EastEnders cast: Navin Chowdry, who plays evil Nish Panesar, 'quits soap' after two years with 'dramatic' exit

Navin Chowdry, who plays evil Nish Panesar, will be filming his last scenes in Albert Square, with a show source revealing it's not known if the villain will be killed off. The actor has been at the centre of the some of the soap's juiciest storylines over the last two years, culminating in Nish's terminal illness.

The source told The Sun: "It's not known if Nish will be killed off, even though his health is suffering, but expect the exit to be very impactful and dramatic. Navin has made quite the impact on the show in the two years he has been a part of it, especially as a key part of the huge Christmas storyline with The Six. He'll be missed by cast, crew and viewers alike."

Details of Navin's departure are being kept under wraps. His character is currently dying of a heart condition and needs a transplant.

The EastEnders villain has a limited time left to live after he contracted a virus which led him to be diagnosed with viral myocarditis and he urgently needs a heart transplant. But in scenes due to air next week on BBC One, Nish will spend some of his remaining moments plotting against his own family.

Soap bosses have yet to confirm whether Nish will be killed off. Navin spoke to the Mirror recently about claims Nish may be lying about his illness. The actor said: "I think it's exciting. I think nobody ever expected with a character like this - you're constantly wondering who he's going to inflict more pain on."