Gay EastEnders character confirmed for ‘explosive’ exit from show
It has been confirmed that gay EastEnders character Paul Coker will be exiting the long-running soap.
The character, played by Jonny Labey, joined the soap last year as the grandson of Les and Pam Coker – and wasted no time at all in hooking up with the notorious Ben Mitchell.
However, entertainment site Digital Spy reports that the character will be leaving the soap “with a bang” over the summer – just which doesn’t spell good news for his ongoing romance.
The announcement comes after teasers of Mitchell and Coker going public with their relationship, in a storyline set to air this week.
An EastEnders spokesperson said: “We can confirm Jonny will be leaving the show later this year. We wish him all the best for the future.”
A show insider added: “Jonny is leaving in a couple of months as part of an explosive storyline.
“Bosses are keeping tight lipped about what’s in store but there’s plenty of drama in store for Paul before he leaves.”
Earlier this year, EastEnders introduce the first transgender character to be played by a trans actor in a British soap.
The character Kyle, is played by 21-year-old Riley-Carter Millington.
EastEnders bosses also recently recast gay character Johnny Carter – with actor Ted Reilly taking over the popular role previously played by Sam Strike.
Strike originally played the character from 2013 to 2014 – winning acclaim for a storyline that saw him come out to his on-screen father Danny Dyer.
Strike cited a “mixture” of reasons for his decision to quit, explaining: “I also didn’t really feel like at the time my character was necessarily needed in EastEnders.”
