David Essex was due to join in the New Year to play Jack, the father of Honey Edwards, a recent arrival in the Square.
An EastEnders spokesman explained that following a recent storyline conference, show bosses decided they would like to expand the role of Jack meaning they needed more time from Essex than the one month he had originally signed up for.
Unfortunately, owing to music commitments, Essex was not able to commit to more time and so with regret it has been agreed that he will not join the show.
EastEnders will be recasting for the role of Jack in the coming weeks.
