The Carter family

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Timothy West is leaving the show.

The veteran actor will bow out from the BBC soap at the end of his current contract after a year in the role of Stan Carter.

It's thought that the 79-year-old only ever intended to stick with EastEnders for a relatively short period, but he will still have a busy time ahead on screen in the build-up to his exit.

Show boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins told the Daily Star Sunday that there are scene-stealing performances ahead from West as he "pulls out all the stops [and] gives his King Lear" in an upcoming storyline.

West announced that he was joining EastEnders last December and made his first appearance in the part in January.

Despite originally being billed as opinionated and manipulative, the show has also explored a softer side to Stan in his ten months on screen.


EastEnders producers have already confirmed that Stan's ex Sylvie Carter will be joining Walford within the next few weeks, so there are bound to be fireworks ahead as she is reunited with the family she abandoned years ago. Actress Linda Marlowe will be playing the role.

Treadwell-Collins recently said: "Sylvie's return is going to open old wounds in the Carter family - and watching Linda Marlowe, Annette Badland, Ann Mitchell and Timothy West going for it on screen is going to be electric."

[tammyy2j]

I like Stan

[Dazzle]

I like Stan

Me too. I'm upset that he's going.

[lizann]

I like Stan

yes he great with the one liner comments

[lizann]

I like Stan

yes he great with the one liner comments

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Timothy West has praised the show's bosses for how they have handled his character's current storyline.

Viewers know that Stan Carter is currently suffering from terminal prostate cancer and revealed the news to his family late last year.

Timothy West as Stan Carter in EastEnders
© ITV
Timothy West as Stan Carter

West has admitted that he only ever planned to work on the show for a year, enabling the writers to plan the storyline thoroughly.

Speaking to The Wharf, he said: "We'd been talking about how I was going to finish as a character because I really wanted only to do a year.

"They very kindly said I could have some time out and they would send me to South Africa or prison. But I suggested something finite like death so they decided it would be good for me to have a disease of which I would know about and one where it could be arranged for me to die in six months' time.

"It was well engineered and well planned. And I was able to go through some of the awful things that particular kind of disease brings about."

Timothy West as Stan
© BBC
Timothy West as Stan

EastEnders has been praised for the handling of Stan's prostate cancer storyline, with Prostate Cancer UK saying that the show is helping to "break down one of the biggest taboos around men's health" with the plot.

West has revealed that he hopes the charity can benefit from Stan's story and the mistakes he made prior to diagnosis.

He said: "It's been helpful to this organisation for people to see someone who's done exactly the wrong things. He's been slow to seek diagnosis, he didn't accept it, he doesn't like doctors and he doesn't like being examined.

"He didn't like telling people about it and apart from trying to keep this dysfunctional family together he hasn't sought any friendships. Male friendships in particular at our sort of age are terribly important."

[Perdita]

EastEnders is lining up a New Year's Day wedding for Mick and Linda Carter.

The news was revealed in Thursday night's episode (October 8) as Linda surprised Mick by arranging for them to finally tie the knot.

Fans know that the couple have been together for years, but have never found the right moment to get married.

Following another eventful day at the Queen Vic, Linda told Mick: "I think you and me, we've wasted enough time. I've set a date for us to get married. New Year's Day. The place we wanted wasn't available so I've booked us in somewhere else."

Mick was delighted by the news, so it shouldn't be too long before the pair are sending out invites for their big day.

EastEnders bosses had already teased that New Year's Day would feature a major storyline for the Carters, but the wedding element was kept under wraps until tonight.

Don't expect the occasion to go entirely to plan, as executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins recently teased that Danny Dyer will be featuring in a water-based stunt as Mick in the episode.

He said last month: "There's a big resolution coming up in the New Year. Danny's been fitted for a wetsuit, he's going into some water, that's all I can say."

It's thought that the episode will feature the climax of the Carters' dark storyline with Dean Wicks, who has so far gone unpunished for raping Linda.

Expectations will no doubt be high for the episode following the success of this year's dramatic New Year special, which saw Ronnie Mitchell left in a critical condition following a shock car accident on the day of her wedding.

[Kim]

New Year's Day wedding for the second time in two years. Original. Not.

[Rear window]

It would have made more sense fr her to say 'get your coat, you've pulled' and take him straight to the register office.

It is a bit lame though, she shouts at her mums child-boyfriend and suddenly she's her old self. Is that all it takes? No I suspect not.

[Rear window]

It would have made more sense fr her to say 'get your coat, you've pulled' and take him straight to the register office.

It is a bit lame though, she shouts at her mums child-boyfriend and suddenly she's her old self. Is that all it takes? No I suspect not.