Adam Woodyatt showed off his weight loss on a bike ride this week, amid ongoing speculation that he could be set to return to EastEnders for £300,000 this year.
The actor, 53, left the BBC soap in 2020 for an extended break, which has seen him take part in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and now tour with the stage play Looking Good Dead.
He was photographed arriving at the Palace Theatre in Southend earlier this week - ahead of rehearsals for a performance - with him turning up to the venue on a bike.
Adam was seen in a florescent green jacket and black pants, with the actor - best known for playing Ian Beale on the soap - sporting a bright yellow helmet for the journey.
The soap star is said to have lost a significant amount of weight during the Covid pandemic, with him having previously credited taking up cycling as part of the cause.
He revealed at the time that his co-star Jake Wood, 49, had inspired him to become more active and get outdoors, with Adam introducing more exercise into his life.
The actor told his followers on social media: "Like my mate Mr Wood says, 'you got to get out there. You got to do it.' He goes running and I go cycling."
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The photos come amid reports that Adam has been "in talks" to return to EastEnders, with such a decision rumoured to be worth up to £300,000 for the actor.
The BBC are said to be "hugely keen" to get him to return, particularly as it was recently announced that Danny Dyer, 44 - who plays Mick Carter - has now quit the show.
A source told the Sun that Adam was "one of the highest earners" on the show, adding that he'll "be looking to come back on at least the same amount of money, if not more."
It was claimed that it was particularly hoped he would return in light of Danny's departure. The source said: "They're hugely keen to get him back after the massive blow of losing Danny."
At the time of the initial report, the BBC described the rumour as "speculation". A spokesperson had responded by saying: "Any contract talks are pure speculation."
A spokesperson however declined to provide further comment when approached by the Mirror for this article. We also approached reps of Adam Woodyatt for comment.
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