Ellen Thomas has quit 'EastEnders'.
Ellen Thomas
The 52-year-old actress has played the feisty Claudette Hubbard since March last year, but will be saying goodbye to Walford in the next couple of weeks.
But the role of Richard Blackwood's on-screen mum will be left open, should Ellen want to return to the soap in the future.
A spokesperson told Mirror Online: "As our regular viewers will know, Claudette has often been seen coming and going from the Square to visit her family and friends.
"This is the end of another stint for Claudette and we wish Ellen all the best for the future."
Details of how Ellen's character will leave the show have not yet been announced, but with the role set to be left open, fans can rest assured the departure will most likely not be fatal.
While Claudette hasn't been without her misdeeds - including having a hand in Arthur 'Fatboy' Chubb's (Ricky Norwood) death and revealing she murdered her husband - she's recently been trying to win over her family again.
Fans of the soap will also have fond memories of cheering on Claudette as she opposed Babe Smith's (Annette Badland) blackmail of the Coker family, and struck up an unexpected romance with Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker).
Ellen has managed to land herself the lead role in upcoming stage show 'The Hotel Cerise', which will run at The Theatre Royal Stratford East in October and November.