EastEnders bosses haven't written out the character of Michelle Fowler, despite her recent absence from our screens.
Michelle hasn't featured in episodes for a few weeks and a line in Monday's episode revealed that she won't be appearing over Christmas either.
Speaking about her best friend last night, Sharon Mitchell told Linda Carter: "Did I tell you, Michelle's going to Australia over Christmas? Her daughter lives out there."
News of Michelle jetting off to join Vicki led to some speculation on forums and Twitter that she could have been written out without an exit scene, but Digital Spy can confirm this isn't the case.
An EastEnders insider told us: "Soaps have large casts and it's common for characters to feature less regularly from time to time if their storylines aren't the main focus."
Michelle's big storyline came to a head last month when she finally managed to get rid of her obsessive stalker Tom Bailey.
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EastEnders is now gearing up for a dramatic Christmas and New Year period, which will see the Branning, Beale and Carter families take centre stage.
Jenna Russell made her debut as Michelle Fowler on Christmas Eve last year – taking over the role from Susan Tully, who'd last appeared in 1995.
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