EASTENDERS have confirmed a star’s dramatic exit – and they’ve already left the show.
Fans of the BBC One soap have watched as rapist Dean went on trial after being wrongly charged with the murder of Keanu Taylor.
The character’s outlook was looking increasingly more bleak throughout the week as testimonies from The Six were heard.
However, as Dean – played by Matt Di Angelo – confessed to sexually assaulting Linda Carter in court, a mistrial was declared.
Long-term viewers will know Dean had protested his innocence to the crime for the past decade, continually undermining Linda.
Scenes showed Dean being held in custody while Linda went to confess to killing Keanu at Christmas.
But while fans wait to know Dean’s fate, Beeb bosses have confirmed Matt has now officially left Albert Square.
In a message posted to social media, a spokesperson said: “Farewell to the marvellous Matt Di Angelo AKA devious Dean Wicks.
“From all the cast and crew at EastEnders… Thank you, you’ll be missed!”
EastEnders‘ executive producer Chris Clenshaw also paid tribute to Matt in a newly-released video.
In the clip, he said: “I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Matt for giving us one of the most vile characters, one of the most hated characters in Britain and on British TV.”
“Thank you for coming back and playing out this next chapter of Dean’s story.”
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
