Has Rose Ayling-Ellis' Frankie Lewis left EastEnders?

Ignoring her father Mick Carter’s pleas to put the past behind her, Nancy recently set out for revenge, trapping and abandoning Frankie in the boot of her new car.

Disaster struck, however, when Liam Butcher, who recently teamed up with Janine to initiate a car-selling scheme, stole the car and sped off with Frankie in the boot, driving her to an abandoned car park.

Frankie did finally escape but, at the end of her tether, she told Nancy that she’d decided to leave Walford for a while. Has Frankie left Walford for good and will Rose Ayling-Ellis ever return? If these questions have been puzzling you, read on to find out the latest information and news.

Has Frankie Lewis left EastEnders?

Frankie, who joined EastEnders in 2020, has temporarily departed from Walford following her sister Nancy’s disastrous revenge plan.

Realising her actions could have cost Frankie her life, Nancy was apologetic and begged her sister to stay, but Frankie made it clear that she was leaving the Square for a while to stay with a friend.

"None of this has been easy. I need time out. But I’m so, so glad that I found you,” she told Mick as she got into the back of a taxi, waving goodbye to Walford.

Why has Rose Ayling-Ellis left EastEnders?

Frankie’s departure has been written in to facilitate Ayling-Ellis’s participation in this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The soap star confirmed back in September 2021 that EastEnders had given her the time off to take to the dance floor, telling Metro.co.uk: "Normally, EastEnders makes you work at the same time as doing Strictly, but EastEnders gave me time off, so I can just focus on Strictly completely."

Partnered with professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice, Ayling-Ellis has gone from strength to strength on the BBC dance show, leaving the judges in awe with her flawless routines. The pair put on a dazzling display with their Halloween-themed Tango back in October 2021 and earned the first 40 score of the series.

In addition, the soap star, who is Strictly Come Dancing’s first ever deaf contestant, has said she hopes her appearance on the show will "break stereotypes".

Speaking to press ahead of Strictly’s 2021 launch, the EastEnders star revealed: “I wanted to do Strictly because I feel like I’ve got a purpose because I am deaf. To be the first deaf person on Strictly, I feel it would be a good chance to break the stereotype of what deaf people can and cannot do.

“A lot of people think deaf people can’t hear the music and enjoy the music and enjoy the dancing, so I thought it would be good to break that."

Talking about how the deaf community reacted to the news that she'd be competing in Strictly, she added: “It’s very excited and positive.

“Also, I think it will be interesting to see the reaction from the audience. The deaf community is very excited and I just hope a lot of things come out of it that will improve the deaf people’s experience – people’s attitude will change and deaf people will have better experiences, probably get more jobs.”

Will Rose Ayling-Ellis return to EastEnders?

Ayling-Ellis might have put her feud with Nancy on hold for now after temporarily waving goodbye to Walford, but don’t worry, she is set to return.

However, details of the EastEnders star’s comeback are being kept firmly under wraps, and viewers will have to wait for more information about her return to the Square.

Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide.