Charlie Brooks will soon be leaving Albert Square behind, and embarking on a new challenge.
The actress has played Janine Butcher in EastEnders on and off since 1999, but her recent stint lasted just 18 months.
The 41 year old will be leaving the soap villain behind once more to take on a starring role in the National Theatre's production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
She will be playing the character of Ursula when the performances begin in December, and will tour the UK and Ireland for six months.
Charlie has called the show "spectacular" and said she "can't wait" to start on a recent Instagram post.
Of course, soap fans don't need to be upset about her departure yet, as we will be seeing up until December with epic exit scenes planned for around new year.
We all know that in soap land, Christmas is truly explosive so we can't wait to see what's in store!
It might not be long before we see the iconic character of Janine back again, even though it took the actress seven years to return to Walford this time round.
While it took almost a decade, Charlie admitted she'll always make time for the soap.
She told The Sun: “I was only ever due back to EastEnders for a year, but when [executive producer] Chris Clenshaw presented me with his idea for the story, I couldn’t say no to staying a little longer.
“I’ve had an amazing time, as I always do when I go back.
“But as always with Janine, she probably should not outstay her welcome — for everyone’s sake.”
Janine’s return has seen her embroiled in the Carters' drama and getting pregnant with Mick’s baby.
In a bid to win Mick’s affections away from his estranged wife Linda, played by actress Kellie Bright, Janine crashed a car with Linda as a passenger earlier this year.
Just moments before the collision, the duo were arguing over their love interest Mick which then saw an explosive scene where the pair smashed into a tree with Janine losing control of the car after avoiding an oncoming lorry.
Following the accident, Janine moved an unconscious Linda into the driver’s seat as she fled the scene to leave Linda behind to be discovered and charged with drink driving.
Janine has since won Mick’s affections, but he and Linda are still unaware that Janine was the one driving the car that fateful day.
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