EastEnders star Bobby Brazier is set to leave the long-running BBC soap after four years on the show.
Brazier, the 22-year-old son of late reality TV star Jade Goody, has played Freddie Slater on EastEnders since 2022.
It is now reported that Brazier, who also enjoyed a profile-raising stint on the BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, is seeking new opportunities elsewhere.
A spokesperson from the show confirmed the news of Brazier’s departure in a statement to The Sun.
“We can confirm that Bobby Brazier will be leaving EastEnders, and we wish him all the best for the future,” they said.
It was also reported that Brazier will continue to appear on the series until his departure later in the year, with his final scenes not arriving “for a while”.
The outlet quotes an “insider” as saying: “Bosses had a meeting with Bobby only recently as they had a plan in mind for a storyline, and it just so happened that Bobby was also thinking that now was the right time to look for other opportunities outside the show.
“The timing of the decision worked for both, but his final scenes are not for a while yet. The character has had a great run, but the time is now right for Bobby to look for other opportunities, and for EastEnders to wave goodbye to Freddie Slater.”
Brazier has been a hit with viewers during his time on the soap, last year taking home a National Television Award for Rising Star.
On Saturday, it was reported that one of Brazier’s EastEnders co-stars, Jamie Borthwick, had been suspended by the BBC after he was found to have used an ableist slur on the set of Strictly Come Dancing.
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A video had surfaced of the actor, who has played Jay Brown on the soap for nearly two decades, using the offensive term to describe the people of Blackpool, when Strictly was filming in the town.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “This language is entirely unacceptable and in no way reflects the values or standards we hold and expect at the BBC. We have robust processes in place for this.”
In a statement to The Sun, Borthwick said: “I want to apologise sincerely and wholeheartedly for the words I used in the video showing my reaction to making it through Blackpool week on Strictly.”
He added: “It is no excuse, but I did not fully understand the derogatory term I used and its meaning. That is on me completely. Now I am aware, I am deeply embarrassed to have used the term and directed it in the way I did.”
