Pregnant EastEnders star Kellie Bright reveals she is leaving the soap for six months to be at home to enjoy new baby
The 40-year-old is currently expecting her second child
KELLIE Bright has revealed she will be leaving EastEnders for six months to be with her new baby.
The 40-year-old actress will bow out of the long-running soap as mouthy pub landlady Linda Carter later this year in order to give birth to her second child.
But, despite so many cast members quitting permanently, the star is adamant she'll be back on the Square early next year.
Speaking to magazine: "I'll be on maternity leave for six months. EastEnders were really flexible and left it entirely up to me. I didn't want to be away forever but I also wanted enough time at home to enjoy my new baby."
Kellie announced she and her husband Paul Stocker - who already have five-year-old son Freddy together - were expecting another little bundle of joy in May.
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She tweeted at the time: "Shhh... Don't tell anyone, but I'm pregnant! My hubby and I are over the moon & looking forward 2 meeting our little person in Nov #Mama@40 (sic)."
The star – who plays Danny Dyer’s wife on the soap – recently opened up about her struggle to fall pregnant the second time.
“I was very aware that I wasn’t getting any younger,” she told
“We feel very lucky that we’re having another baby.”
Kellie also claimed that taking part in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing helped her worry less about how difficult it was.
She was paired with Kevin Clifton and was runner-up to winners Jay McGuiness and Aliona Vilani.
“I think Strictly helped as it took the focus off trying and the fact that I was nearing 40,” Kellie revealed.
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