EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt lands new role after Ian Beale exit

EastEnders icon Adam Woodyatt has landed another lead role beyond Albert Square, with the actor planning to tread the boards once more.

After gracing the stage for Looking Good Dead last year, Adam has confirmed that he's now joined the cast of The Lincoln Center Theater's production of My Fair Lady.

Based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play Pygmalion, the popular musical will tour the UK and Ireland after its West End run later this year.

Announcing the news on Instagram, Adam wrote: "The cat is finally out of the bag… Can't tell you how thrilled I am to be going on tour with @myfairladyuk and to be playing #AlfredPDoolittle."

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It didn't take long for some of Adam's former co-stars to congratulate the actor on his new role of Eliza Doolittle's father, with the likes of Nitin Ganatra (Masood Ahmed), Danielle Harold (Lola Pearce) and Aaron Sidwell (Steven Beale) all sending their best wishes.

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Adam's latest theatre role may not be the best news for fans of his 'Enders character Ian Beale, however, as it signals yet more time away from Walford since his exit in 2021.

Earlier this year, Adam admitted that he was having a "fantastic time" away from the BBC One soap. "I'm having the time of my life," he said of his extended break.

Jack Barnes//BBC

As for when (and, indeed, if) Ian will return to EastEnders, Adam explained: "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."

He continued: "They've got to come up with a storyline; they've got to ask me to go back. The timing has got to be right for me to go back, because I don't know what else I'm going to be doing."

EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One, with some episodes airing on BBC Two during summer sporting events. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.