24 September 2023 , 17:41
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Rocky Cotton will be leaving Walford behind in the coming months after the BBC and actor Brian Conley confirmed he would be departing EastEnders but, fans have predicted his exit may have deadly consequences.
Earlier this year, it was reported a fire will break out in Kathy Beale's (Gillian Taylforth) café and some fans have theorised that Rocky could be behind the blaze.
Writing in an EastEnders forum, one Reddit user wrote: "Kathy has shown that she'll put up with a lot from Rocky when it 'only' involves the two of them, but she's always been a Mama Bear when it comes to her family. My best guess would be Rocky tries an insurance scam to raise the money they need now Ian's stopped the sale of the chippy, but something goes wrong and one or more of the grandchildren end up in peril. That would absolutely be a final straw for Kathy [in my opinion]."
Another agreed: "That definitely seems likely, plus he seems to be gambling more in recent episodes so maybe he makes a significant loss and it leads to him acting desperately to get some money. I wonder if it does happen, what the original cause of the fire could have been since this could be a rewrite due to him leaving."
Rocky star Brian Conley will depart EastEnders shortly (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)Could Rocky betray Kathy and set fire to her beloved business in a bid to solve both his own and the family's money problems?
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
Earlier this month, EastEnders confirmed Brian's exit in a statement, which read: "We can confirm that Brian Conley will be leaving EastEnders. There is absolutely no truth in any claims of a feud with bosses and the show fully support Brian in his decision to leave which was made some time ago. We wish him the best of luck for the future as we continue to work towards his exit storyline which has been in the works for some time.”
The actor took to social media to echo the soap's statement. He said: "You may have heard reports that I'm leaving EastEnders. It was a tough decision but it is true, I am going and I made it for many reasons, that decision. It is tough because they're such a wonderful crowd, in front of the cameras and behind the cameras and I've loved my three years there.
"So that's the truth in the reports. There's other parts of reports saying that I clashed with TV bosses and the crew. I didn't clash with anyone. I didn't have a rant. But they'll probably report on this now that I'm ranting about ranting! But I'm not ranting!
"I have gone with their blessings at the Beeb and I'm excited about the future and where it's going to go. And I'm also excited about Rocky's exit because I know it's good. So I'm sending you much love – all EastEnders fans."