11:57 30 July 2012
Janine Butcher will be written out of BBC1’s EastEnders for six months, and rumour has it that she is giving up six months of the show to star in Strictly Come Dancing.
In the show, viewers will see Janine, played by Charlie Brooks, leave Albert Square, her husband Michael Moon, and probably baby Scarlett too. This is bad news for all EastEnders fans, especially those who have picked out Janine as their show favourite.
There will be a bit of twist to the storyline surrounding her temporary departure. Janine, who recently inherited a fortune from her late grandmother Lydia, will leave Walford after putting her husband’s commitment to her to the test using a suitcase stuffed with up to £450,000.
A show insider said: “The storyline is action-packed. Janine and Michael have always had huge trust issues, and their wedding and the birth of their daughter last month has done nothing to change that.”
Janine told Michael about the cash in the case and left it in the kitchen, saying that if it is still there in the morning, she will know for sure that Michael truly loves her. He is seen taking the money, although the next day, the money is still where Janine left it. Still, in an unexpected twist, Janine decides to leave nevertheless. Viewers have no idea yet whether she will take baby Scarlett with her.
The emotional scenes have been filmed earlier this week, and it will hit the screen in September. But by then, Charlie Brooks will be busy with other commitments, including – quite probably - one on Strictly Come Dancing.