Jake Stone axed

Jake Stone actor Jamie Lomas is to leave the show in the summer.


The actor will finish filming with the BBC One show in the summer after bosses decided not to renew his one-year contract.

Writing on Twitter this morning (March 23), Lomas paid tribute to EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins and promised that there are still interesting times ahead for Jake on the Square.
Lomas joined the cast of EastEnders in June 2013 and made his first appearance as Jake in August.

Jake's initial scenes saw him introduced as a new love interest for Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) as they met at a support group for recovering alcoholics.

The pair quickly embarked on a relationship, but it was later revealed to viewers that Jake was married to fellow Walford newcomer Sadie Young (Kate Magowan).
Jake's infidelity caught up with him in January this year as his affair was exposed, leading to the departures of Sadie and the couple's daughter Bella.

More recently, Jake has returned to Walford following a short absence and has been trying to get his life back on track.

Prior to his EastEnders role, Lomas was best known for playing Hollyoaks villain Warren Fox.

Ann Mitchell: 'We need to make acting less elitist'

Ann Mitchell as criticised the acting industry's "elitist" attitudes.

The Stepney-born 74-year-old made the comments during a visit to the University of East London's Stratford campus earlier this week.
According to the Newham Recorder, Mitchell told students: "What is happening at the moment is very frightening.

"Very few young men and women from working class backgrounds are applying for drama school because they are petrified that they will not be able to pay back their loans.

"From when I was a child and I was watching the movies I was determined that I would be there representing my people and my background," she explained. "I was very aware of being patronised [with stereotypes] as a child."

Of her character in the BBC soap, Mitchell added: "Cora, whether you love her or loathe her, she's someone that you'd like in your corner, just like the women I grew up with.

"I wanted to bring a kind of glamour that the women had in my background and lose the stereotypes because they came from the upper classes."

EastEnders continues on Monday (March 24) at 8pm on BBC One.