EastEnders actor quits role after five years with BBC confirming exit

BBC EastEnders actor Clay Milner Russell has quit his role on the popular soap. The actor has played Bobby Beale on the programme for five years and has been involved in big storylines.

The 24-year-old is the fifth actor to play Bobby having taken over from Eliot Carrington in 2019. Clay's version of Bobby returned to Walford after time in a young offenders institute after he killed his sister Lucy Beale.

More recently, his character nearly died when he was caught up in a fire at Kathy's café. He has also been involved in a romance storyline with step-sister Anna Knight.

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However, it now looks like Clay is leaving Watford as he feels like now is the right time to explore other options. According to reports, however, the door is being left open for a potential future return and his exit storyline has not been confirmed by BBC.

A source told The Sun: "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."

They added: "The door is being left open but for now it’s a definite goodbye."

While an EastEnders spokesperson said in a statement to The Mirror: "We can confirm that Clay will be leaving EastEnders later on this year, and we wish him the best for the future." You can keep up to date with the latest TV and showbiz news by signing up to the newsletter here.