EastEnders star Sophie Khan Levy confirms pregnancy and permanent show exit

EastEnders star Sophie Khan Levy has confirmed her pregnancy as she permanently exits the BBC soap.

In today’s episode, Levy’s character Priya Nandra-Hart left Walford after Cindy discovered Max Branning is the father of Priya's unborn baby.

Fearing Max would take the child, Priya rejected Ravi’s offer to raise the baby and left for Leeds in a taxi.

The soap has confirmed that her final filmed scenes were in Cindy and Max’s wedding episodes, which aired several weeks ago.

In an Instagram video shared by EastEnders, executive producer Ben Wadey made a speech, confirming that Levy is pregnant in real life.

"We have just wrapped Sophie's last scene with us on EastEnders. Congratulations, Sophie," he said.

"A massive thank you on behalf of everyone for an extraordinary three years. It's a really hard thing to come in and put on the shoes of a new character in the show and instantly become an icon. You've led so many amazing stories."

Wadey continued: "You've had brilliant, unlikely partnerships with people like Martin, with Ian, with Jean. I've been enjoying you actually driving Max Branning to have a heart attack by stressing him out so much.

"You've been extraordinary. You're a delight to work with. You're going to be very, very missed. I don't think it's a big spoiler to say that you're onto a probably more important adventure next. We wish you all the best, and thank you for being so brilliant."

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A tearful Levy also shared some words, saying: "I actually don't know what to say. This has been like an incredible three years. You feel like family."

Looking at her baby bump, she said: "I can't believe I have to leave, but I do because there's something coming imminently. Hopefully, I get a bit of time. But you are all a joy."

"You make working such a dream, and I'm going to be so sad. But I love you all. Really, you've just been incredible, and I'm very happy to have been part of it."

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At the end of the clip, Levy addressed fans, saying: "I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of the fans and the viewers of the show. I've been so proud and happy to be part of this family for three years. I can't believe it's already been three years. It doesn't feel like that long, and it also feels like forever.

"Thank you for having me, and let's see. Watch this space. Who knows if Priya will make a return? See ya. Wish me luck."

The video was captioned: "@sophiekhanlevy’s final day on EastEnders was an emotional one. From the moment she arrived, Priya has been an unforgettable character and leaves behind a Walford legacy to be proud of. We’re not crying, you are."

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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