EASTENDERS’ Patsy Palmer hints that she wanted Bianca to stay on the square saying ‘I don’t make the rules’ as her exit from the soap looms.
The Bianca Jackson actress, 52, returned to the BBC soap to celebrate the 40th anniversary last month.
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But Bianca has had a horrific time on the soap as she tried to protect her beloved sister in explosive storylines.
Fans will remember that killer Reiss originally kept his wife Debbie a secret from Sonia Fowler, eventually revealing that she was comatose in a care home.
However, his dark side soon emerged when he began stealing from his wife to fund IVF treatments with Sonia.
It was later revealed that Reiss had taken matters into his own hands, murdering Debbie while she was still in a coma.
In a shocking twist, he then framed Sonia for the crime, with his pregnant partner wrongfully put in prison.
As if that wasn’t enough, Reiss went on to kidnap Bianca after she uncovered the truth, leading to the catastrophic series of events that culminated in his own downfall.
During the high-stakes anniversary episode, Reiss caused a devastating explosion at the Queen Vic after crashing into the iconic pub.
In the aftermath, he tried to keep Sonia, Bianca, and Lauren Branning trapped inside, demanding their help as Sonia went into labour.
Bianca pushed him away and snapped: “Drop dead.” just before a bathtub from the floor above crushed him instantly and brought his reign of terror to an end.
Bianca then helped on-screen sister Sonia give birth while Martin Fowler tragically died.
Since then Bianca has been struggling to adjust to life and been scared to leave the house.
However after a spat of arguments with Grant Mitchell who also returned for the soap’s 40th anniversary she found some hope.
Grant found Bianca having a panic attack in the launderette and helped her come out of it.
He talked her through her breathing and made her realise that she was suffering from PTSD after her confinement by Reiss.
EastEnders stars who’ve been on Strictly Come Dancing
Throughout its 20-year history, Strictly Come Dancing has welcomed several stars from BBC soap EastEnders. Here’s a look at how some of them did over the years.
- Christopher Parker (Series One): Christopher played Alfie Moon’s (Shane Richie) younger brother Spencer from 2002 to 2005. finished as runner-up in Strictly’s first series.
- Jill Halfpenny (Series Two): Jill starred as Kate Mitchell in EastEnders from 2002 to 2005. She triumphed over Denise Lewis and Julian Clary to win the second series of Strictly.
- Louisa Lytton (Series Four): Known for her role as EastEnders’ Ruby Allen, Louisa took part in Strictly’s fourth series. She finished in fourth place.
- Letitia Dean (Series Five): Letitia, who debuted as Sharon Watts in the show’s first episode, took to the Strictly dance floor in series five. She finished in fourth place.
- Matt Di Angelo (Series Five): Dean Wicks actor Matt also competed in series five of Strictly, finishing as runner-up behind Alesha Dixon.
- Gillian Taylforth (Series 6): Gillian, known for her long-running portrayal as Kathy Beale, took part in series 6. She ended up being the second person voted out.
- Jessie Wallace (Series 6): Kat Slater actress Jessie also competed in series 6, but was fourth voted out.
- Scott Maslen (Series 8): Scott, who plays Jack Branning, reached a respectable fourth place on Strictly.
- Kara Tointon (Series 8): Kara, who played Dawn Swann, won Strictly series 8 back in 2010.
- Sid Owen (Series 10): Sid, who played Ricky Butcher, was eliminated in the show’s fourth week.
- Jake Wood (Series 12): While his EastEnders character Max Branning was unlucky-in-love, actor Jake fared better with a fifth-place finish on Strictly.
- Kellie Bright (Series 13): Kellie – aka Queen Vic landlady Linda Carter – finished as the runner-up of series 13.
- Emma Barton (Series 17): Known for playing Honey Mitchell, Emma reached third place on Strictly in 2019.
- Maisie Smith (Series 18): Formerly playing Tiffany Butcher-Baker, actress Maisie was 2020’s second-place Strictly finalist.
- Rose-Ayling Ellis (Series 19): Rose won over viewers’ hearts when she soared to victory in 2021.
- Bobby Brazier (Series 21): Having joined the cast as ‘Freddie Slater’ in 2022, Bobby joined the 2023 Strictly line-up. He finished in third place.
- Jamie Borthwick (Series 22): Jamie, aka Jay Brown, won the 2023 Strictly Christmas Special – and has been signed up for the next full series.
However, fans were devasted, when Patsy confirmed she’s set to leave the soap following news that Natalie Cassidy, aka Sonia, is also exiting from EastEnders later this year.
But in a post on social media today – it looks like Patsy didn’t make the decision herself: “I really appreciate all the lovely comments about Bianca and my return.
“I don’t make the rules about what my character does or doesn’t do so please don’t ever think I do.”
Fans were quick to respond and one replied: “You are one of the nation’s favourite actresses and the character of Bianca is a true soap legend.”
Another stated: “One of the best returns to the show Patsy. Bianca is and always be a legendary character.”
A third said: “You are the best. I love Bianca. Please come back soon.”
The Sun also revealed that star Matthew James Morrison is leaving the soap after three years.
The actor – who plays Felix Baker in the BBC soap – will film his final scenes soon after bosses made the decision to write out his character.
A source said: “It’s never an easy decision for bosses when they have to make the decision for a character to leave.
“Matthew has been great, but bosses felt the time was right to say goodbye to Felix.”
A BBC spokeswoman confirmed Matthew’s exit, telling The Sun: “We can confirm that Matthew will be leaving EastEnders later in the year.
EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
