Sean O’Connor has quit as the executive producer of BBC soap opera EastEnders, leaving with immediate effect.
His decision to abruptly leave the long-running show is apparently due to his desire to focus on creating: “feature films”. A spokesperson from the show announced late on Friday (23rd June) that O’Connor was departing to work with Doctor Who‘s Mark Gatiss on film project Handsome Brute.
“My heart lies in feature films and I’m hugely excited as my film projects are now reaching production,” said O’Connor about his exit; “When the BBC asked me to take over at EastEnders, my plan was to stay until the end of 2017 but with production starting on these films sooner than anticipated, I must – with a heavy heart – bid farewell to Albert Square.”
He will be succeeded temporarily by ex-EastEnders boss John Yorke, who ran the show between 2000 to 2003, and was responsible for the hugely successful “Who Shot Phil” and Kat’s “You Ain’t My Muvva” storylines.
Previously in charge of The Archers, O’Connor has been in charge of the show for just under a year, succeeding Dominic Treadwell-Collins.
EastEnders airs Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.
