Bobby Brazier has spoken out about his departure from EastEnders after his plans to leave the BBC soap were confirmed last month.
Brazier, 22, made his acting debut in 2022 when he joined the long-running series as Freddie Slater, and won a National Television Award for his performance the following year.
In 2023, he competed in Strictly Come Dancing and reached the final with professional dancer Dianne Buswell, finishing the competition as a runner-up.
In July, the BBC confirmed that Brazier would be leaving Walford, and said that they “wish him all the best for the future”.
Speaking to Reach at the National Film Awards ceremony, Brazier addressed his departure and hinted at his future plans.
“I don't know, I guess that's how it really goes and how it works in this industry,” he said.
“You never really know what's next until you go for it. But yeah, I'd like to play a variety of different roles so I can work out what I like, what I'm good at and what I need to work on.”
The Sun has reported that Brazier is set to leave the soap later this year, with a source telling the paper that the star believed that “now was the right time to look for other opportunities outside the show”.
“The timing of the decision worked for both, but his final scenes are not for a while yet,” the source claimed.
“The character has had a great run, but the time is now right for Bobby to look for other opportunities, and for EastEnders to wave goodbye to Freddie Slater.”
Brazier, whose parents are the late Big Brother star Jade Goody and TV presenter Jeff Brazier, started his career as a model and made his catwalk debut for Dolce & Gabbana in 2020.
As well as his role on the BBC soap, he has starred in the Paramount+ series Curfew, which earned him the award for Best Supporting Actor in a TV series at the National Film Awards.
