EastEnders fans were left gutted when Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) left Albert Square to stay with mum Little Mo (Kacey Ainsworth), and it seems that he may still be away for some time yet.
Freddie was temporarily written out of the show to allow actor Bobby Brazier to focus on his training for Strictly Come Dancing.
The dramatic scenes that led to Freddie’s exit saw him attack sinister stalker Theo Hawthorne (William Ellis) with an iron, in order to save Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) from being raped.
With Theo unconscious and bleeding heavily, Stacey enlisted Eve Unwin’s (Heather Peace) help to alter the crime scene to make it look as though Freddie had acted in self defence.
Despite their efforts, Bobby was charged with attempted murder and subsequently taken in for questioning.
After the police let him go, nanny Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) encouraged Freddie to take some time away from the Square, so he wouldn’t risk giving away what really went on that night.
During his absence from the show, Bobby has wowed audiences week after week on Strictly alongside partner Dianne Buswell.
So much so, that he is set to keep his dancing shoes on in the new year to take part in the Strictly live tour.
Speaking about the upcoming project, Bobby said: ‘I love dancing and I love Strictly, so what better way to continue this brilliant experience than on the live tour!
‘I’ve heard from Dianne what a blast everyone has on the road, so I can’t wait to perform with her for those huge arena crowds next year.’
Opening in Birmingham, the tour will travel to Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham, before finishing the run in London in February.
Of course, this may be bad news for EastEnders fans, as it will likely mean we have a while longer to wait before Freddie returns to Albert Square. But don’t worry, as he will definitely return at some point!
