An EastEnders star has confirmed they ‘won’t be on soap for a while’ as they take a break from filming.
Ross Boatman, known for playing Harvey Monroe on the BBC show, has not been seen in Albert Square for weeks.
However, it has now been revealed that he has undergone knee replacement surgery.
He revealed the news when appearing on Matthew Rolland’s Isolation Interviews YouTube series.
Despite some thinking the star may have left the BBC soap, he has just taken a break from the show for health reasons.
Speaking on the Isolation Interviews series, he said: “I won’t be on it for a while.
“I haven’t had a chance to shoot loads with Gilly yet because I’ve just been off for two months.
“I had knee replacement surgery, so I haven’t been there.
“And now she’s on holiday, so I’m hoping we’ve got some stuff to shoot coming up soon, which will come out, maybe, towards the end of the year. Fingers crossed.”
He added: “I felt quite sad with it because these stories are not within your control, and so I felt sad to be leaving the Slaters. They are amazing.
“Sometimes I felt lost because it feels like they’ve got this ready-made dynamic. It feels very real when you’re on set with them. They’re so natural. It was sad to leave.”
While Ross Boatman is set to return to EastEnders, there are a number of actors who have left permanently so far this year.
In March, it was revealed that Matthew James Morrison’s time as Felix Baker was coming to an end, with Mollie Rainford also set to depart Albert Square.
One of the biggest departures of the year was Natalie Cassidy, who played Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, and left the show after 32 years.
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Speaking about her exit, she said: “It felt very final but also very good. It’s a nice place to leave Sonia after so much has happened to her.
“Sonia feels like she’s never going to live down what happened with Reiss, so the only thing to do is leave the Square.
“I’m never going to say goodbye to her because, after 32 years, Sonia is ingrained in me. So, while I’m saying goodbye on screen, for now, Sonia is always there, knocking about!”
