EastEnders: Why Does Everybody Seem to Leave?

There's no doubting that EastEnders continues to be one of the most iconic British television shows since the 1980's, so it stands to reason why every young actor would love nothing more than to land a huge role on the soap.

Landing a job at EastEnders not only means long hours on set, it also means instant fame and with that comes a full inbox of opportunities!

When you sign on the dotted line with any soap, you're signing up for either a specific number of episodes, or if you're lucky enough you'll get a fixed 6 months or 12 months, sometimes longer.

Once a viewer invests in a character, following them through some particularly challenging events, news of their departure cuts deep.

But as viewers we are looking at the situation completely wrong. Like many other soaps, EastEnders has long been known as a springboard for actors to get into the industry and showcase their talents.

For many, appearing on EastEnders is their goal as an actor, that's their chosen career path. But for others it's just a stepping stone to hone their craft and move on. 

Looking at Ross Kemp for example, his character (Grant Mitchell) to this day stands out as one of the most popular to appear on the soap. He has a love for the soap and would return if the storyline was right and it suited his schedule, but Ross is also a very talented presenter.

Ross has fronted some of the most hard-hitting documentaries ever aired on British television. It takes him around the world, tackling different subjects and sometimes putting himself in some very dangerous situations. Ross clearly has a love for that type of television work, so why would you commit yourself to doing the same thing day in day out?

Now looking at Ross's on-screen brother Steve McFadden, Steve had a successful career of acting before EastEnders, then he landed the role of Phil Mitchell.

Unlike Ross, Steve was content with working at EastEnders, it created a permanent work schedule doing what he loves best.

While EastEnders can be blamed for unnecessarily axing some characters (Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, Fatboy, and Pat Butcher to name a few) many actors simply want to fly the nest and explore what the world of entertainment has to offer them.

For some they felt it was the wrong time, or not what they expected and return, for others it's the start of something magical and EastEnders will always be the starting block of their journey.

Let us know what you think.

EastEnders airs weeknights on BBC One.