EastEnders shock as fan favourite's exit is finally revealed after star quit

EASTENDERS fans were left shocked after it was finally revealed that their favorite had left.

Viewers have already seen one character leave Walford in dramatic fashion this week, after Keanu Taylor was stabbed and killed by Linda Carter during the Christmas episode.

EastEnders fans were left shocked after it was finally revealed that their favorite had left the show

Rocky Cotton was arrested for arson after setting fire to a coffee shop

His wife Kathy had no choice but to get angry with him after he started asking too many questions about what happened at the Vic on Christmas Day

For months, EastEnders viewers have been wondering who the body on the Victim’s floor would be, with Rocky Cotton one of the potential victims after actor Brian Conley revealed he had left the show in September.

While Rocky escaped death on Christmas Day, he was still connected to the story as he began to sense – pardon the pun – that something was wrong with estranged wife Kathy and the other members of ‘The Six’.

Rocky started asking too many questions during Thursday’s episode, and tonight we saw the Six force Kathy to accuse her spouse to the police of burning down her coffee shop a few weeks ago.

Despite what he had done to her and her family, Kathy was reluctant to bring him to the police, but Rocky recalled seeing two women carrying a tarp into a burned-out cafe on Christmas night and Sharon walking into her wedding dress, she had no choice.

With Denise’s help, she found Rocky’s search history on his laptop from the day before the fire and submitted it as evidence before telling them she’d be at the pub at 2pm.

Moments after he arrived, the cops swooped in and arrested a stunned Rocky for arson, but he thought it was Kathy’s son Ian calling after the threat he made earlier in the episode.

In the interview room, Rocky denied burning down the cafe on purpose, but in Albert Square, Kathy was torn about her decision and managed to persuade Denise’s husband, Jack Branning, to bring her to see Rocky.

In an emotional exchange, she told him, “Rocky, I can’t take this anymore, all these lies and deceptions. Maybe there’s no dodging a bullet this time.

“They’re after you, Rocky, don’t fight this, please, for my sake. If you admit everything, you could be back with me in a few years.

“I can’t let this hang over us anymore, just be the man I know you are. Please.”

Rocky agreed, and the pair embraced, before he asked her if she would wait for him.

A tearful Kathy agreed before fleeing the room, and then an emotional Rocky sat down with the officer, ready to confess.

She asked, “Rocky, do you want to tell me something?”

He replied: “Yes, yes, yes, see if you can guess I’m being sent to Brixton (prison). I once arranged for the governor to meet one of the Bananarams.”

He smiled before his lip quivered and he began to sob, realizing what was coming.

As the credits rolled, EastEnders fans took to X – formerly Twitter – to discuss his departure.

One wrote: “I actually felt sorry for Rocky in tonight’s episode.”

Another added: “Well tonight he explains how Rocky gets out of everything. And potentially his last appearance.”

A third tweeted: “Anyone else Brian Conley guts leaving #Eastenders? Rocky became such a great character and definitely had legs.”

Meanwhile a fourth shared: “Poor Rocky yes he screwed up the whole insurance scam but as always he did it with the best of intentions and his obsession with investigating what actually happened on Christmas Day was to protect Kathy so for her to betray…”