Recently, EastEnders has seen quite a few cast changes, with more to come. In recent months we've lost:

- Lauren
- Peter
- Stan
- Aleks
- Kat
- Alfie
- Nick

and we're loosing:

- Carol
- Lola
- Charlie
- Max
- Liam

Abi and Sonia will be the only remaining Brannings on the Square come Autumn and the Jacksons are pretty much extinct following Carol and Liam's exit (what with Sonia and Whitney now considered more a part of the Carter clan). The Slaters (bar Stacey) are all gone, leaving us with the Beales (who've lost both twins in the space of the year), the Mitchells (who are loosing Lola which will leave Billy further isolated), the Fox-Hubbards, the Cokers, Masoods and Carters.

Should us, as fans, be worried?

All the good people are going too

Characters come and go on soaps. That's how it's been for decades. Plus Lauren, Kat, Alfie and Max are all coming back anyway.

Plus with characters leaving, we meet more

Kathy and Gavin are due soon. Plus Claudette's extended family. As well as the proper return of Cora.

Quite a list really. Brannings, Slaters, Cottons and Jacksons pretty much all gone

Cokers and Hubbards aren't even that good either

Far too many leaving this year. A lot of change takes a lot of time for viewers to connect with them.

I couldn't care less if any of those four were coming back. They don't seem to know what to do with characters unless they're a member of one of the families. How unimaginative are the writers that they can't see anything to do with Aleks or Charlie, yet they cling on to pointless characters like Roxy because of her surname.

One Branning is taking a we'll deserved dear our but will be back
Another Branning is on maternity but will be back

The Moons are also on a break, during which they are filming a spin off show which will allow them to freshen up the characters

Nick and Yvonne were guest characters, with Charlie leaving we will be back to the same out of Cottons we have had for years.

The only Jackson is Carol, she is leaving through her own choice. She only really seems to like working with Patsy, who chose to emigrate.

Kathy and Elaine are on their way back, Carmel seems to be used more as I wouldn't be surprised to see more Hubbards and Kazemis in the Autumn

The cast has been decimated and we've lost some of our best families. The Butchers, Jacksons and Moons and the Brannings, Slaters and Cottons will be down to one a piece. And I'm sorry but the Cokers and Hubbards aren't a patch on those we've lost.

Cora is classed as a Branning and is back soon.

Billy & Roxy should both be axed but won't be because they are Mitchells!

We still have the Mitchell's, Beales, Foxes, Carters and Masoods. The Jacksons and Brannings are one family as are the Moons and Slaters. Jacs is on maternity and Jake is on a career break but they will be back and Kat and Alfie will have their own show.

There's nothing to worry about

Is Elaine returning as a regular?

Maybe Shirley has a long lost sister with ten kids.....

Well she is the Queen of the Square according to DTC!

BIB We know that the Masoods are lucky to get one decent s/l every few years, and Denise has had nothing decent since Lucas. Kim is mainly written as a clown. They are regarded as secondary characters, and the truth is that we're reduced to the Mitchells, Beales and Carters.

Edit: Once Kathy and Gavin return the Beales and Mitchells are going to be one big family.

Oh, please, lets not start one of those threads again!

Mo should be killed off off screen too- awful character.

I dislike Denise playing second fiddle to Kim and Vincent but I really liked that dynamic she was in last year of being stuck with Ian and not knowing how the hell to get away. That was really interesting and clever. More so than Lucas which was a tad cartoony and had a really poor climax.

I don't mind Mo as occasional comic relief.

We have not seen enough of Claudette yet to judge the Hubbards and apparently Vincent is a villain!! There is still some deadwood left and if I was DTC I would axe the following -

Billy
Roxy
Fatboy
Les

I would have also said Tamwar, Lee and Whitney but they have improved of late.

The Masoods have been quite prominent this year and have been rejuvenated with the addition of the Kazemis.

Denise was heavily involved in the Lucy plot and now her and Kim are embroiled in Vincent's shenanigans ehich is just starting. So there will no doubt be plenty of screen time for them,

Let's hope so....but I won't hold my breath.

Bring in Claudetts Foster kids and a new family.

The Masoods have been used a bit better, this year, but not as well as The Carters or The Mitchell's.

I think the problem is dtc favouritism and stubbornness . we have lost Lucy and are going to Lola because of this. dtc has said in the past that he wishes pat was still alive and of course he blames Birkwood for this well I guess we all do. but this is no reason to get rid of under characters brought in under Birkwood. Hetti bywater was brought in under Birkwood and then under dtc she was axed and her character killed of. Lucy was too good a character to lose just because of some grudge dtc has and imo hetti was a very good actress. Now we are losing Lola who was brought in under Birkwood. Lola has an importance in eastenders. She is the mother of Ben Mitchell's son. I guess we will be losing Lexi as well when Lola leaves. Lexi is Phil Mitchell and Kathy Beale granddaughter, Her uncle is Ian Beale can Lola and lexi have better family connections in eastenders at the moment. we also barely ever see Cora any more as of course she was brought in under Birkwood. I wouldn't be surprised if jac jossa wasn't brought back as Lauren because it was Birkwood who brought in jac jossa. Now onto his favouritism. Recently it was announced that Declan Bennett has been axed as Charlie. Over the past few months we had Charlie and Roxy ''poor me'' Mitchell all over our screens. We were made believe they were in deep love but now there's nothing. we are losing Charlie but of course dtc wouldn't lose his precious creations Ronnie and Roxy. imo it should be Roxy that was axed not Lola. Lola is much more important to the current Mitchell family with Kathy returning and also her relationship with jay. I hope that when dtc leaves Roxy is axed and clearly she is going nowhere with dtc still there.

The Masoods need either Zainab to return OR perhaps bring in Fatima as a regular. I really liked her from her appearances this year. Maybe cast Mandip Gill (Phoebe from HO) as her daughter Jamila.