EASTENDERS has aired an emotional exit for a legendary character – leaving fans devastated.
Fans of the long-running BBC One soap were recently left delighted as David Wicks returned to the Square.
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Played by Michael French, the character had last appeared in EastEnders a decade ago.
His return coincided with his daughter Bianca Jackson’s spiralling mental health
David was also reunited with former flame Cindy Beale and came face-to-face with his half brother Ian.
However, he left Walford yet again in tonight’s emotional episode as he said goodbye to Albert Square.
It came after he caught Cindy and Junior passionately kissing behind The Vic.
He initially was set on exposing their affair to Ian but Cindy later talked him around – just as David declared his love her.
But the romantic moment was ruined as he received a text from an unknown woman, prompting Cindy to exclaim “you haven’t changed”.
As the pair exchanged more heated words, David decided he was going to reveal the affair to Ian and marched into the pub.
But Ian stopped him as he revealed he wanted them to call a truce, which disarmed David.
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Outside, David said goodbye to Cindy and they shared a kiss and told each other they both loved one another.
David then returned to Dots and asked Bianca to leave Walford with him and go up North, which she declined.
He then told her: “You’ll go to the doctors, yeah?
“Bianca, swear to me and I will call you after.”
She then told him: “I hope it works out for you, I really do.”
Fans have been left devastated by the scenes and called on bosses to keep Michael French in the show.
One said: “Return David to the canvas for good. If you need more money to pay Michael French #EastEnders then we will start a gofundme or just eliminate about six lesser actors of campus we will allow.”
A second wrote: “They should totally bring back Michael French for a longer stint – every scene David was in was just brilliant.”
“Petition to have David Wicks return permanently – SORT IT OUT EASTENDERS,” said a third.
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
