EASTENDERS fans have been left “gutted” after Jonny Labey revealed
he is leaving his role as Ben Mitchell’s lover Paul Coker.
The actor confirmed that he is set to depart the Square on his Twitter page
with an upbeat post urging his followers not to be too down in the dumps.
The curly-haired soap star wrote: “WOW Thank you for your support but
there’s still SO MUCH to happen for Paul so don’t lose hope, this is JUST
THE START.”
And it seems he wasn’t kidding…
An insider told The Sun: “Jonny is leaving in a couple of months as part of an
explosive storyline.
“Bosses are keeping tight lipped about what’s in store but there’s plenty of
drama in store for Paul before he leaves.”
The young thespian has played the role of hairdresser Paul since June and has
since seen sparks fly in a secret same-sex relationship with Ben (Harry
Reid).
Despite starring on the small screen for less than a year, Jonny has impressed
telly addicts with his portrayal of Ben’s hot man.
A spokesperson for the soap added: “We can confirm Jonny will be leaving
the show later this year.
“We wish him all the best for the future.”
Twitter user Chloe wrote: “So gutted you are going to be leaving!!,”
while Edward posted: “Gutted you are leaving EastEnders, Paul is one of
my favourite characters.”
Meanwhile ManaboutLDN said BBC producers had missed a trick to make a wider
impact on the audience by letting him go.
He posted: “I think it’s been wasted tbh. They could have made much more
impact with a young gay male character such a shame!”
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While Ben – son of EastEnders hardman Phil (Steve McFadden) – and Paul have
been preoccupied keeping their love under wraps, viewers will soon see the
cat let out of the bag as the pair share a smooch in the Queen Vic.
What’s more, the pair’s PDA is smack bang in front of alcoholic Phil who
promptly storms out in disgust.
The scenes will air on Monday April 25.