny was horrifed when his grandmother Elaine Peacock told him that Linda's rapist Dean Wicks was back in Walford and had been terrorising his mum ever since.
A furious Johnny stormed over to confront Dean and punched him in a fit of rage and has now made it his mission to get rid of Dean for good, all while taking care of his poorly mum.
Charlie, who has trained at the Bristol Old Vic and has worked on stage and in short films, said of joining EastEnders: “I’m so delighted to be joining such an iconic programme - EastEnders was always on at my house when I was growing up. Johnny is a complex character who has been through so much, which I can’t wait to explore.
“I’ve found EastEnders to be the most kind and loving space to work in, and I already feel like one of the family.”
EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw said: “I’m delighted to welcome Charlie Suff to the role of Johnny Carter. Although we haven’t seen Johnny on the Square in almost five years, his character remains linked to the show and its most iconic venue, The Queen Vic.
“Since his short time away, the Carter family dynamics have changed significantly, and it’s safe to say that Johnny will be returning to a very different Walford than the one he left.”
Lucas Johnson
Infamous EastEnders villain Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) made a shock return to the soap after three years when his ex-wife Denise Fox (Diane Parish) paid him an unexpected visit in prison.
Denise has been spiralling following the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) on Christmas Day.
Ever since she dropped her 'D' necklace in Keanu's grave underneath the floor of the café, Denise has been losing her grip on reality more and more each day.
Soon enough, her inner turmoil became too much to deal with and she went to Yolande Trueman's (Angela Wynter) church group at the community centre for guidance.
While there, Pastor Clayton suggested that she unburden herself by confiding in God and encouraged her to seek advice from someone who had been in her position.
Listening to his words of wisdom, Denise decided to visit a familiar face in prison — her evil ex-husband Lucas.
Jade Green
Dean Wicks' daughter Jade Green (Elizabeth Green) originally returned in 2023, but left Walford after finding out that her dad raped Linda.
However, she came back to stay with Dean in January after having a lung transplant and was having problems with her mum Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar).
After being involved in an accident caused by Penny Branning, Jade has been bonding with Jean Slater (Gillian Wright), while Dean is eager for his daughter to make friends.
Lauren Branning
EastEnders icon Jacqueline Jossa made an explosive return to Walford on New Year's Day as Lauren Branning.
Lauren was at a New Year party in Paris with her son Louie and cousin Penny Branning. Back in the Square, Peter texted Lauren "Happy New Year" while he admitted to mum Cindy he was really missing them.
She confessed to Penny that Louie was really missing his dad Peter and later called him up and said she was thinking of coming home for a few days to see her uncle Jack and Whitney.
After a suspicious conversation with a French woman called Juliette, Penny asked Lauren if she could join her on the flight.
At the airport, a police dog approached Lauren and started sniffing her bag. Having nothing to hide, Lauren agreed to have her bag searched, but the officer pulled out drugs and arrested her.
Meanwhile, a guilty looking Penny looked on as Lauren protested her innocence and denied having anything to do with it.
Lauren was last seen on screen in June when she travelled to France to visit her ex-boyfriend Peter Beale (Thomas Law) with their son Louie. However, it all came crashing down when she discovered that Peter's mum, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) was actually alive after 25 years.
Prior to this, she made a brief return to Walford last December for the funeral of Dot Cotton (June Brown).
With Cindy back from the dead, deep wounds to mend with Peter, and a sister living in the Vic who she isn’t aware of yet, Lauren’s return is sure to stir up trouble as she is thrown into the heart of the drama.
On reprising the role, Jacqueline Jossa said: “I’m really excited! It’s such an amazing time to be back as there is so much buzz around EastEnders at the moment, and I’ve been watching and loving it like a fan. Walford holds such a special place in my heart, so it really does feel like coming home.”
Penny Branning
Penny Branning returned to Walford alongside her cousin Lauren Branning on New Year's Day.
Jack Branning’s (Scott Maslen) daughter Penny is back in the Square after 15 years of living in France with her mum, Selina (Daisy Beaumont) — and it seems she is already causing trouble for Lauren.
The role of Penny has been recast, with rising star Kitty Castledine taking on the character in her first major television role after graduating from the London Academy of Music and Drama (LAMDA) this summer.
