Dean Gaffney is to exit EastEnders, RadioTimes.com understands.

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The actor, who plays Robbie Jackson, will not have his contract renewed for the BBC One soap. This means Gaffney has already made his final appearance and will be quietly written out of future episodes.

The news comes after soap bosses were reportedly concerned about Gaffney’s behaviour off-screen.

At the start of October, the actor shared an image from a wellness health retreat on Instagram, saying it was “a step in the right direction”.

A spokesperson for EastEnders told RadioTimes.com: “We do not discuss personal contracts.”

Gaffney hasn’t appeared in the soap for several weeks, with his character having jetted off to India to visit his son Sami.

The actor first played Robbie Jackson in 1993, portraying the troubled teen and best friend to Wellard the dog until 2003, when he left Albert Square for a life in India.

Although returning to play the character briefly over the next decade, it wasn’t until 2017 that Jackson returned to screens once more.

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Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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