EastEnders‘ Bobby Beale, played by actor Clay Milner Russell, is set to leave the soap after a five-year stint, with his final appearance shown on Thursday 19 September. The 25-year-old actor has been portraying the iconic character since 2019 and has become the fifth actor to take on the role of Bobby Beale. His first scenes aired on 13 June 2019, marking his entry into the show when his character was released from prison following the murder of his sister, Lucy Beale. Some of his key storylines as Bobby have included his conversion to Islam, becoming a victim of a racial attack, suffering from OCD, his infatuation with Dotty Cotton, his relationship with Dana Monroe, and his friendship with Freddie Slater.
In recognition of his performance, Clay was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards in 2020. This week, viewers saw a heartbroken Bobby discovering that his girlfriend Anna Knight had terminated her pregnancy and cheated on him with his best friend Freddie Slater, leading him to decide to leave Walford for good. After paying a visit to Lucy’s grave to say goodbye, Bobby was found by Ian and Cindy. However, when he asked for some alone time with his sister, Cindy lost her temper and lashed out at him for being there and talking to her daughter – prompting him to finally stand up for himself.
(Image: BBC)
He declared to Cindy that he was done being hung up on her hatred – he had every right to embrace life, a sentiment Ian echoed, suggesting Lucy would want him to press on. He said: “Feels like time is stood still. Sometimes I felt like I couldn’t breathe around here,” reports the Mirror.
Ian’s parting words to her were: “Look after our special boy.” Cindy shot back with: “Haven’t I always?”
Meanwhile, Anna Knight turned up, desperate for another shot with Bobby. “I really do love you Bobby, and I think we could make this work, I really do,” she implored. But Bobby found the strength to reject her advances. He then turned to his stepmother Jane, expressing his readiness for a new chapter: “It’s time to forget being Bobby Beale and just focus on being Bobby.”
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(Image: BBC)
With final goodbyes to his family, Bobby hopped into the car and they drove off. Unbeknownst to viewers, this marked Clay’s last appearance on the show.
Jane’s dramatic comeback to Albert Square had fans buzzing this summer, with many suspecting it foreshadowed Bobby’s impending departure. Eager fans speculated on X about Bobby’s potential exit plotline possibly involving a move to be with Jane, exiting Walford permanently. One eagle-eyed viewer said: “I think they’ll work it out cos Bobby leaves,” while another added: “He’ll come round in end.”
A particularly clued-up fan predicted: “I think Bobby will end up moving in with Jane that will be his exit story.”
A second viewer agreed: “So I’m guessing Bobby is going to leave and go and live with Jane.” Another chimed in with: “I guess Jane’s back just for Bobby’s exit but I wish she was back for long-term. So much potential,” while another pondered: “I wonder if Bobby leaves with Jane.”
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