EastEnd star threatens to quit

Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell) may quit after Peggy leaves...

13:50 22 January 2010

Soap legend Steve McFadden, who plays Walford hard man Phil Mitchell, has threatened to quit EastEnders.

The 50-year-old star is weighing up whether or not he should follow his on-screen mother Barbara Windsor (Peggy Mitchell) and leave the show when his contract expires in August.

Windsor will be leaving the soap in the next two months. She joined the show in 1994.

When asked if he would consider quitting Albert Square, McFadden said: "Yeah, I really would. I'm not leaving yet. My contract's up in August. Then we'll see. Barbara leaving will be a massive hole for the show and for me personally as well."

McFadden admitted being "absolutely gutted" that the veteran actress was leaving.

He added to The Sun newspaper: "I'm sure they will leave the door open for her - they'd be mad not to."

At the National Television Awards on Wednesday, Windsor said she'd decided to leave the show because she wanted to spend more time with her 46-year-old husband Scott Mitchell.

She said: "It'll still be a couple of months before I go. Then I want to spend more time with my husband. He's not getting any younger, you know!"