Veteran Eastenders star Adam Woodyatt, who left his role as Ian Beale last year after over three decades, has addressed speculation of his return.
His character was left open to return as he fled Walford after he discovered his wife Sharon (Letitia Dean) had attempted to poison him.
On Channel 4 show Steph's Packed Lunch, Woodyatt spoke about why he chose to leave. "I’ve kind of left, but not left. It's kind of the way the storyline has gone…I'm not there," he explained.
Related: EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt discusses future after I'm a Celebrity and reuniting with Laurie Brett
"I could go back and I could not go back! I don't know," he continued, "The speculation has been hysterical. I think everyone is always going to speculate. But there are no plans at the moment."
Woodyatt is currently on tour with Churchill Theatre's production, Looking Good Dead, alongside former Eastenders costar Laurie Brett, who played Jane Beale.
He spoke about his liberation outside of the show and on stage: "I've been having a ball. Being back on stage, I'd forgotten why I fell in love with acting because you get that immediate response. You’ve got an audience.
Related: Eastenders and I'm a Celebrity star Adam Woodyatt admits he doesn't miss playing Ian Beale
"If you do something on television, you could be waiting six weeks to three months [to] a year."
Speaking previously about his potential return, Woodyatt said: "They've got to come up with a storyline; they've got to ask me to go back.
"The timing has got to be right for me to go back, because I don't know what else I'm going to be doing."
Steph’s Packed Lunch airs weekdays at 12.30pm on Channel 4 and All 4.
EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
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Asyia is an entertainment reporter covering TV, film, theatre, music, books and general showbiz.
She was previously a freelance reporter who has written for publications including Glamour, gal-dem, Metro and Bustle.
She has a gold-standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates. Asyia has covered industry events such as the London Film Festival and BFI Flare and has a specialist interest in analysing LGBTQ+ issues, race and identity within the cultural landscape.
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