Speaking of joining the show, Kitty said: “I didn’t expect to start my EastEnders journey so soon out of drama school – I can’t believe it! My whole family are EastEnders fans, and I remember sitting on my Nanny Kay’s lap to tune in, and now they get to watch me in Albert Square.
"The inclusion of disabled talent on screen is so important to me as a wheelchair user, so I’m thrilled to be playing a character as feisty and cool as Penny. She’s thrown into the middle of the drama straight away, and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to.”
Who is arriving to EastEnders in 2024?
Currently, nobody is arriving to EastEnders just yet, but we will keep you updated on the latest cast changes.
Who arrived to EastEnders in 2024?
We introduced some new characters who called Walford their new home...
Britney
Child actress Lola Campbell, who shot to fame after her role in the BAFTA-nominated film Scrapper, joined the cast as troubled young girl Britney who Whitney became determined to help.
After growing concerned for the wellbeing of a child on Bianca’s estate, Whitney quickly found herself at the centre of drama after she learned that Britney had not attended school since 2020, meaning she was now considered a "Ghost Child" by her absence from the education system.
The special flashback episodes revisited five weeks' worth of storylines as we followed Whitney in her attempt to intervene in Britney’s turbulent situation, but it wasn't long before things took a turn for the worst after a confrontation with Britney’s mother caused the neglected young girl to flee and Whitney was hit by a car.
Pregnant Whitney had been introducing Britney as her foster daughter, but it transpired that she was not legally fostering the child as Lauren Branning discovered that Whitney had paid Britney's mum £2,000 to take her daughter off her.
Speaking on the storyline, Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the immensely talented Lola Campbell to the cast of EastEnders as she takes on the role of Britney.
"The special episodes, which coincide with Patsy Palmer’s return, will showcase five weeks’ worth of storyline as we follow Whitney and Zack during their time in Milton Keynes, but it’s not long before the pair are thrust into the heart of the drama after Whitney grows concerned for Britney’s wellbeing.”
Harold Martin
Veteran British actor David Sterne joined the cast as Aunt Sal's (Anna Karen) husband Harold Martin and made his first appearance at his beloved wife's funeral.
Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said: "Everyone at EastEnders was truly saddened to learn of Anna Karen’s passing, and it was imperative that we gave Aunt Sal the send-off she deserved.
"I’m delighted to welcome David Sterne to the guest role of Aunt Sal’s elusive husband, Harold Martin, as the Mitchell family gather together to say goodbye."
David Sterne commented: "I loved playing Harold as I felt like the storyline was really important in the context of the show and everyone was so wonderful and welcoming. The writing was brilliant so he was a joy to play."
Stevie Mitchell
Another Mitchell arrived at Aunt Sal's funeral — and he was met with a rather bitter welcome.
Legendary actor Alan Ford made his debut as Steve Mitchell, Billy Mitchell's (Perry Fenwick) estranged dad.
Billy grew up in care from the age of ten after Stevie took sole custody of his brother Charlie and the pair last saw each other off-screen over twenty five years ago.
Stevie arrived in Walford as the Mitchells said goodbye to their beloved Aunt Sal, but it soon became clear that his attendance was not welcome.
Alan has an impressive career spanning over five decades, and is known for his iconic roles in blockbuster gangster movies Snatch, Riot Club and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to name just a few.
Alan said of joining EastEnders: “I feel highly delighted to be playing a character close to my own age in this extremely popular television drama series.”
Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer added: “It’s an honour to welcome the immensely talented Alan Ford to the cast of EastEnders as he takes on the role of Stevie Mitchell.
"Whilst Billy has been a stalwart in the show for over 25 years, viewers know very little about his complicated childhood and the events that led him to grow up in care. Alan arrives in Walford as the Mitchell family prepare to say goodbye to their beloved Aunt Sal but it soon becomes apparent that he is not welcome in the family fold.”
Eddie and Gloria Knight
The New Year was a family affair for George Knight as he was unexpectedly reunited with his adoptive parents, Gloria and Eddie Knight.
Having not seen George for over ten years, the couple arrived in Walford in an attempt to reconcile with their son but it soon became clear that both were hiding a secret.
Their arrival kicked off a major new storyline for George, who was told that he was adopted by a process known as farming, where children were advertised for money for prospective parents wanting to look after them.
This life-changing news forced George to question everything he knew about his heritage and upbringing.
