EastEnders star Rob Kazinksy hints at Sean Slater return – but on one condition

EastEnders Sean Slater 2019
(Image credit: BBC / Kieron McCarron)

Rob bid another farewell to Albert Square in May

EastEnders star Rob Kazinksy hasn’t ruled out another return to Albert Square – but he has one condition.

The Sean Slater actor, who left the show again in May after a brief return, is now living in America, and is even about to become an American citizen.

But despite his success Stateside, he admitted he would return to the UK, and the soap that gave him his big break, as long as his Slater family are still there.

“If I had a great job offer in England then I’d be back. As long as producer Kate Oates, Gillian Wright, Lacey Turner and Jake Wood are at EastEnders there’s always a possibility,” he told the Daily Star.

Speaking of the difficulty he faced forging a career from a soap background, he said: “People can be so cruel – coming from a soap background I’ve encountered a lot of snobbery.

EastEnders Sean Slater Jean Slater

“But do you know what? I’ve worked with Oscar-winning actors and, hand on my heart, when I went back to EastEnders I couldn’t keep up.”

He added that “99% of actors” couldn’t do what the likes of [EastEnders stars] Gillian Wright, Lacey Turner and Jake Wood do on a daily basis.

He added: “It’s hard. People do not give soap actors the credit deserved. I’m still in touch with Kate. I’ve been here for 10 years and I’m about to become an American.

Sean Slater, Stacey Branning, EastEnders

“I came here on a Green Card and stayed here, but the fact that I’m becoming an America means I get a second passport, and can go anywhere.”

Rob bid an emotional farewell to Sean in May, when his character left Walford to get the mental health care he needed for a fresh start.

Following his final episode, Kazinsky posted some "final thoughts" about his return to EastEnders in a blog, where he explained why addressing the topic of male mental health is so important.

EastEnders returns Monday at 8pm on BBC1.

Jenni McKnight

Jenni McKnight is a beauty, lifestyle and entertainment journalist, currently US Lifestyle Editor for HELLO! Online. She has also written for HELLO! Magazine, GoodTo, CelebsNow, Daily Mirror and Yahoo!  Her first big break came when she interned on the Guilty Pleasures showbiz desk at Metro newspaper. She has since worked on the online lifestyle team at Woman & Home and Woman and was Senior Content Editor at CelebsNow.