Louisa Lytton has filmed her final scenes as Ruby Allen on EastEnders as she leaves for maternity leave.
On Monday, Louisa shared a number of videos on her Instagram Stories and confirmed that she had finished filming with the BBC One soap opera.
“I’ve finally finished work, which is so surreal,” she revealed. “I’ve been told it’s my time to switch off and relax.”
The actress confirmed she was expecting her first child with businessman Ben Bhavra back in March with the baby due in the coming weeks.
Louisa first appeared in EastEnders as a teenager from 2005 until the character was axed in 2006.
Ruby was reintroduced in 2018 as an assured businesswoman with Louisa being praised for her performance in a topical storyline about sexual consent.
In recent months, Ruby’s storylines have centred around her marriage to Martin Fowler (James Bye), which put her in conflict with Martin’s ex-wife and her own former best friend, Stacey Slater ( Lacey Turner ).
Earlier in the year, Ruby framed Stacey for pushing her down the nightclub stairs and causing her to have a miscarriage.
The storyline saw Stacey sent to prison, with Lacey Turner leaving the show for her own maternity leave.
Ruby has been struggling with her recent diagnosis of endometriosis and has grown closer to Stacey’s mum Jean Slater, despite knowing that she has caused Jean pain by her actions towards Stacey.
It remains to be seen how Ruby will depart the soap, but will her schemes involving Stacey be exposed?
Speaking to OK! magazine in May, Louisa revealed that she first told James Bye and Lacey Turner about her pregnancy.
She said: "I told James and Lacey. I had to tell them. You almost see them more than you see your own partner!
"I also told them to explain the constant going to the toilet, the constant eating and there were a few times I had to run off set. I started showing really early. They've been amazing ever since they found out and were so excited.
"I'd spoken to Lacey beforehand about wanting to have a baby. James has really looked after me and he has three kids of his own. I'm so grateful to have been working with him during this time."
*EastEnders usually airs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings on BBC One but all of this week’s episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.
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