The 41-year-old actress, who plays Sonia Fowler, said she is "extremely sad" but also "very excited" to leave the BBC soap.

You're in the right place. Martin Fowler has been played by actor James Bye since 2014, after first having been played by Jon Peyton-Price and James Alexandrou.

Ex-EastEnders star James Alexandrou explores the truth about Britain's favourite illegal drug, from cannabis sold on the street to the hidden world of organised crime ...