Yahoo News EastEnders hits back at shock cast-cull claims
The EastEnders rumour mill has well and truly gone into overdrive with the appointment of new boss John Yorke, but the BBC has today played down a fresh batch of wild speculation about his plans.
Yorke has taken charge of the show on a temporary basis as creative director following the departure of Sean O'Connor, who served as executive producer for just one year.
While nothing official has been revealed about Yorke's vision for EastEnders at such an early stage, the Daily Star has today made a variety of claims about what he could supposedly have in store for Walford.
The tabloid newspaper claims that Yorke is already planning the death of a lead character, a shock shooting and a hard-hitting family abuse storyline.
The Star has also suggested that the fates of various other actors could be hanging in the balance due to a possible cast cull. Blue singer Lee Ryan is already being named as one possible casualty – perhaps bizarrely, considering he's just been signed up on a one-year contract.
Most soap fans know by now that any reports about a new boss's plans have to be taken with a huge pinch of salt – and sure enough, we've heard direct from the show that the early rumours are pure guesswork.
An EastEnders spokesperson told Digital Spy: "This is pure speculation. It is far too early for any decisions to have been made."
Yorke is taking office at EastEnders this week after agreeing to lead the show's editorial vision in a temporary capacity.
The BBC has confirmed that Yorke will shortly appoint an executive producer to oversee the day to day management and work alongside him. The recruitment process for the permanent replacement will then follow.
Yorke was previously executive producer on EastEnders between 2000 and 2003 and was responsible for iconic storylines such as "Who Shot Phil?" and the famous "You ain't my muvva" reveal with Kat and Zoe Slater.
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