EastEnders star Clay Milner Russell is set to leave the BBC soap after five years on the show, it has been revealed.
The 24-year-old actor who plays Bobby Beale is set to leave EastEnders to pursue other acting roles, The Sun revealed.
Milner Russell is the fifth actor to play Bobby having taken over from Eliot Carrington in 2019.
During his time EastEnders the character has been involved in some major storylines including killing his own sister - Lucy Beale and nearly dying himself after being caught in a fire at Kathy's café.
Romantically, Bobby is currently in a relationship with his step-sister Anna Knight despite her sleeping with his best friend Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier).
Clay Milner Russell to leave EastEnders after five years
But now, after five years on the BBC soap, Milner Russell is set to leave EastEnders later this year as he looks to take on other acting roles.
A TV insider, speaking to The Sun, said: "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 insider added: “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.”
While Milner Russell is set to leave the show in 2024, the TV insider revealed "the door is being left open" for a possible return to EastEnders for Bobby in the future.
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The news of Milner Russell's departure from the BBC soap has been confirmed by EastEnders.
An EastEnders spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Clay will be leaving EastEnders later on this year, and we wish him the best for the future.”
You can watch EastEnders Monday to Thursday each week on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7.30pm.
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