Elizabeth Counsell took on the role of Gloria Knight. With an impressive career spanning 55 years across television, film and theatre, Elizabeth has acted in a number of roles including Call the Midwife, Doctors and The Split, but she is best known for starring in Brush Strokes.
Christopher Fairbank stars as Eddie Knight, who has had an incredible range of roles on both the big and small screen, having recently appeared in The Little Mermaid, Guardians of the Galaxy and Andor.
Speaking on the new additions, Chris Clenshaw, Executive Producer said: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome the legendary and immensely talented actors, Christopher and Elizabeth, to the EastEnders family as they bring to life the characters of Gloria and Eddie. Although currently set to join for a short stint, Gloria and Eddie are thrust into the heart of the drama as they try to reconnect with their son but it soon becomes apparent why George has kept his distance.”
Elizabeth said of joining the show: “I can honestly say it has been an absolute joy. The cast and all of the team behind the scenes at EastEnders are brilliant and have been so welcoming. Colin and I actually worked together before, and who would have thought that I’d be playing his mum almost thirty years later!”
Christopher added: “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to join the cast of EastEnders. Everyone has been so welcoming, and it’s been fantastic to meet and work with the brilliant actors involved in the show.”
Who left EastEnders in 2023?
In 2023, we faced the devastating death of fan-favourite Lola Pearce-Brown who tragically lost her life to a terminal brain tumour.
Meanwhile, after a dramatic time on the Square, Ricky Butcher and Scarlett Butcher (Tabitha Byron) left to start a new life in Germany. But who else left the Square?
Rocky Cotton
EastEnders star Brian Conley quit the soap as Rocky Cotton after two years.
Cheeky chappie Tom 'Rocky' Cotton first showed up in the Square in 2021, claiming to be Sonia Fowler's (Natalie Cassidy) estranged father Terry Cant.
Despite his evil scheme to con Sonia out of Dot Cotton's (June Brown) inheritance money, he managed to forge meaningful relationships with the Walford residents.
He married iconic matriarch Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) even after his long-lost wife Jo Cotton gate-crashed the ceremony and blackmailed the couple.
However, his life on the Square came crashing down when he was exposed for setting fire to Kathy's beloved cafe as part of an insurance scam, which nearly killed her grandsons.
He desperately tried to make amends with Kathy, but after he got caught up in The Six murder drama on Christmas Day, Kathy was forced to get rid of Rocky by getting him arrested for the cafe fire.
After an emotional goodbye with Kathy at the police station, Rocky agreed to Kathy's demand that he accept responsibility for what he did.
Kathy agreed to wait for him, but only to stop him from telling on The Six.
EastEnders officially confirmed Brian's exit in a statement: “We can confirm that Brian Conley will be leaving EastEnders. There is absolutely no truth in any claims of a feud with bosses and the show fully support Brian in his decision to leave which was made some time ago. We wish him the best of luck for the future as we continue to work towards his exit storyline which has been in the works for some time.”
Keanu Taylor
Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) was murdered on Christmas Day 2023 after Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) stabbed him to death to stop him from killing her best friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
After Denise Fox (Diane Parish) smashed Nish Panesar over the head with a champagne bottle to protect his wife Suki, Keanu walked in on The Six standing over Nish's lifeless body.
He accused his ex-fiancé Sharon of killing him and attempted to take their son Albie Watts. As Sharon stood in his way, he saw red when she threatened to get him sent to prison for kidnapping Albie and insisted that the tot wasn't his son.
In a fit of rage, Keanu strangled Sharon and wouldn't let go as the women tried to pull him off her. Desperate to stop Keanu, Linda grabbed a carving fork and plunged it into Keanu's back, killing him.
Meanwhile, Suki managed to resuscitate Nish and he was put in an induced coma.
Karen Taylor
Karen Taylor left Walford alongside Mitch Baker and their kids in December.
The whole of the Square turned against Karen after Phil Mitchell exposed her for staging Albie's kidnapping and stealing his 50 grand ransom money.
Karen took the blame for Albie's kidnap to protect her son Keanu Taylor, who was actually the mastermind behind the whole scheme and forced her into helping him.
Mitch was disgusted that Keanu let Karen take the fall and with Phil out for blood, Karen had no choice but to run away from Walford before she could be sent to prison.
