Eastenders star Brooke to leave Walford

EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella will bid farewell to Albert Square in the summer, the BBC confirmed today.

But her feisty character, Kelly Taylor, will not be killed off, leaving the door open for a possible return.

A spokesman for the BBC show said 20-year-old Kinsella’s departure was a “mutual decision” but refused to give any more details about how and when the character would make her exit.

“Brooke has brought considerable talent and youthful energy to the show, and we wish her every success in the future,” the spokesman added.

Kinsella was originally hired for just eight episodes but will bow out having notched up two-and-a-half years in the soap.

Kelly arrived in Walford in December 2001 after being kicked out of her family home and forced into prostitution.

Since then she has endured a drugs scare, a string of bad relationships and a battle with her best friend, Zoe Slater, over the Square’s resident DJ Ronnie Ferreira.

Her most high-profile storyline came last Christmas when she and Zoe, played by Michelle Ryan, shared the show’s first lesbian kiss during an eventful trip to Scotland.

Kinsella’s acting career began at just nine years old in the BBC children’s show MUD, and she has also appeared in ITV’s The Vice and police serial The Bill.

Her successful audition for the part of Kelly marked a fourth time lucky for the actress, who had been turned down by EastEnders bosses for the roles of Zoe, Janine Butcher and Sonia Jackson.