EastEnders’ Jack Ryder reveals truth behind Jamie Mitchell’s exit after 23 years

Jack Ryder is best known for playing Jamie Mitchell in EastEnders and the soap heartthrob has opened up about his emotional exit and if he’d return to the BBC serial drama

EastEnders fans were left in tears on Christmas Day 2002 as Jamie Mitchell was killed after being run over by Martin Fowler.

The soap heartthrob died after suffering internal injuries with his beloved Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) by his side in hospital.

Jamie was outside the tube station when Martin’s (James Alexandrou) car hit him as he was trying to surprise Sonia with flowers and a ring.

The heartbreaking episode was watched by around 16 million viewers and remains one of EastEnders’ most memorable exits.

Speaking to new online bingo brand Zingo Bingo about his final scenes, Jack explained: “Those memories are a little hazy now, a bit blurred, but I do remember being in a hospital bed.

“I remember the whole storyline, Jamie dying, and of course, the Christmas Day episode. There were so many elements entwined with Jamie’s demise. Filming those scenes was a mixture of emotions for me.

The decision to leave the show had been made by me, but the decision for the character to die hadn’t.

“I wanted to take some time out, but the producers couldn’t see a believable way for him to simply leave Sonia and disappear. At that point, I really needed a break from that life.

“The pressure of being on a soap, the long hours of filming and the intensity of the fame felt quite suffocating.

“At the same time, there was real sadness in saying goodbye to people like Steve McFadden [who plays Phil Mitchell] and Natalie Cassidy.

“They were people I’d worked closely with for years, but I also felt ready to go.

“Once you make a decision like that, you start to move on, and i’’s worth remembering that I stayed on the show for another year after that decision was made.

“It wasn’t sudden and the storyline took a long time to develop”.

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Jack now prefers a quieter life in the countryside but could be persuaded to make a soap comeback “if the storyline felt right”.

He added: “I’m older now and I look back on EastEnders with fond memories.

“It taught me a lot. Creatively, I’m much more open now too. I’d be open to going back if the storyline felt right. I’m open to creative possibilities.”

EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am