EastEnders has teased how Anna Knight will leave Walford after an unexpected announcement was made, with the character potentially set to forge a new life outside of East London.

It was confirmed in June that Molly Rainford would be exiting the BBC soap at some point in 2025 after two years in the role of Anna, though it wasn’t initially revealed how her character would be departing.

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The subsequent four months have been very quiet on that particular front, but the first indication of Anna’s exit storyline was revealed during Monday’s (27 October) episode, with the character set to make a big journey.

As she sat in The Vic with half-brother Johnny Carter and grandmother Elaine, the group had a friendly disagreement with Ian Beale. After Johnny mentioned Anna’s expertise in pub quizzes, she mentioned her grand plans.

“I need every penny. I’m counting down the days until my trip to Oz,” she remarked, with this being the first on-screen mention of her holiday; will the trip to Australia be a one-way ticket?

Rainford, who has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, is yet to publicly comment on her impending exit from the soap, though a spokesperson for the BBC said: “We wish her all the best for the future.”

While Anna could be leaving Albert Square in the near future, two characters who are returning to East London are Phil and Nicola Mitchell, with the pair having been absent for a few weeks.

Phil, who was visiting his daughter Louise in Portugal, will return to find his close friend Nigel Bates in a spot of bother following his car accident. A trip to India is subsequently cancelled, with Julie being relieved that Phil can help in taking care of her husband.

Nicola, meanwhile, will be thrown in the deep end upon her comeback as she discovers that her son, Harry, is missing. Unbeknownst to her, he is being held captive by the villainous Okie, with Kojo Asare attempting to inform somebody of this.

Kojo is caught before he can save the day, with Okie lying to Ravi Gulati that he has released both him and Harry. Nicola, however, discovers a clue about Harry’s whereabouts – can she piece the evidence together?