EastEnders is wishing a fond farewell to one of Albert Square’s most iconic characters (Image: BBC)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeEastEnders has confirmed the departure of a beloved character, with their final scenes already filmed and ready to air. The BBC soap took to social media to announce that Matt Di Angelo is leaving his role as Dean Wicks once again, as his character’s murder trial for the killing of Keanu Taylor reaches its climax. Despite his shady past, Dean is actually innocent of the murder, having been framed by the Walford Six to protect the real killer, Linda Carter. While the trial is still ongoing, Matt’s exit has been confirmed. The soap paid tribute to the actor’s fantastic portrayal of Dean in their post, saying: “Farewell to the marvellous Matt Di Angelo AKA devious Dean Wicks. From all the cast and crew at # EastEnders… thank you, you’ll be missed! “.
Matt DiAngelo has already filmed his final scenes on EastEnders
(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
An accompanying video saw EastEnders’ Executive producer Chris Clenshaw thanking Matt for his contribution, saying: “I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Matt for giving us one of the most vile characters, one of the most hated characters in Britain and on British TV. Thank you for coming back and playing out this next chapter of Dean’s story.”, reports the Mirror. In the clip, Matt was seen holding his last script, telling the camera: “This is it. Dean’s final scenes. Shot, sealed, delivered… it is done! ” The video also included a glimpse of Dean being taken to his cell while a defiant Linda walked past, before showing Matt bidding farewell to his colleagues with a speech. Matt, who first joined the iconic soap in 2006, expressed his gratitude to the team, saying: “I really, really appreciate all your work. They’re long days and you’re a class bunch, you really are. So, thank you for helping me and I appreciate it. Thanks very much.” He then dropped a hint about a possible return, adding: “It is done. He is no more. “Good riddance! He’s fun to play and this is an amazing place to work and I do genuinely love everyone here. Thank you for having me and until the next time?! Bye!”
Matt joined the BBC soap in 2006
(Image: BBC)
Sign up to OK’s TV newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free The past week has seen a whirlwind of drama on EastEnders, with Dean finally confessing to raping Linda back in 2014 after years of denial. The case, which previously saw him walk free, has now been declared a mistrial due to the emergence of new evidence. Earlier scenes this year showed Dean manipulating Linda into falsely confessing that he hadn’t raped her while secretly recording her, intending to use her admission to paint her as the liar. Meanwhile, the six – Linda, Stacey Slater, Cathy Beale, Denise Fox, Sharon Watts and Suki Panesar – have all taken the stand to share their accounts of the night Keanu was murdered, when Linda stabbed him with a carving fork while he was strangling Sharon.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnEastEndersDramaMatt Di AngeloDean WicksLinda CarterStacey Slater
