EastEnders fans 'sobbing' as four characters make abrupt exit from BBC soap (2025)

EastEnders aired emotional scenes on Thursday, as Sonia left Walford, and it wasn't just her - three more characters were confirmed to be leaving the BBC soap

Thursday night's EastEnders episode was a tear-jerker, with not just one but four major characters making their exit.

Among them was soap legend Sonia Fowler, played by Natalie Cassidy, who had earlier this year announced her departure from the show after a three-decade stint.

However, she wasn't the only icon to depart from the show, leaving viewers "sobbing".

The episode also marked the departure of Walford favourite Bianca Jackson, portrayed by Patsy Palmer, who is currently participating in Celebrity Big Brother.

The episode kicked off with a touching recording from the late Dot Cotton, Sonia's grandmother (through her marriage to her grandfather Jim Branning). As Sonia listened to Dot's heartfelt monologue, she began preparing for her significant move away from Walford after thirty years.

Throughout the episode, as she packed, various developments led her to reconsider her plans. There were references to her past, including her famous trumpet, her lost loves Jamie Mitchell and Martin Fowler, and other memories.

But Sonia knew it was time to leave Walford behind. Amidst unexpected twists, which included the arrival of her father Terry Cant in Walford, Sonia discovered he wasn't who she thought he was, reports the Mirror.

With help from Sonia's daughter Bex, she and Bianca exacted revenge on him. They decided to use the Bali tickets that Terry had bought for them, planning their escape while he was locked in the shed.

In a surprising turn of events, four characters from EastEnders have made their exit. Sonia, her sister Bianca, and Bianca's daughters Bex and Julia were confirmed to be leaving the show.

The group was seen packing up and bidding farewell to Walford.

The quartet made their escape on Terry's boat, with Bianca stealing his keys and Bex driving them away with the boat attached to the car. Bianca and Sonia were seen inside the boat as they left Walford for good, with Julia's theme playing in the background.

Their friends and family waved them off, marking an emotional goodbye.

This marked the final appearance of Sonia, played by Natalie Cassidy, on the show. It also signalled the last scenes for Bianca, Bex and Julia on the popular BBC soap, leaving fans teary-eyed.

Fans took to social media to express their emotions over the departure of the four characters. One fan confessed: "Crying at tonight's episode of Eastenders. It was a perfect send off for Sonia, Bianca and Bex."

Another echoed the sentiment, saying: "What an amazing exit for Sonia. I am crying," while a third added: "Currently sobbing. Stand by."

A fourth fan posted: "Oh my God Sonia's exit has me sobbing." Another comment read "So emotional bidding a fond farewell to ar Sonia and Bianca."

Natalie candidly discussed her departure from the series, explaining: "I'm 42 this year, I just feel like it's time to be brave. You don't want to get to 70 and think, 'I never tried that'. I've loved this programme with all my heart. I started at ten, it's in my bones, it's in my heart. I'd been thinking about it for a little while. I had a wonderful chat with Chris back in the summer. It's just exciting."

She went on to say about her character, "You can't hypothesise or worry about what's going to happen to your character. That is down to the boss and the storyliners as the fate of Sonia is in their hands. I've had to take a deep breath, and go, 'I've made my decision, I've just got to let it play out.'"

Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.