EastEnders star Brian Conley has announced his next protect after reports he had abruptly quit his role as Thomas ‘Rocky’ Cotton on the BBC soap.
The actor, 62, is embarking on a new tour entitled The 3rd Farewell Tour…To Date which will see him perform an evening of comedy, music and entertainment.
Brian, who has appeared in numerous West End musicals, will kick off his string of show’s September 24 in Peterborough.
With the offical synopsis reading: ‘Brian Conley is back on the road with a brand new tour. Join the multi-award winning star of the west end and countless hit TV series for an evening of comedy, music and entertainment’.
The tour will then travel across the UK, stopping in venues including Cardiff, High Wycombe and Coventry.
Unexpected: EastEnders star Brian Conley has announced his next protect after reports he had abruptly quit his role as Thomas ‘Rocky’ Cotton on the BBC soap
Exit: The actor, 62, is embarking on a new tour entitled The 3rd Farewell Tour…To Date which will see him perform an evening of comedy, music and entertainment (pictured on the soap)
It comes after The Sun reported Brian – who has played soap character since May 2021 – has clashed with bosses on the long-running show and demanded to be written out.
Producers are now reportedly scrambling to rewrite storylines for his rapid exit and it has been claimed that another key Christmas storyline could be his death.
An insider told the publication: ‘It’s all come to a head. The truth is, bosses are furious.’
‘It looks as though he’s just not enjoying being on EastEnders any more — and has been telling a lot of colleagues and telly friends he wanted out for a while.
‘The Beeb wanted him to stay, but he’s having none of it. They’d made so many plans around him and his character, and they really thought he was in for the long haul.
‘Whatever has wound him up, it feels like he can’t get out of there quick enough — and now they’re going to have to rewrite their storyline plans for his rapid exit.’
The source also claimed that plans had already been drawn up for another major character death in this year’s Christmas storyline which was hinted at in a recent flash-forward scene.
However after recent issues with Brian it is not thought his character could be killed off instead.
Back to his roots: Brian, who has appeared in numerous West End Musicals, will kick off his string of show’s September 24 in Peterborough (pictured in 9 to 5 the musical with co-star Bonnie Langford)
Shock: It comes after The Sun reported Brian – who has played soap character since May 2021 – has clashed with bosses on the long-running show and demanded to be written out
The BBC has been contacted for comment by MailOnline.
It comes after in June revealed he could be facing the chop in this year’s Christmas cliff-hanger.
The actor told host Steph McGovern Steph’s Packed Lunch that the BBC1 soap is planning to film a number of different endings for this year’s Christmas Day episode to keep viewers guessing.
He said: ‘In February we had a lovely episode where if flashed forward to Christmas, and someone’s dead in The Vic and Letitia is there in a wedding dress and she’s covered in blood.
‘So everyone’s going, ‘O my God, who’s dead?’, as well as all the actors in the show, and all you saw was it’s a male, or is it, I don’t know.
‘You just saw the cufflinks and I think everyone has been looking out for those cufflinks for a while now.’
Bye: It comes after reports Brian – who has played soap character since May 2021 – has clashed with bosses on the long-running show and demanded to be written out.
Happy as Larry: Producers are now reportedly scrambling to rewrite storylines for his rapid exit and it has been claimed that another key Christmas storyline could be his death (Brian, R, pictured with co-stars at this months NTAs)
Asked by Steph if the cast knew who the victim was Brain replied: ‘None of us have got a clue.
‘I believe leading up to Christmas, there might be ten of us laying there so that it will be a big surprise to us as well.
‘We’re all going to maybe film a moment where we’re all laying on the floor and then right up until the last minute they can reveal on Christmas Day who it is.’
Asked if he was worried about potentially being killed off, Brian said: ‘You’re in an ongoing drama so you know people do pass away and you do live on tenterhooks, especially if you’re enjoying it, and we all are, they’re a lovely bunch, everyone there.
‘I’m very happy to be there and I just think what we’re doing now and the fact that it’s the number one soap is very exciting.’
Conley has been the host of The Brian Conley Show, as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions.
