Patsy Palmer rose to fame as loud-mouthed EastEnders icon Bianca Jackson.
But the actress hasn't always been very complimentary of the soap which turned her into a star at the age of 21-years-old.
Patsy was at the centre of some of EastEnders' most explosive storylines - with a staggering 22 million viewers tuning in to watch Bianca's wedding to Ricky Butcher in 1997.
The actress, who stormed off Good Morning Britain today after a reference to her past addiction, played her much-loved character for six years before quitting Albert Square for the first time in 1999.
Patsy explained she was leaving EastEnders to spend more time with her family and concentrate on new projects, such as a cameo appearance as herself in Kathy Burke's sitcome, Gimme Gimme Gimme which mocked her role as Bianca.
As well as having her second child a year after her exit, she starred in animal series Battersea Dogs Home and detective drama McCready and Daughter as well as being a guest host on GMTV.
However, Patsy never managed to shed the influence of her overbearing EastEnders character.
Just three years after walking away from Walford, Patsy was reunited with on-screen partner Sid Owen for a special two-part special EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca.
When Patsy left the scriptwriters had her character head up to Manchester with the couple's son Liam to start a fashion course and new life, so the unique one-hour episode was filmed in the city.
Patsy did not make a permanent return to EastEnders - and it seemed like she never would when she publicly criticised the soap back in 2005.
The actress branded the storyline 'ridiculous and unbelievable' during an interview with The Telegraph and vowed she would never return.
But she made a drastic U-turn in October 2007 when it was announced she was returning as a full-time character the following year.
"I can't wait to explore what Bianca has been doing with her life and seeing what she is going to get up to next," said Patsy before her big on-screen return in April 2008, along with four misbehaving kids.
After another six years in Albert Square, Patsy decided to swap Walford for Tinseltown by quitting EastEnders for good to move to Hollywood.
The actress wanted to take her family to Los Angeles for a "once in a lifetime opportunity", which meant leaving mouthy Bianca behind.
A spokesman for the actress said: "Patsy is really sad to be leaving the show as she loves playing Bianca and working with executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins but she knows it’s the right decision at this time in her life."
A friend added: "Not only is Patsy excited about future work in Hollywood, she is making the move for the sake of the whole family. It is a lifestyle choice for them.
"She has lots of exciting offers lined up and feels the time is right to say goodbye. Her children are at the age where they can be moved across to the States relatively easily. And it has always been her big ambition to crack Hollywood."
Luckily for Patsy, the soap’s executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins decided he would not be killing off the iconic character.
"We are so sad that Patsy has decided to leave us but completely understand it’s the right time for her," he explained at the time.
"Bianca won’t be leaving Albert Square until the Autumn so there’s still a lot more to come from her on screen this year – and the door will be left wide open for her return. We won’t be getting rid of Bianca’s puffa jacket just yet."
Despite living across the pond, Patsy did return for a brief stint in the autumn of 2019 to reunite with on-screen daughter Tiffany Butcher, played by Strictly star Maisie Smith.
She had been due to reprise her role again and was back in the UK for filming, but her appearance was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I mean I was there just before lockdown and I had to leave. There was a little bit I was going to do but I didn’t end up doing it and I don’t know how they’re doing it now because I haven’t seen it," she explained on Loose Women in October.
Despite her repeated comebacks, Patsy has never been afraid to criticise EastEnders.
In May last year, the actress revealed she had not watched the soap for six years and claimed it was a "big mistake" to increase the number of episodes.
Patsy explained that when she returned to the set she had no idea who some of her colleagues were.
"I haven’t watched EastEnders for six years, so when I go back I have no idea who anyone is. There’s all new people there," she told The Sun.
"When I was on set I was talking to one of the writers and I said they should never have had EastEnders go three or four times a week. It was a big mistake in my book."
EastEnders only aired twice a week when it launched in 1985, with a third episode introduced nine years later, but has been on our screens four times a week since 2001.
The actress insisted they should not have copied the other soaps and continued to only have two episodes a week so the quality was not diminished.
"They should have stayed at two times a week and written really solid, good stories that lasted for quite some time instead of chopping and changing," she added.
"Now you go away from it for a week, come back and don’t know what’s going on."
Patsy now lives in Malibu, California with her husband Richard and their children Fenton, Emilia and Bertie.
She stunned GMB viewers today by storming off during her interview on Wednesday morning after just one question.
The actress dramatically called an end to the live chat after being deeply offended by a line of text at the bottom of the screen which read 'addict to wellness guru'.
"You know what, I don't even want to do this interview, because I don't even want to look what it says at the bottom of that screen," she told baffled Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard.
Referencing former GMB host Piers Morgan's explosive walk out from last week, she added: "So I am just going to switch off, do a real Piers Morgan, and say it's not okay to have 'addict to wellness guru' on the bottom of the screen."
Shocked Susanna apologised to the actress, while Ben said it was not their intention to "hurt" Patsy but explained the quote had come from her own book.
"My issues that I had years ago, that were talked about many years ago, and it's over, so I am not going to talk to you, don't worry about it but I don't want to talk to you," said Patsy before suddenly hanging up.
Trying to work out what went wrong, Susanna claimed she had no idea what was on the screen.
"That's a terrible shame, our apologies to Patsy, she is entitled not to do the interview and we carry on," said Susanna.
