EastEnders has announced Isaac Baptiste’s exit, as Stevie Basaula becomes the sixth star to leave the BBC One soap in less than a year.
Speculation over the actor’s future on the soap was rife over the weekend, as fellow EastEnders star Shona McGarty shared snaps on Instagram showing partygoers at a leaving bash thrown by the actor.
On Monday, producer Kate Oates confirmed the sad news, and in a statement, she said “incredible” Stevie would be missed.
“Stevie has been a huge asset to EastEnders during his time here; not least through his incredible performance across Isaac's schizophrenia story,” she said.
“As a member of the Trueman family, he will always be a part of one of our most iconic families. We will miss him, and wish him well in his new ventures,” Katie added.
Stevie, who made his debut as Isaac in January 2020, said he was overjoyed to have been given an opportunity to star in one of the “biggest shows in the country”.
“What a dream come true! Grateful to have spent over two years on one of the biggest shows in the country, there's nothing like it,” he said.
“Thank you for everything you've given me. I've learnt so much during my time and I'm proud to have been a part of some important work and to have made friends and memories that I'll cherish for a long time,” Steveie added, as he thanked the cast and crew for helping him “grow”.
“EastEnders has been an essential part of my growth both as a young man and an actor, and I'm now excited and feel ready to explore this next chapter of my career,” he stated.
The official announcement comes just hours after Shona, who plays Whitney Dean in the BBC soap, seemingly let the cat out of the bag and inadvertently confirmed Steveie was leaving EastEnders.
She posted images on Instagram of a leaving party thrown by Stevie and Zack Morris, who plays Keegan Baker in the soap, and thanked them both for “letting her capture their blessed event” in a post on her Stories.
Fans suggested Stevie had filmed his final scenes already, and his departure comes after Zack also announced he would be leaving EastEnders after five years.
“After five beautiful years on this incredible show, I have made the tough decision to leave Walford and give Keegan Butcher-Baker some well-earned rest,” he said in a statement.
“This show has quite frankly changed my life for the better. It will always hold a real loving place in my heart,” Zack added.
Stevie’s exit is the latest in a long line of departures from Albert Square, with Danny Dyer, Priya Davdra, Ruhtxjiaïh Bèllènéa, Florisa Kamara and Zack all quitting the BBC One soap.
