Kierston Wareing as Kirsty Branning
Kierston Wareing has slammed 'EastEnders' bosses for giving her unrealistic storylines.
The 37-year-old actress is "glad" to be leaving her role as Kirsty Branning next year and she has hit out at some of the "ridiculous" storylines her character has had, including pretending she was pregnant with Max Branning's (Jake Wood) baby, and insists her alter-ego has become a "wet drip".
She said: "I didn't believe in any of the storylines. I wanted more of a range. It wasn't believable - why would Kirsty keep chasing Max when he's got a load of baggage? It's just ridiculous.
"She was a wet drip by the end of it. When I joined the show there were layers to it - 'Is she nice? Is she not nice?'
"I had all these ideas. I wanted it to be really gritty but no one wanted to do anything like that.
"I didn't believe in the fake pregnancy either. You are talking about a man with experience. It's ridiculous."
Kierston admits she feared being stuck on 'EastEnders' forever and was relieved when new Executive Producer Dominic Treadwell Collins, who joined the BBC One soap in September, decided to axe her alter-ego.
She added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Dominic said he found Kirsty really boring and I agree. I've found her boring for a while. I was relieved he axed her, I thought it was becoming one-dimensional and I think I have a range.
"I really wanted to go up to him and say, 'Please give me something more in depth and gritty,' but it didn't get to that stage. And that was it.
"I was always worried that I might be in 'EastEnders' forever. I'm glad they made the decision because I know for a fact I wouldn't have turned it down if they had kept me on, even if they hadn't changed my storyline.
"I find it very brave for an actor to make the decision to leave. I might never have worked again and then thought I could still have been working for 'EastEnders'. But they made that decision for me."
Tagged in Eastenders