Although Mitch and her devastated daughter Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) tried to talk her out of leaving, Karen's mind was made up and Bernie refused to go with her.
Mitch and Karen rekindled their romance and he decided to stick by Karen as Bailey (Kara-Leah Fernandes), Mack (Isaac Lemonius) and Mia (Mahalia Malcolm) all climbed into Mitch’s van.
But before they could make a quick getaway, Karen and Bernie went to the Square gardens and dug up Chantelle's tree, which which was planted in memory of her daughter Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer).
Keanu was horrified to see that Karen was doing a runner with Phil's money and raced after the speeding van, while a furious Phil screamed at them that "this isn't over."
As they drove out of the Square for a final time, they spoke about their future and came up with the idea to go to Spain.
"I'll always be Karen Taylor!" she exclaimed as they left Walford for good.
Mitch Baker
Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths) made an unexpected exit as he decided to do a runner with Karen.
After failing to convince Karen to stay, he headed to the Vic for a pint with his friends Rocky Cotton and Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman), who reminded him of his love for Karen and made him come to a touching realisation.
The cab driver rushed back home, where he professed his love to Karen and the pair kissed, much to the delight of Bailey, who added that "it was about time."
Mitch changed his mind and decided to go with Karen and the kids, vowing to be there to support them.
Mitch then sped out of Walford with his family in the van, bidding farewell to the East End for good.
Lola Pearce-Brown
Lola Pearce-Brown, who bravely fought for her life ever since her heartbreaking brain tumour diagnosis, passed away at home on Wednesday, May 31.
The young mum's health had rapidly deteriorated and her family were given the devastating news that she had just hours left and that they must say their final goodbyes.
Lola's loved ones bid an emotional farewell to her one last time as her husband Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) and daughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) stayed by her side during her final moments.
As the clock ticked into the early hours of the morning, Lola sadly slipped away as the sunrise poured in through the window, with Lexi cuddling her in bed and Jay by her side.
Emma Harding
Emma Harding (Patsy Kensit) returned to the Square after leaving Walford in March.
Emma is Lola's long-lost mother who was tracked down by Lola's grandfather Billy Mitchell in January. She managed to rekindle her relationship with her daughter, but soon abandoned her once again after learning that terminally ill Lola only had six months to live.
Unable to cope with losing Lola, she decided that she wasn't strong enough to stick around and told her that she was moving to the US for her job.
Emma made a brief appearance at Lola's emotional funeral and swiftly left the church before anyone could see her.
She turned up to Walford again with some shocking news — she had been secretly texting her granddaughter Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), who was struggling with the death of her mum.
Despite Emma's pleas that Lexi needed her and wanted to be in her life, her furious dad Ben Mitchell banned her from seeing Lexi.
And now, the absent grandma has found herself in a cheating scandal with Lexi's married grandad Phil after the pair slept together. Since then, Emma has been using their night of passion as blackmail to get access to Lexi and hasn't been seen on the Square.
Ricky Butcher
Sid Owen made his dramatic comeback as the iconic Ricky Butcher last year, 10 years since leaving the Square for Germany.
Ricky was called to Walford by Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) who asked him to return to help his sister, Janine who was in a meltdown over her fiancé Mick Carter's relationship with his estranged wife Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).
His short stint was part of Janine's explosive Christmas exit as he called the police on her when she tried to flee Walford with her daughter Scarlett once her lies and secrets were exposed.
Since returning to the Square, Ricky rekindled his romance with ex-wife Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and when it was time for him to return to Germany, he proposed to her and asked her to move there with him.
Sam initially agreed, but turned down his offer after finding out that her 12-year-old son Ricky Jr (Frankie Day) got his friend Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) pregnant and wanted to be there for her family.
A disappointed Ricky accepted her decision and he went back to Germany, taking his niece Scarlett with him after he won custody.
Scarlett Butcher
Scarlett Butcher — the daughter of troublesome Janine, had a turbulent time in the Square thanks to her mum's schemes.
At Christmas, Scarlett exposed all of Janine's evil lies and secrets to the Carter family, which led to a huge showdown between Janine, Mick and Linda.
After the presumed death of her step-dad Mick and Janine sent to prison for her crimes, Scarlett moved to Germany with her uncle Ricky to start a new life away from Walford.
