‘He deserved better’ rage EastEnders viewers as they slam BBC for Bobby Beale’s ‘s*** exit story’
EASTENDERS fans were left fuming after Bobby Beale’s final scenes, and have complained he wasn’t given a proper exit from the show.
Clay Milner Russell announced that he would be quitting the BBC soap in April, after becoming the fifth actor to play Bobby in 2019.
Viewers have been wondering how his time on EastEnders would come to a close – but they were left disappointed by the result.
The poor teen was devastated after discovering his girlfriend was cheating on him while pregnant with his baby.
He witnessed Anna Knight locking lips with Freddie in the Vic after he went to support her with the baby news.
At the time fans called for Freddie and Anna to get the axe, claiming the pair were “ruining the show” with their betrayal.
Sadly, it was Bobby who ended up packing his bags after discovering that Anna got an abortion and had confessed her love for Freddie.
He decided he had been through too much in Walford and wanted a fresh start.
Bobby visited the grave of Lucy one final time before being picked up and taken back to the Cotswolds by Jane.
He killed his sister when he was 11 in a fit of rage and has been haunted by guilt for his actions ever since.
Anna turned up to beg him to stay and rekindle their relationship, but Bobby stood up for himself, retorting: “No. I don’t want to make it work.
“You should’ve told me that you were pregnant but you just made assumptions which proves that you don’t really know me, not the real me, not what’s in my heart.”
When Freddie also arrived on the scene, Bobby added: “So why would I want to be with you? You two deserve each other.
“It’s time to forget being Bobby Beale and just focus on being Bobby.”
Long term fans of the soap have been unimpressed with the way he left Walford, and hit out at the show writers for not giving him a better storyline.
One person complained: “Clay deserved a better exit for Bobby. 5 years ago, he was allowed to showcase his talents. But at least Jane came back.”
Another agreed: “His exit story was pretty s**t but I’m really gonna miss Bobby. I hope Clay returns to the show in a few years time.”
A source previously revealed the reasons behind Clay’s decision to leave EastEnders, saying: “Clay’s a talented actor and he’s ambitious.
“He was never going to stay in EastEnders forever. He’s loved playing Bobby but he became an actor to play all kinds of roles and he wants to do that.
“The door is being left open but for now it’s a definite goodbye.”
EastEnders stars who QUIT
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.