Clay Milner Russell has played the role of EastEnders killer Bobby Beale since 2019 but is now set to leave the soap this year.
Over the years, Bobby Beale has had many faces with five different actors having played the part.
However, the show’s most current Bobby actor is now looking to a future away from Walford.
Bobby Beale in EastEnders
The character of Bobby Beale is the son of Ian Beale and Laura Beale, with Jane Clark later adopting him.
Despite the innocent look on his face, it was revealed in a huge episode for the soap back in 2014 that Bobby had killed his sister, Lucy Beale after hitting her on the head with a jewellery box.
With Bobby accidentally killing his sister during a moment of rage, Jane covered for him. It wasn’t long before the truth came out though.
Ian and Jane sent Bobby to boarding school to protect him. He returned in 2016 and was sentenced to time in prison until 2019.
Bobby returned to the soap after his release in 2019 with a new face. Instead of being played by previous actor Eliot Carrington, he was now played by Clay Milner Russell.
Looking to redeem himself, Bobby converted to Islam and started dating Dana Monroe. After Dana’s exit from Walford, Bobby formed a good friendship with Freddie Slater and began a romantic relationship with Anna Knight.
He currently lives with the Beales, although Cindy Beale’s return caused some tension for Bobby and the rest of his family.
Clay Milner Russell to bow out of EastEnders role
Clay Milner Russell has been a big part of EastEnders since he took on the role of Bobby Beale in 2019.
However, it has now been revealed that the actor is ready to exit the soap later this year in exchange for new opportunities.
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. The door is being left open but for now it’s a definite goodbye.”
“Clay is a young actor so he wants to use these years to try his hand at other roles. He absolutely loves working on EastEnders and has made such great friends on the show so it was really difficult for him to make that decision, but having been a part of the show since 2019, he now feels like the time is right to explore other options.”
In a recent statement, an EastEnders spokesperson confirmed: “We can confirm that Clay will be leaving EastEnders later on this year, and we wish him the best for the future.”
But, how will Bobby Beale leave Walford? Will he ever return in the future? What will we see Clay in next?
Read more: Complete EastEnders cast list – meet them all here
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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