EastEnders exit story for Cindy as reason for absence explained
Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) has made a sudden EastEnders exit, as confirmed in tonight’s episode.
A number of the soap super b*tch’s enemies will be sleeping soundly tonight with the knowledge that she’s nowhere near Walford.
However, there is one person cursing her absence – Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe), who has been left to manage The Prince Albert bar on her lonesome.
Despite the two getting off to a rocky start, they actually work together very well and to everyone’s surprise, Cindy asked her rival Elaine to join the management team earlier in the year.
Later, she decided that poor Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) didn’t cut the mustard, and replaced him with newcomer Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness).
The problem is, she’d far rather spend her shifts flirting with Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) – rather than collecting glasses.
Elaine was less than impressed with her attitude in tonight’s episode, and explained to grandson Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) that she was snowed under following Cindy’s decision to take a trip to visit her sister Gina.
But who is Gina Williams?
Who is Cindy’s sister Gina Williams?
Even the most die-hard of EastEnders fans may have forgotten Gina, given she’s only appeared in six episodes across the last 27 years.
Gina was portrayed by actress Nicola Cowper, and appeared from 1998-99, in 2007, and lastly in 2014.
Her first appearance was at what was thought to be Cindy’s funeral. As we now know, she was actually in witness protection, returning to Albert Square in 2023.
Gina shared a kiss with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) as they reminisced about her sister, with Ian agreeing to let her raise Cindy Jnr as she couldn’t have kids of her own.
The romance was almost reignited the year after during the eclipse, but they were interrupted by Mel Healy (Tamzin Outhwaite), who proposed to Ian.
Eight years later, Ian suspected Gina of being his stalker, and couldn’t believe when he went to her house and she aimed a shotgun at him. She was clearly unwell, claiming that she was having conversations with Cindy.
It later transpired that his son Steven was responsible.
In 2014, she wanted to take Cindy Jnr with her to live in Portugal, but the teen soon made her way back to London.
Gina is also Gina Knight’s (Francesca Henry) namesake.
Why has Michelle Collins left the show?
Swapping The Square for the stage, Michelle appeared in one woman show Motorhome Marilyn at the Edinburgh Fringe throughout August.
She eventually makes the trip to Tinseltown, but her dreams are crushed and she’s forced to confront the reality of her life.
The character is based upon a real life encounter between Michelle and a woman who went by the name of Motorhome Marilyn.
Ahead of the production she confirmed that EastEnders had given her a month off from filming to accommodate her new venture – which means we can expect to see Cindy back on our screens before Christmas!