If you’re an EastEnders fan then you’ll know that Rocky Cotton – or Tom, to call him by his real name – has been right in the thick of the Albert Square drama ever since legendary comedian and entertainer Brian Conley started playing him in 2021.
From pretending to be Sonia Fowler’s (Natalie Cassidy) dad and trying to con her out of Dot Cotton’s fortune to his rocky relationship with Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Rocky’s been on quite the journey.
However, that journey is about to come to an end as it’s been announced that Brian is leaving EastEnders after two and a half years.
Ahead of his departure, here’s everything you need to know about Brian and his character Rocky…
Has Brian Conley quit EastEnders?
It has been confirmed that Brian Conley has quit his role as Rocky Cotton on EastEnders after two and a half years. Reports had claimed that soap bosses were "furious" with his decision, however an EastEnders spokeperson denied these claims in a statement.
They said, "We can confirm that Brian Conley will be leaving EastEnders. There is absolutely no truth in any claims of a feud with bosses and the show fully support Brian in his decision to leave which was made some time ago.
"We wish him the best of luck for the future as we continue to work towards his exit storyline which has been in the works for some time.”
Brian took to Instagram to admit that it had been a "tough decision" to leave the soap. He told his followers, "There's other parts of reports saying I clashed with TV bosses and the crew. I didn't clash with anyone, I didn't have a rant."
When did Brian Conley join EastEnders?
It was announced in February 2021 that Brian would be joining EastEnders as Terry Cant, the estranged father of Sonia Fowler. His first appearance was on 18 May, however not all was as it seemed and it quickly came to light that Brian's character was actually Tom 'Rocky' Cotton - the uncle of Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero).
What happened to Rocky on EastEnders?
When Rocky arrived in Albert Square it was revealed that he and his niece Dotty had teamed up to convince Sonia that he was her dad Terry Cant in order to con her out of Dot Cotton's (June Brown) fortune. Over time, Rocky begins to struggle with the money-making scheme as he grows closer to Sonia and starts dating Kathy Beale.
After suffering a heart attack, Rocky decides to leave Walford but is forced to stay when Dotty's mum Sandy Gibson (Martha Cope) turns up and threatens to reveal his real identity. Dotty exposes everything on Christmas Day, causing Sonia and Kathy to turn their back on Rocky.
He suffers a second heart attack while being chased away from Sonia by Martin Fowler (James Bye) and is hospitalised. Rocky later reunites with Kathy and they move in together before getting engaged when she mistakes a romantic gesture as a proposal.
It's eventually revealed that Rocky is already married to Jo Cotton (Vicki Michelle) and she soon arrives in Walford. Despite initially refusing to sign divorce papers, Jo gives in when Rocky threatens to take her to court. However, she turns up at Rocky and Kathy's wedding and reveals they're still legally married as there was an error with the paper work. Rocky still goes ahead and marries Kathy, who is none the wiser until Jo fesses up in the Vic and blackmails them for £50,000.
After the wedding, Rocky gambles away their honeymoon to Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) but Kathy wins it back in a game of poker. Their pair go on a Greek cruise, but when they come back to Walford they discover that Kathy's son Ian (Adam Woodyatt), grandson Pete (Thomas Law) and former daughter-in-law Cindy (Michelle Collins) - who was presumed dead - are back in Walford.
What else has Brian Conley appeared on?
Frankly, there's not much Brian hasn't done in his 40-year career. He's hosted The Brian Conley Show and presented the Royal Variety Performance, appeared in sitcoms like Time After Time and The Grimleys, starred in Hairspray, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Oliver on the West End, released five albums and competed on Strictly Come Dancing and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
How old is Brian Conley?
Brian is currently 62 years old. He was born on 7 August 1961.
Who is Brian Conley's wife?
Brian has been married to his wife Anne-Marie for the past 27 years. They tied the knot on 4 August 1996 at a chapel in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire. They have two grown-up daughters, Lucy and Amy.
Does Brian Conley have Instagram?
He does. You can follow him at @realbrianconley.