EastEnders star breaks silence after soap’s shock exit

EastEnders spoilers follow.

EastEnders has finally revealed the identities of the victim and killer of its ten-month thriller, meaning it was the end of the road for one character.

In the episode which aired on Christmas Day, the soap saw Linda Carter kill Keanu Taylor in defense of Sharon Watts, with actor Danny Walters officially leaving the soap.

Speaking after the big twist was revealed, Walters admitted he struggled to keep Keanu’s death a secret.

“It’s been extremely difficult! I feel like I’ve been very deceptive to my friends and family (laughs) and made a lot of excuses!” he said. “But I wanted the storyline to have as much impact on the audience as possible, so I did my best to keep everything a secret and I hope it paid off.”

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Walters praised the highly anticipated episode’s storyline, saying: “The script writing was fantastic, and each character had a really great story throughout the episode.

“For my character, this episode is a real roller coaster of emotions, with highs and lows. It was such a pleasure to be a part of.”

Not everyone saw Keanu’s death coming as the day began with a long-awaited celebration for the character and his partner Sharon, played by Letitia Dean. The two prepared to get married but, in true EastEnders fashion, things didn’t go as planned when he was caught for arranging Albie’s kidnapping with Karen, leading Sharon to call it quits marriage and dropping a bomb: Albie is Phil’s biological. son, not Keanu’s.

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“It was a great story to be a part of, and it’s that traditional EastEnders wedding in the way that it doesn’t go as planned,” Walters said.

“Filming it was fantastic and seeing Letitia Dean walk down the aisle, she was so beautiful. It was amazing to film those scenes with her and see how far our characters had come. It’s been a great journey for them .

“I think Keanu always wanted this and wanted Sharon, and to finally have his chance to make her his wife. Obviously, in traditional EastEnders style, it didn’t go as planned!”

While the people of Walford will now have to deal with the consequences, Walters has reflected on his role in such an ambitious arc for the BBC soap.

“It was great to be a part of. I hope the viewers enjoyed the storyline. Like myself, I’m a small part of the bigger puzzle, but I hope my piece of that puzzle had a impact,” he said. confessing that he kept one souvenir from the shoot – “(Keanu’s) greasy ‘Taylors Autos’ mechanic’s overalls.”

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on BBC One. The show is also broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

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