EastEnders star Micah Balfour will depart the BBC soap after 18 months in the role of Junior Knight, with his exit scenes set to air later this

year. The move is part of a shake-up during Ben Wadey’s stint as executive producer, with Junior not being the only member of the family to leave East London.

 

 

Junior, the son of George, arrived in Walford back in May 2024, with the character embarking on an affair with former stepmother Cindy Beale. This led to a fractured bond with his father in particular, though his wider family weren’t best pleased either.

After 18 months in the role, it has been confirmed that Balfour will depart later this year after already filming his final scenes, with a spokesperson saying: “We can confirm Micah will be leaving EastEnders later this year, we wish him all the best for the future.”

 

 

In addition to his role on EastEnders, the actor had previously appeared in Emmerdale and The Bill. It’s currently unknown how his exit will play out, though a report from The Sun states that the door has been left open for a potential return.

Junior isn’t the only member of the Knight family set to leave Albert Square in the near future, with Molly Rainford also due to make her final appearance as Anna – at least for the time being – very soon.

 

 

After the actor’s departure was confirmed in June, there had been little word about how the character’s exit would be facilitated, but Monday’s (27 October) episode provided the first clue.

As Anna was sitting in The Queen Vic with Elaine and Johnny, she remarked that she was “counting down the days until [her] trip to Oz” – will the journey to Australia be a one-way ticket?

Much like Balfour, Rainford – who has played Anna for two years – is yet to publicly comment about her departure, though a spokesperson for the BBC said: “We wish her all the best for the future.”