EASTENDERS QUIETLY RECAST RETURNING CHARACTER AS FANS 'RUMBLE' REASON BEHIND IT
EastEnders fans have spotted that one of its returning characters has been recast after months away from Albert Square. Earlier this week, the BBC soap revealed that Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) was arriving back in Walford with her kids after months away on a cruise.
In the first-look pictures, we see Linda with kids Ollie and Annie, looking horrified at something off camera. Fans know that she's in for a shock, with her ex-lover Max Branning also returning to Albert Square.
The sneak peek at next week's episodes also revealed that the role of Annie has been recast after previously being played by an uncredited actress. The young daughter of Linda was played by Savannah Keir from 2022 until 2023, and over the last few years, the character has rarely featured on the soap.
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From next week, Annie will be played by another child actor but with ginger hair. Taking to social media, fans have theorised that the recasting is to highlight Annie's Branning jeans - given that she was the product of an affair between Linda and Max.
"Max is gonna clock it straight away," one fan wrote, while another said: "OMG A RECAST ANNIE I AM LOSING MY MIND She literally looks like Max. HELP! #EastEnders."
A third tweeted: "Max Branning when he sees Linda's daughter Annie for the first time and realises she looks like him #eastenders." A fourth said: "Aw I liked it when she was Linda’s double. It’ll be hard to ignore for Max now her hair’s turned red. Yikes. Don’t get me wrong she’s still cute."
"Noooo they’ve recast Annie, the previous one was so cute tho #EastEnders," a fifth wrote.
This week saw Molly Rainford and Bobby Brazier leave the soap, with their characters heading to Australia on their travels. Taking to Instagram for the first time since her final scenes aired, Molly wrote that the episode got her a "lil emosh" but that "no one goes travelling forever".
She said: "Anna’s laughed, cried, worked and lived in the Vic (still surreal), been in a love triangle, been spiked, got pregnant, had tough conversations about race and her mum came back from the dead. No wonder she needs a break from Walford."
"It really is a family, the cast and crew are truly special.," she added. "I’m going to miss working alongside them everyday. Especially the lovely Knights, Beales and Peacock/Carters. Couldn’t have asked for better people the learn from and laugh with day in and day out.
"I want to thank everyone so much for all the love and support, it means the absolute world. I have so many lovely memories from Albert Square, here’s a handful of the highlights."
In Tuesday's episode, Molly's character Anna Knight embarked on a trip to South Asia and Australia in a double exit with Freddie Slater
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2025-12-04T18:43:28Z