UPDATE: |EastEnders star drops major update about future return ahead of exit News

A big character is leaving just months after returning to Walford

An EastEnders star has dropped a major update about potentially returning in the future ahead of their exit.

This year has already seen James Bye, Jonny Freeman and Navin Chowdhry all leaving the BBC soap after their respected characters died.

The coming weeks will also see onscreen sisters Patsy Palmer and Natalie Cassidy departing, with the Bianca and Sonia actresses confirming their exits earlier in the year.

Both Patsy and Natalie have left the show before, with Patsy only appearing on a handful of occasions in the last decade after leaving in 2014, before making her comeback last year.

While Natalie, who made her first appearance in the soap in December 1993 alongside Patsy, left in 2007 before coming back to Walford between 2010 and 2011, with another return in 2014.

However, one exit that has left fans stunned is Louisa Lytton’s, who only returned to role of Ruby Allen‌ late last year for her third Albert Square stint.

It’s been a busy period for Ruby, who is currently mourning the loss of Martin Fowler after he died in the Queen Vic explosion in February.

Louisa announced last week that she has wrapped her work on the show last month and her final scenes will air in the near future.

She previously told The Sun: “I left ‘EastEnders’ a couple of weeks ago. I was only back for six months, to tie in with the 40th and Martin’s exit.

“It’s always good to come and go and I never see it as a big thing when I leave because I can be back again! It’s all been left open.”

Appearing on Tuesday’s (April 8) edition of ITV’s Loose Women, Louisa reflected on getting to work with Stacey Slater actress Lacey Turner.

“It’s funny because being there originally was all about Ruby and Stacey, and the two times I have been back since we haven’t been friends in the show.

“We don’t actually get to work together that much. But even doing my last few scenes with her, it was just amazing working together. I would like that, but I have now left.”

In an attempt to ease fans’ fears, Ruth Langsford said: “”You’re always coming back; she will be coming back, don’t worry.”

With Louisa replying with a simple ‘yeah’, it seems likely that Ruby will be back with more drama before we know it.

First joining the show as the daughter of evil gangster Johnny Allen in 2005, Louisa first left the show in 2006 to pursue new oppurtunities.

Returning for three years in 2018, Ruby left in 2021 as she was expecting Martin’s baby without him knowing.

The latest return saw Ruby and Martin fall in love once again, with the late fruit and vegetable salesman getting to know his son Roman in the lead up to his passing.

Sadly for Ruby, Martin’s final moments saw him confess his love to Stacey and plans to leave her. With Ruby not aware of this, fans can expect her rivalry with Stacey to play a pivotal factor in what drives her to leave Walford.