Dean Gaffney has reportedly been axed from EastEnders amid concerns over his behaviour following his split from girlfriend Rebekah Ward.
Dean and Rebekah split earlier this year after three years together and the actor has apparently since spent the majority of his time off partying in Ibiza. It’s also claimed that he ‘begged’ a stranger for pictures of her ‘boobs and bum’ after randomly contacting her on Facebook.
It’s thought that Dean’s behaviour led show bosses to axe him from his role as Robbie Jackson, with the character’s final scenes quietly airing this summer when he was seen heading abroad to look after his injured son Sami.
The actor has reportedly vowed to rebuild his life after receiving the axe, with a source telling The Daily Star Sunday: “Dean knows he’s made some bad decisions and he is working hard to get his life back on track.
“He split up from his long-term girlfriend and then he lost his job. But he knows he only has himself to blame.
“He’s always been a popular member of the cast and everyone loves Robbie Jackson so it’s a real shame that he will no longer be on our screens.”
CHECK OUT child soap stars - where are they now?
Child soap stars - where are they now? SLIDER with cover pic
1 of 19child soap stars
2 of 19Molly Conlin (Dotty Cotton)
Molly played Nasty Nick's daughter Dotty Cotton in EastEnders between 2008-10 and caused endless mischief with Tiffany Butcher. But where is she now...
3 of 19Molly Conlin (Dotty Cotton)
... 16-year-old Molly is now at college concentrating on her studies. After leaving the soap, the actress starred in Annabel's Kitchen, Horrible Histories and Blandings as well as adverts for Ragu Pasta Sauce and Bold 2 In 1.
4 of 19Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster)
Corrie's bad girl had some meaty storylines including being kidnapped (twice!) and dealing with her mother's breast cancer diagnosis. Helen left the soap in 2011, but what has she been up to since?
5 of 19Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster)
Six years since leaving the soap, the actress has appeared in I'm a Celeb, Celebrity Super Spa, Celebrity Wedding Planner and Holby City. She has had her first child Matilda with Scott Sinclair. So adorbs!
6 of 19Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale)
Before Hetti Bywater, The Square's tearaway Lucy Beale was played by Melissa Suffield. But where is Mel now...
7 of 19Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale)
...since leaving Walford, Melissa has evolved as an actress and has since starred in Casualty and played the role of Norma Jean in a musical about Marilyn Monroe.
8 of 19Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham)
Ellis Hollins has played Hollyoak's Tom Cunningham since he was just four-years-old and his storylines have gripped us all, from dealing with his mother's shock death to dealings with Sienna Blake... But where is Tom now?
9 of 19Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham)
Fourteen years later, Ellis is still in Hollyoaks (as lovable as ever) and was even spotted in Ibiza partying! Oh and he won a British Soap Award, no biggie!
10 of 19Sam Aston (Chesney Brown)
Sam Aston played the adorable Corrie's Chesney Brown since 2003. Speaking about life growing up on a popular soap, he said 'At 16, all my mates were getting fake IDs and going to pubs I always knew I couldn't do that.' But where is Sam Aston now?
11 of 19Sam Aston (Chesney Brown)
Sam is engaged to his girlfriend of five years Briony Gardner! The star had previously said: 'I do think I'm romantic. I like to treat my girlfriend, buy her flowers and make a fuss of her.'
12 of 19Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle)
Eden Taylor-Draper has played Belle Dingle since 2005, when she fell down a mineshaft on Christmas day. Speaking about being a child actor she said at the time, 'there is no time to go off the rails like Belle, I go home and learn my lines and I am in bed by 9pm!' Where is Eden now?
13 of 19Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle)
Eden is still in Emmerdale and recently was involved in a storyline where Belle pretended to be pregnant to keep her boyfriend. Uh oh.
14 of 19Charlie Jones (Ben Mitchell)
'Enders troublemaker Ben Mitchell has been played by a handful of actors, but we'll never forget the sweet Charlie Jones who was tormented by the evil Stella. Where is Charlie now?
15 of 19Charlie Jones (Ben Mitchell)
Charlie is now studying acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts – he looks COMPLETELY different to his Walford days.
16 of 19Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning)
Albert Square's favourite ginge (apart from his onscreen dad Max, obv) Bradley, was a knitted jumper-wearing sweetheart and made us want to pinch his cheeks through the television between 2006 - 2010. We are still getting over his tragic fall, where he saw his grizzly end. Where is Charlie now?
17 of 19Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning)
We hardly recognise Charlie Clements with a beard! The actor uploaded the snap to Twitter with the caption. "A year ago everyone was up in arms because I looked SO different at 28 to 18.. bet they didn't expect this at 29! #actor 'chameleon', He has since starred as Charlie Brackenreid in Murdoch Mystereries.
18 of 19Sonny Flood (Josh Ashworth)
Of course you remember Hollyoak's rather swishy-haired Josh Ashworth! His character was best known for dating Amy Barnes and an array of outlandish storylines including attempted murder, underage sex, drugs, drinking and joy riding. Where is Sonny now?
19 of 19Sonny Flood (Josh Ashworth
Sonny has since completed a law degree at the University of Manchester, working as a paralegal. Miles away from underage drinking a pint at The Dog, eh!
READ MORE soap news and spoilers
EastEnders spoilers: Adam Bateman's exit as his affair is EXPOSED
The source added: “His break-up with Rebekah hit him hard and he spent a lot of the summer out in Ibiza. Whenever he wasn’t filming he’d be off for the weekend.
“He was telling friends out there what had been going on and how he was coming to the end of his contract when his bosses found out what he’d done and decided not to renew his contract for now.
“After everything that’s happened Dean realised that he had to completely change his lifestyle. He’s had a massive wake-up call and wants to get his life back on track.”
The publication reports that the door has been left open for Dean to make a possible return in the future. A representative for EastEnders said: “We never discuss artists’ contracts.”
NOW WATCH EVERYTHING you need to know about new Love Island Winter
Dean has spent the last week at a wellness retreat in Spain and revealed that he’s ‘taken a step in the right direction’ in a positive post shared on Instagram.
Alongside a photo of him sitting on a mountain, he wrote: “I’m not that guy who goes to the gym all the time so I had to find another way of giving myself a goal and this retreat was what I like to call ‘a step in the right direction’.
“My health is important I need to always be aware of that, not just physically but mentally.
“I’m not saying I ran the marathon even though at times it felt that way haha but either way I’ve give myself a pat on the back for stepping outside my comfort zone."