Lee Ryan thinks appearing in panto ruined his soap career.
Lee Ryan
The 36-year-old star - who found fame in boyband Blue before playing Harry 'Woody' Woodward on 'EastEnders' - has claimed the decision to accept the role of Aladdin in a panto production spelled the end of his time on the BBC programme.
Lee - who starred opposite Paul Merton in the stage production - said: "They wouldn't tell me whether they'd want me back in Walford. Every time I asked them, they were evasive. Frustratingly, by the time they said yes, I'd signed for a panto and couldn't break that contract."
Lee was told that accepting the offer would mean the end of his time on 'EastEnders.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror newspaper, Lee explained: "I was told that if I went ahead with the panto they'd cut Woody's major storyline. Which is exactly what they did.
"That was a real shame. I was meant to marry Whitney. But they downgraded my story. I'm grateful for what 'EastEnders' did for my career. But you're very much at their beck and call."
Meanwhile, Lee argued he's been unfairly labelled a bad boy in the past, especially after his stint on 'Celebrity Big Brother'.
He said: "I was in a bad state. I was attacked for my loose morals. But I only got off with two girls. They made out I'd been killing small kittens for a living.
"It was ridiculous. They do exactly the same thing on 'Love Island' now - and worse - and they're loved for it."
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