Adam Woodyatt, who played EastEnders’ Ian Beale for 36 years, has revealed that he is open to returning to the BBC One soap after departing last January.
The 53-year-old I’m A Celebrity star played Ian on the BBC One soap for three decades until last year – but he has refused to rule out a possible return to the soap as he admits he didn’t want to leave the programme.
The actor highlighted how he’ll always be known as Ian Beale no matter what other acting gig he might secure.
Adam was the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985, reports The Mirror.
He was quizzed about coming back to the show and refused to rule it out during a TV appearance on Sunday.
Speaking to Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, he revealed: “I think as long as I live, I’m still going to be seen as Ian Beale. It doesn’t matter what I do, what else I do, where I go, Ian Beale is always going to be a part of my life.”
(Image: BBC / Kieron McCarron)
Adam admitted it wasn’t just his decision to make – but that of the show bosses and the scriptwriters too.
When he was asked about whether he’d make a return to the BBC soap, he said: “I don’t know. It’s not just my decision to make, it’s also EastEnders. I left because of the way the storyline was going, because Ian needed to go.
“Not me going, ‘I wanna leave’, or them saying, ‘You’re going!’ that was the storyline.”
(Image: BBC)
Adam’s character Ian first graced Albert Square back in February 1985 and swiftly became a popular favourite.
The actor has even broken EastEnders records whilst appearing in the show – he’s one of the programme’s very few to have appeared in more than 2,000 EastEnders episodes.
He appeared in his 2,000th on March 26 2007 and his 3,000th on May 27 2016. After 36 years on the show, he departed EastEnders on 22 January 2021.
(Image: REX)
During his 2020 I’m A Celeb stint, Adam opened up about his exit from EastEnders.
He said in a chat with his campmates: “I just had another opportunity. This play came up. I just fancied doing something different. The way the storyline was, they needed me to take a break. Yeah, the break’s just got longer.”
Since leaving the Castle, Adam is currently working in a stage show with his former co-star Laurie Brett, who played his wife on-screen Jane Beale.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
