Fans concerned as EastEnders legend suddenly quits social media

The 44-year-old left the BBC One soap last year shortly after on-screen wife Tanya Franks, who played Rainie, who staged a comeback for his final scenes

Towards the end of his time in the Square, Stuart struggled with postnatal depression following the birth of his son Roland, all the while battling breast cancer.

Stuart and Rainie reunited after a tough period in their marriage, and resolved to start afresh outside of Walford.

The duo stole a hearse from Jay and rode out of Walford in a way that only Rainie and Stuart could have, saying goodbye to their loved ones in emotional scenes.

‘The door is open and that was a discussion that we had when we decided it was time for Stuart to leave, to be rested,’ the actor told MyLondon last year.

‘He’s not dead, so who knows what the future will bring but not for a while I don’t think.’

Ricky previously opened up about the potential for his character to return to EastEnders as it appeared he was leaving the soaps world for good.

He told Digital Spy about Stuart’s current whereabouts: ‘I think he’s somewhere in the North Circular living with Rainie. You never know.’