Eastenders legend quits the soap months after rejoining and their final scenes have already been broadcast

Those of you who are fans of the BBC soap Eastenders will be very familiar with the character of Sam Mitchell, the sister of iconic character Phil Mitchell. Actress Kim Medcalf who only recently rejoined the soap to play Sam Mitchell, has already quit. She first joined the soap in 2002 and left in 2005, before returning two years ago.

Kim Medcalf then left the BBC soap again last year and returned again at the end of 2023. However The Sun has reported that the actress “was only ever coming back briefly-having decided to leave the soap once more. Sam’s exit played out on screens last night as she was forced to leave Walford following an explosive row with brother Phil.”

Kim Medcalf discussed leaving the soap once again with the Radio Times and told them that her stint on the show has been “brilliant, as always!” She went on to say “It was perfect timing for me and worked really well that Sam was coming back for another short sting. That’s the beauty of the character- I love that she comes in, disrupts things and then leaves the debris behind her.”

Away from Eastenders, Kim Medcalf is married to Simon who keeps out of the spotlight, the couple share two children together. Kim, who is from south east London, has a law degree from Bristol University and reportedly worked as an account manager selling soap powder for a pharmaceutical company before deciding to take an acting course. Before auditioning for the role of Sam in Eastenders, Kim appeared in the musical One Touch of Venus. 

OK! Magazine reported that “Alongside EastEnders, she's also starred in numerous theatre shows including Cabaret, Hay Fever and The Play What I Wrote.In 2008, Kim starred in an episode of ITV1 show The Fixer, before going on to play a lead role in ITV1 primetime series Harley Street. She's also appeared in BBC One drama Missing and BBC Two show Collateral, and she returned to the stage in 2015 in a production of Gatsby.”

Another Eastenders legend Patsy Palmer is already back on set filming on the BBC soap after not appearing on it for five years. She recently said that "I'm so excited to be reprising the role of Bianca. Eastenders holds such a special place in my heart so it's always a pleasure to be back."