Ash Panesar
Ash Panesar (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha) left the soap after four years. She confirmed her exit on social media by sharing a montage of pictures with her co-stars.
The doctor first arrived in Walford in 2019 and had been at the forefront of many storylines, mostly involving her troubled family, her sexuality and her difficult relationship with her mother, Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal).
She was also a victim of a homophobic attack and temporarily left the Square in 2022 after Suki refused to accept her sexuality.
Ash's final exit was sealed in March after she was offered her dream job in Canada, but her father Nish (Navin Chowdhry) wouldn't let his daughter go without a fight as he demanded that Suki convince Ash to turn it down.
Desperate for her daughter to escape Nish's controlling ways, Suki made sure that she took the job by goading her and telling her that she wouldn't be able to cope. She knew that Ash would want to prove her wrong and go against her mother's words, so accepted the offer.
After an emotional heart-to-heart with Suki, Ash encouraged Nish to give Suki more responsibility in the businesses. She then bid an emotional farewell to her family, before leaving the Square in a taxi.
Ryan Malloy
After returning to the Square for a brief stint, Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) left Walford as quickly as he made his shocking comeback.
Following the news that his 12 year old daughter, Lily was pregnant, Ryan came back to the Square to rekindle his relationship with his estranged daughter.
Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) was far from happy to see her former lover back in town and it wasn't long before the pair were at each other's throats, especially after it was revealed that Ryan wanted to take Lily away to live with him and his wife in Wakefield.
Lily initially took him up on his offer but she soon sent him packing after she overheard him viciously insulting her mum. A furious Lily swooped in to defend Stacey and wanted nothing to do with her dad.
Ryan left Walford, before telling Stacey that he would be cutting down his child support payments.
Vi Highway
Vi Highway (Gwen Taylor) was introduced in 2021 as the grandmother of Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) and Callum Highway (Tony Clay).
She arrived in Walford for Callum's wedding to Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) but her steely attitude and quick-witted remarks did not go down well with a lot of the residents.
Vi left the Square in March to become a live-in nanny for Stuart and Rainie Highway (Tanya Franks) after they were struggling with their baby Roland.
Duncan Boyd
EastEnders character Duncan Boyd (David Gillespie) returned to the Square almost 34 years since he first stepped foot in Walford.
With Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) having lived in Albert Square for more than three decades, it's no surprise that a face from her past could make an unexpected appearance at any moment — and this time it was in the form of vicar Duncan.
He returned to unknowingly officiate baby Albie’s christening and Duncan was stunned when he arrived at the Vic and quickly realised that his former lover, Sharon, was the little boy’s mother.
Soon enough, his and Sharon's past romantic history came to light, who were even engaged to be married many years ago.
Finlay Baker
Finlay Baker (Ashley Byam) made an unexpected exit from the Square after being blackmailed by the Panesar family following Vinny Panesar's failed revenge plot against Eve Unwin (Heather Peace).
After overhearing at the Vic that Eve would be driving Finlay's sports car to Brighton, Vinny broke into the garage and cut the brakes.
Luckily for Eve, Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) put a stop to Vinny's murderous scheme, but Finlay soon rumbled Vinny's antics when he found his necklace at the scene of the crime.
Finlay threatened to go to the police and after discovering that Eve was the intended target, he set out to tell her everything.
However, Suki and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) put an abrupt end to his plan and threatened to hurt his brother, Felix Baker (Matthew Morrison) if he didn't leave Walford for good.
Finlay demanded money from Suki in exchange for leaving the Square and threatened to expose their secret to Eve. A spooked Suki gave in to his demands and handed over the cash.
He then had a final drink at the Vic with his family and bid an emotional farewell to Walford as he drove away in his late dad's old car.
Lisa Fowler
EastEnders legend Lisa Fowler (Lucy Benjamin) returned to Walford after four years with her granddaughter Peggy Taylor in tow.
Lisa claimed that she was Peggy's legal guardian due to Louise Mitchell's (Tilly Keeper) "uncontrollable behaviour" and blackmailed Peggy's dad, Keanu for large amounts of money so that he could spend time with his daughter.
Lisa's lies soon began to unravel as it was revealed that she had been lying about Louise and was using Keanu's money to fund a gambling addiction. Not only that, but she had also taken Peggy without Louise's permission.
