BBC Eastenders star Adam Woodyatt has hinted rumours of a return for Albert Square legend Ian Beale could be premature.

The actor has not featured on the long-running BBC soap since early 2021 when his character left the square.

Now, Woodyatt has hit out at BBC bosses over changes to his character that he did not always agree with.

Speaking to Kate Thornton on the White Wine Question Time podcast he discussed things he didn’t agree with and revealed there were no immediate plans to return to the soap.

He said: “If you think back in the 80s, he was a spotty, teenage kid. He was getting bullied at school, his dad wanted him to do boxing, it’s been a very, very long journey.

“But don’t get me wrong, I don’t always think that some of the changes were right. Maybe they should’ve chosen other directions to go but they weren’t my decisions. They were stuff the bosses chose.”

Adam added: “(Ian) claimed to be a great father but actually he wasn’t. He was an absolute narcissist. Some would say a sociopath.

“But he was very misunderstood. Mostly, his heart was in the right place. He just got things wrong.”

Speaking of plans to return to the soap, Adam said: “I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing, I haven’t got a clue what’s going to happen.”

Speaking in a recent interview on Steph’s Packed Lunch, he told  Steph McGovern: “I could go back and I could not go back! I don’t know. The speculation has been hysterical. I think everyone is always going to speculate. But there are no plans at the moment.”