[Vanessa]

Can't wait for Kat to return! We'll have a catfight!

[Redway]

Oh, I can wait for Kat to return. I loved her in her original 2000-2005 stint but she's turned into some miserable cow, who's never pleased at anything. Hopefully, the new producer(s) will restore her character or axe her. If her character's damaged beyond repair (which doesn't surprise me) there's no other option but for her to be binned...

[InOne]

So will Dot, Ian, Bianca, Carol and Janine all be on a break at the same time?

[Jords]

Originally Posted by Mrluvaluva

Spoiler:

Kat returns to Albert Square - Airs Thursday, Jun 7 2012 at 19:30 BST on BBC One. Apparently she kicks Roxy out of The Vic.

Roxy > Kat

[Firewire]

Originally Posted by InOne

So will Dot, Ian, Bianca, Carol and Janine all be on a break at the same time?

Dot, Carol and Carol are away six months, I think.
Janine is an uncertain amount of months from the end of the year.
Ian is six weeks.

[Redway]

Whitney and Rose are leaving as well. No links availabe right now. Sorry.

[Jords]

They have denied that Whitney is leaving I think.

[Firewire]

Whitney is not leaving. Rose is.

Confirmed that is.

Poppy is back next month.

[Redway]

OK, thanks for clearing up that.

[waterhog]

she needs to go along with the rest of them except jeanine and micheal - you will eventually see i am talking sense.

[Firewire]

It's likely that the departures of

Spoiler:

Ben, Michael, Andrew and Lola

will be announced in the coming weeks. It comes from a source who announced the casting of Joey Branning two weeks before it was announced via the press.

[waterhog]

not micheal - he is holding the show up - i wont watch no more if he goes.

[Locke.]

Yeah, Michael needs to stick around

[InOne]

Nice to see Lucy's legs making another appearance tonight

[waterhog]

this shhow is the pits

[bbfan1991]

Ian walking barefoot near a busy road after losing the plot because of Mandy leaving. Lucy was bareable tonight too!

It is a shame that Mandy has left. Nicola Stapleton and Adam Woodyatt were very good tonight with their performances.

[Jords]

I thought they denied Mandy was leaving? wat
Is she not coming back?

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by Jords

I thought they denied Mandy was leaving? wat
Is she not coming back?

She has definitely gone for good and Ian will be gone for a while too, although he returns with Sharon apparently.

[bbfan1991]

Simon Ashdown is an awesome writer for EastEnders, gripping episode and it was way better than Corrie tonight.

[Locke.]

Seriously what the **** have they done to Ian

[Marsh.]

Good episode. Ian going round the bend was funny, poor thing.

But this entire story has been so inconsistent. Lucy keeps switching every episode between feeling sorry for Mandy and getting along, and being a bitch and wanting to split them up. It changes like the wind.

Also, Ian and Mandy. I may have missed a few episodes here and there but they're flipping between Ian not wanting to trust her, her not wanting to get married, to him being desperate, her being besotted. My head's spinning. lol

[Redway]

I have to admit that was a very good episode, but even that won't even come close to redeeming how poor this Heather storyline's been overall. Anyway, the Ian scenes were really powerful and effective and it goes to show how bad mental illnesses can be. I know someone who's currently going through this sort of thing (a mental breakdown) and it really is very sad, so hopefully they won't take the mick out of this storyline, like Zak Dingle and Emmerdale, which was pretty laughable and ridiculous.

[Redway]

Originally Posted by WATERHOG

not micheal - he is holding the show up - i wont watch no more if he goes.

For your sake, I hope he leaves, then...

[flamingGalah!]

I can't believe all the cast that are leaving!

Ian, Dot, Carol, Bianca & the kids gone but will be back later in the year

Also off for an extended break soon are Janine & Tanya

Leaving for good Mandy, Rose, Andrew, Antony, Afia & Ben



It will be a bit empty in Albert Square!

[Redway]

Originally Posted by flamingGalah!

I can't believe all the cast that are leaving!

Ian, Dot, Carol, Bianca & the kids gone but will be back later in the year

Also off for an extended break soon are Janine & Tanya

Leaving for good Mandy, Rose, Andrew, Antony, Afia & Ben



It will be a bit empty in Albert Square!

I know. That's really going to leave a mark on EastEnders and it isn't fair on Lorraine Newman. The only way things can even come close to being fixed is if they introduce new characters, but they should be gradually introduced, not just all at once. Kate Harwood made that mistake in 2006. 2005 had relied completely on Den's murder storyline and although it was a terrific year, it was in a very unhealthy state to rely on one storyline and a particular group of characters, no matter how legendary and iconic. So when they all left towards the end of 2005/beginning of 2006 Kate Harwood had to introduce an influx of characters and it took ages to warm to them. 2006 wasn't too bad a year, but it would have been a lot better if we had time to warm to the characters, rather than them just coming in one go.