This caused Lisa's ex-husband Phil Mitchell to take Peggy away from her and refused to give the little girl back until she got her act together. After Sharon and Lisa made amends, Lisa was desperate to get back home to Louise and defied Keanu's demand that she let Peggy stay with him.
Desperate to get custody of his daughter, Keanu hid their passports in a bid to stop them from leaving the country. Uncovering Keanu's sabotage, Sharon and Martin Fowler gave the passports back to Lisa and she went back to Portugal, leaving Keanu devastated.
Jo Cotton
Although she was only in one episode, fans fell in love with Rocky Cotton's feisty long-lost wife Jo Cotton (Vicki Michelle) who unexpectedly showed up at Kathy Beale's door
Jo then made another explosive comeback to Walford as she returned to stir up more trouble for her ex-husband and his fiancé Kathy.
She didn't stop there however, as she returned to gate-crash his wedding to Kathy and dropped the bombshell that they were still legally married and he could be sent to prison for committing bigamy.
Her scheming was exposed when she admitted that she had forged the divorce papers and Jo demanded 50 grand from the couple to keep quiet or she would report Rocky to the police for bigamy.
Ben Mitchell was furious when Kathy and Rocky confessed everything, before the trio came up with a cunning plan to end Jo's scheming once and for all.
Ben used his husband Callum Highway's (Tony Clay) police badge to claim he was a detective and a panicked Jo fled 50 grand richer.
Who returned to EastEnders in 2023?
Some residents made a welcome return in 2023 (and some not so welcome)...
Sam Mitchell
After her explosive return in 2022, fans were devastated to hear that soap legend Sam Mitchell decided to leave the Square again after being offered a job by her ex-fiancé Don to run a hotel in Spain.
Despite the protests from her brother Phil and her ex lover Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), Sam accepted the job so that she could help financially support her son Ricky Jr's new baby and help the family in the long run.
It was confirmed that Sam's exit was only temporary and she would return later in 2023, with many fans speculating that she would come back in time for the birth of Ricky's baby.
However, it was revealed that she couldn't come back to the UK to meet her new granddaughter Charli Slater.
Sam made her dramatic comeback to Walford on Tuesday, November 21 as she was thrown out of a van after getting in trouble with drug dealer Camillo, who she owed £100,000.
Her brother Phil was forced to get involved in his sister's antics once again and paid off Camillo to stop him from abducting Sam.
Fed up with constantly coming to Sam's rescue, he demanded that Sam pay him back the money. Meanwhile, she was also focused on getting to know Charli and bonding with her son Ricky.
Dean Wicks
Linda Carter received a horror Halloween shock as her rapist Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) returned to the Square.
As the Halloween party got in full swing at the Vic, Cindy Beale received a call from Ian Beale about their new business partner for their pie and mash shop.
Ian told Cindy some shocking news after reviewing the contracts and seeing the name of their sleeping business partner.
While all of this was going down, a taxi pulled up in Walford and a smartly dressed mystery man stepped out and made his way upstairs in the Vic.
As Linda put her son Ollie Carter (Harry Farr) to bed, she went into the kitchen and was terrified when she came face-to-face with Dean, who warned Linda not to scream in a sinister cliffhanger.
Dean sexually assaulted Linda in 2014 was last seen in 2016 after being arrested for the attempted rape of Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons).
However, he managed to evade justice and his dad Buster Briggs (Karl Howman) paid him off, warning him to never return to Walford again.
Yolande Trueman
It was revealed that Angela Wynter would return to EastEnders as Patrick Trueman's (Rudolph Walker) ex-wife, Yolande Trueman.
Yolande first arrived on the Square in 2003 as Patrick’s love interest before later becoming his wife. During her five years in Albert Square, Yolande became a firm fan favourite and wherever she went drama followed including an ongoing feud with love rival Pat Evans.
However, when Yolande was offered a job at Minute Mart HQ in Birmingham, she couldn't turn down the opportunity and she packed her bags and left the Square, leaving Patrick behind. The pair later divorced in 2009.
Having briefly reprised her role in 2017, Yolande returned to Walford to reunite with her ex-husband Patrick who went searching for her at the start of the year.
Angela Wynter said on returning to the soap: “Yolande is back in The Square! I have been really looking forward to playing her again and have had a beautiful time on set so far. I can’t thank the cast and crew enough for the warm welcome back!”
