EastEnders star reunites with co-star one year after quitting Walford after being ‘restricted’ by soap bosses
AN EASTENDERS star who felt restricted by his soap bosses has reunited with his co-star one year after quitting the show.
Earlier this year, The Sun revealed that Brian Conley quit after bosses barred the cast from appearing in lucrative pantomime roles.
This festive season, Brian is starring in the pantomime Goldilocks and the three bears and posted a photograph update on Instagram
The photograph shows him reuniting with his EastEnders co-star Harriet Thorpe who plays Elaine on the BBC show and is captioned: “Boo”
Both stars appear quite glum to the amusement of their fans while Brian looks dressed up in his rehearsal clothes.
Brian appeared recently on Good Morning and told presenter Susanna Reid that he left EastEnders because he wasn’t allowed to do anything else.
He added: “I’ve now found out you can. But at the time, they said you can’t do anything.”
Brian added: “I’m a live performer, I love being live, I love getting out there.
“So for me I felt very restricted with those sort of ties.”
When asked if Rocky might return to the soap Brian replied: “He might do, never say never, I could always wander in or I could make an escape…”
A host of actors from various television soaps have taken roles in the pantomime circuit over the festive periods.
But EastEnders executives informed their cast that they had to decide between that or Albert Square at the back end of 2024.
A TV insider said: “Bosses need to have all cast available so that they can storyline appropriately up to and beyond December to guarantee that level of drama for audiences.
“Filming for February usually takes place before Christmas, so for those wanting to do a five-week run would mean the show would be unable to use them in any of their plans relating to the anniversary.”
Brian is a well known comedian, TV and musical theatre star and has a career spanning nearly five decades.
He is one of Britain’s biggest panto stars and played Dick Whittington when he was only 17 years old.
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This year Brian leads Bristol Hippodrome’s panto cast in the circus-themed extravaganza alongside his daughter Lucy Conley, as the fussy but fearless Goldilocks.
Brian said “Panto is a truly magical experience every year. The last time I was at Bristol Hippodrome was in 2018 for Cinderella. I love being in panto and I can’t wait to return”
EastEnders airs on BBC1 and BBCIplayer