EastEnders star Clair Norris has broken her silence regarding her exit from the soap, with the actor dubbing it an "amazing journey".
It was announced last month that Norris, who plays Bernadette 'Bernie' Taylor, would be departing the BBC soap after an eight-year stint, with her final scenes due to air later in the year.
Addressing the developments for the first time, Norris took to Instagram following Saturday's (31 May) British Soap Awards, which saw the series dominate the ceremony as it took home a leading eight awards.
"My last @thebritishsoapawards with my EE family💚" wrote Norris in a post including several photos from the ceremony. "We 🧹up last night, 8 awards & I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this team! What a way to end this amazing journey, head held high & beaming from ear to ear."
Norris's post was greeted by several co-stars, with Emma Barton – who plays Honey Mitchell – writing: "Love you." James Farrar, who portrays Zack Hudson, wrote "head held HIGH", while Harry Mitchell actor Elijah Holloway commented: "We looked lovely didn’t we."
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Diane Parish and Kitty Castledine, who play Denise Fox and Penny Branning respectively, also left messages in the comment section, while Francesca Henry – who portrays Gina Knight – remarked that Norris looked "stunning".
"@clair_norris you should be super proud to be the last Taylor standing but also of your personal journey. You have just got stronger and stronger and the future will be exciting." wrote one follower, with Norris thanking them for their "support" after admitting she was "nervous" ahead of her first scenes.
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"Beautiful I will really miss you not being in EastEnders all the luck🍀 and best wishes for your next adventure xx," commented one follower, with another adding that the ceremony was a fitting way to end an "amazing chapter".
In a statement following the announcement of Norris's departure last month, a spokesperson for the soap wished the actor "all the best" in her future endeavours while confirming that her exit scenes would air "later this year".
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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