EastEnders airs 4 exits amid wedding drama and shock diagnosis in early BBC iPlayer release

Albert Square’s revolving door is back in business, as four EastEnders characters have left during yet another dramatic episode.

It’s been a busy old week in Walford, with Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) returning after two years to tell ex-fiancé Zack Hudson (James Farrar) that she had moved on with a new fella.

This spurred him on to open his heart to Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) once again, though she reassured him that her commitment was towards husband-to-be Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw).

In retaliation, Zack alluded to Ross that Vicki had been cheating again. It didn’t take him long to realise that Zack was referring to himself, and at the alter, he asked her outright whether this was true.

Her silence was very telling, and in today’s episode, it all kicked off. Ross rushed out of the marquee as Vicki tired to explain herself, and planted a huge punch across Zack’s face.

Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) – who also made a comeback this week – was in disbelief at what was going on, and as Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) spread the word around the venue, she rushed off in Ross’s direction to ask him to reconsider. He reasoned that, although he was angry, he understood why Vicki had betrayed him.

As viewers will recall, their romance only began as a result of an affair when she was living with Spencer Moon in Australia.

Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) then drove past in a taxi, apologising for missing the wedding. He was going to Scotland to see his grandchildren, who were struggling with grief for their father Anthony following his murder at Christmas.

Before leaving for his trip, Patrick imparted some wisdom to Ross, which made him reconsider everything and head back to the venue and give Vicki another chance.

The residents gathered again as the wedding finally went ahead. Before the reception kicked off, Sharon took a moment to catchup with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and to apologise for not being there for him during Nigel Bates’s (Paul Bradley) dementia battle.

She said that she missed the area, and after tying up a few loose ends in America, she would return permanently in a month or so. Sadly, she was going to have to head home early to get son Albie to bed ahead of their flight.

There were a number of notable absences from the ceremony. Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) was stunned to find her ex-boyfriend Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) turn up in their flat, having been discharged from a secure mental health unit.

She’d missed a letter that he’d sent her, and had no idea that he was there to pack his bags and start afresh. Sparks began to fly, and the two slept together.

Later, when she found him zipping up a suitcase, it became apparent that his note had been missed. Priya broke down in tears and begged him to stay, saying that if he walked out of the door, their relationship would be over for good.

Unfortunately, he took that decision, believing his family would be better off without him.

Denise Fox (Diane Parish) was another face who missed the drama, having been summoned to the hospital for bone marrow tests. This came after periods of unexplained tiredness, and her GP wanting to refer her for further investigation.

She’d made excuses all day, and was apart from her family when the consultant pulled her into an office to reveal that she has blood cancer.

Read more:

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• EastEnders airs unannounced exit for beloved character in early BBC iPlayer release
• EastEnders legend teases “dangerous” dynamic between Max Branning and Cindy Beale
• EastEnders boss teases “emotional” Denise Fox scenes from blood cancer storyline after 20 years on the show
• EastEnders wins Soap award at BAFTA Television Awards 2026 as fan-favourite delivers speech amid anniversary

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