Brian Conley reveals the rule that caused him to leave EastEnders

Virgin Radio

3 Jul 2024, 10:18

Actor and comedian Brian Conley played Rocky Cotton in EastEnders, but left last year, and has now explained the reason why.

The comedy star was on the long-running BBC One soap for two years before his character was arrested and sentenced to ten years imprisonment following an insurance scam.

Brian’s last appearance on the show aired on 29th December 2023. Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday (3rd July), he was asked by co-host Susanna Reid about the chances of an eventual return to Albert Square. "You haven't been in EastEnders for six months, because you're in prison, of course, there's a release date at some stage. You could go back…”

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The actor responded by explaining the reason he chose to quit the show. “I left because you're not allowed to do anything else,” he said. “Although I've now found out you can, but at the time they said, ‘You can't do anything’, and I'm a live performer.

"I love being live, I love getting out there. Musicals, my own show, which I'm currently doing, and so for me I felt very restricted with those."

Co-host Ed Balls asked: "You're not keen on Rocky getting an early release then?”

Brian replied: "He might do, or you know, or I can make an escape! You just don't know about these things, but it is an amazing show." 

Upon leaving the show, the acting star took to Instagram to bid farewell to his character and refer back to some of the storylines that he was involved in. He wrote: “Well Rocky, you pretended to be Sonia’s Dad, had two heart attacks, married Kathy Beale, met the King of England, your best mate was Harry Redknapp, you blew up the cafe and had a pet parrot called Jasper. Gonna miss you, you old rascal. X”

Meanwhile, some EastEnders fans think that another big character, Mick Carter, could be heading back to Albert Square.

Aficionados of the soap are convinced that Mick - played by the one and only Danny Dyer - might be making a dramatic return to Albert Square.

Read why here.

EastEnders airs on BBC One.