EastEnders has axed four of the soap's characters.

Kirsty Branning (Kierston Wareing), AJ Ahmed (Phaldut Sharma), Carl White (Daniel Coonan) and Poppy Meadow (Rachel Bright) will all depart Albert Square in the New Year.

The show's new boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins is determined to get EastEnders back to its best, The Sun reports.

He recently cast Terry Alderton as Terry Spraggan, Bianca Butcher's new boyfriend, and ex-Holby City star Luisa Bradshaw-White as Shirley Carter's sister Tina.

The four exiting stars will shoot their final scenes before Christmas.

A soap spokesperson said: "We can confirm these actors will be leaving EastEnders. We wish them all the best."

Kirsty Branning actress Kierston Wareing recently told Digital Spy that she doesn't plan to stay on the show for too long.

"I'd like to do other projects. It'd be nice to be in the show, come out, go back in there and come out - I don't know if they're going to allow that, but that'd be my ideal situation," she said.

Digital Spy Soap Scoop video - press play below to watch Amie Parker-Williams reveal gossip on Nick's recovery in Coronation Street, more worry for Ronnie in EastEnders, a sad marriage crisis in Emmerdale and big dramas for Ste in Hollyoaks.

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