EASTENDERS has aired a shock exit for a legendary character just six months after they arrived.

In this week’s episodes – that are available to watch now on iPlayer – Stevie Mitchell quit Walford

after his dark secrets were exposed. Sign up for the EastEnders newsletter After confessing the

truth, how he sparked his wife’s devastating actions, Stevie was forced to admit that he put Billy into care. He claimed he couldn’t face looking at Billy every day with him looking so similar to his mother. And after packing his eldest son Charlie off to his aunt’s house, Stevie let Billy be taken into care. He then moved on with his affair partner and new family leaving Billy to rot in the system. Read more on EastEnders Later Teddy visited him to try and get him to consider keeping a relationship with him so they could move forward as brothers. But when Billy ran into his son Will and told him some things had come to light, Will thought it meant his dad knew about the stolen cash and blackmail.

Billy realised Phil had used the situation in an attempt to get rid of Stevie and laid into him. “Peggy would be turning in her grave at you trying to tear the family up like this,” he raged. Furious at Phil’s betrayal, Billy put him in his place adding: “I ain’t the runt of the litter anymore… you are.” He left Phil alone in his house with no-one left to turn to. In the second episode released on iPlayer, Billy made it clear to Stevie that he didn’t want him in Walford anymore. And after Teddy agreed, Stevie decided it would be best if he quit Walford for good. But after a clash with Phil in the Square, Stevie slipped away with the hardman’s car keys.

Handing them over to Mo, she sold the Range Rover for quick cash and gave it to Stevie. He went to convince Billy to let him say goodbye to Will and Janet as he left the cash and a picture of them as a family in Billy’s living room. Outside, Stevie said goodbye to Mo before turning to the house and saying: “Bye Billy, son I always loved you. THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades. Inside Billy found the cash and wept, while outside Stevie climbed into a cab and watched happily as Phil had a meltdown over his missing motor. The episode marks the final appearance – for now at least – of acting legend Alan Ford as Stevie.