Cindy Beale
After weeks of speculation, the bombshell was revealed that Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) is also Rose Knight, the mysterious ex-wife of Queen Vic landlord George Knight and mum to his daughters, Gina and Anna, who had mysteriously vanished nine years ago.
The legendary character was killed off 25 years ago after supposedly dying during childbirth in prison. However Cindy's true whereabouts were exposed in a huge twist.
We discovered that Cindy had been living under the name Rose Knight after going into witness protection back in 1998 when she gave the police information on her prison cellmate.
Since starting a new life as Rose, Cindy ended up in Marbella and met George where the pair got married and had two daughters, Gina and Anna.
But nine years ago, Cindy/Rose left her family once again, and was living in France with her ex-husband Ian Beale and selling baguettes on a market stall.
Cindy's explosive return to Walford was nothing short of chaotic as she had a heated showdown with her former mother-in-law Kathy and had a toxic reunion with her 'other' family as her lies came crashing down.
Determined to rebuild her life in the Square, she has been trying to win back the love of her daughters and go into business with the Panesars.
Ian Beale
Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) also returned to Walford to try and convince his ex-wife Cindy to come back to France before she could discover the truth about the Knights.
He left the Square in 2021 after his wife Sharon tried to poison him in revenge for the death of her teenage son Denny. He made a brief return in December 2022 for Dot Cotton's funeral.
With many enemies made throughout his 30 years living on the Square, Ian's return was an unwelcome one by a number of the residents. Since then, Ian has been eager to settle down and support Cindy in the place he's called home for three decades.
Peter Beale
Following the revelation that Peter Beale was also living with his parents Ian and Cindy in France, he made his way back to Walford after discovering his mum's secret family had settled down there. However, meeting his half sisters was far from a happy meeting!
Thomas played the role of Peter between 2006 and 2010, appearing before Ben Hardy (2013 – 2015) and most recently Dayle Hudson who played the role between 2020 and 2022.
Speaking of his return, Thomas said: “Over the years, I had hoped for a return to the Square although I never thought it would happen so it’s an absolute delight to be back in Walford as Peter Beale. It’s been great to see familiar and new faces, and I can’t wait to explore the character again in the wake of Cindy’s return — it’s an exciting time to return!"
Who arrived to EastEnders in 2023?
We were introduced to some new characters in 2023 who made a big impact on the Square...
Pastor Clayton
Pastor Clayton (Howard Saddler) is a pastor at the local church, who was introduced to the Square in December 2023.
He has since grown close to Yolande Trueman, but Denzel Danes grew suspicious of their relationship and feared that they were more than friends.
When Denzel helped the pair hand out curry at the Walford Community Centre, Pastor Clayton made a rude comment about Denzel to Yolande and the teen 'accidentally' threw curry on Pastor Clayton's leg.
Now, Pastor Clayton often offers guidance and support to the struggling Walford residents.
Priya and Avani Nandra-Hart
Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) received a huge shock this autumn when he was reunited with his ex-girlfriend Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) after his son Nugget went missing and was found hiding at his long-lost mum's house.
But that wasn't the only surprise in store as Ravi discovered he was the father to a daughter he never knew existed.
Ever since their turbulent split, Ravi had kept Priya away from their teenage son Nugget (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury). However, it turned out that he wasn't their only child together.
Ravi soon found out that Priya had secretly raised their daughter Avani (Aaliyah James) alone, choosing not to tell him about her pregnancy which left Ravi floored by the bombshell.
Since their arrival, the mother and daughter have moved into the Panesar household, with Priya already at loggerheads with fiery matriarch Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal).
However, she instantly won over Suki's husband Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) with her charms and the troublemaker is continuously stirring the pot at the Panesar's home.
The Knight family
A new family brought new drama to the Square, as the Knights took over the Vic as landlady Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) called in her mum, Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) to help her manage the boozer.
Unbeknownst to Linda, Elaine brought along her new lover, George Knight, and his two daughters, Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna (Molly Rainford), as well as their Chihuahua Tyson to the Square. The family now live together at the pub.
Anna was part of a major storyline where she hired a private investigator to try and find her missing mum Rose, who disappeared nine years ago.
However, Rose's real identity was exposed as Cindy Beale in a shocking bombshell and the family were shocked to the core when she made her return.
EastEnders airs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm on BBC One — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on BBC iPlayer now.
