EastEnders fans FUMING that Kathy’s Café will be replaced by hipster vegan coffee shop!

EastEnders Ian Beale cafe

by Eden-Olivia Lord |
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EastEnders fans left furious as BBC bosses announce Kathy's Café will be turned into a hipster vegan coffee shop

EastEnders fans are promising to boycott the soap after it was announced a vegan coffee shop will replace Ian Beale's infamous cafe!

Yup.

So far this year we've seen a number of shocking changes in EastEnders, witha large number of characters arriving, leaving and returningto the square. But nothing has prepared us for saying goodbye to the beloved cafe.

GALLERY: 12 Soap stars who have committed crimes in real life!

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Soap Stars Committed Crime - SLIDER with cover pic

Soap stars committed crime1 of 12
CREDIT: Shutterstock

Soap stars committed crime

Nick Pickard2 of 12
CREDIT: Shutterstock / Rex & Lime Pictures

Nick Pickard

Back in 2012 Hollyoaks' longest-serving actor Nick Pickard (who plays Tony Hutchinson) pleaded guilty to drink driving.After the actor was stopped by police, a blood test found that he was over the legal alcohol limit by 14 milligrams. He was then given a 12 month driving ban and fined £850. At the time his solicitor told the court: "He wishes to express his remorse and regret, and he acknowledges he made a grave error in judgement."He had consumed alcohol earlier that day. He thought the alcohol had gone from his system and he apologises."

Leslie Grantham3 of 12
CREDIT: Shutterstock / Rex & BBC

Leslie Grantham

From 1967 to 1977 EastEnders star Leslie Grantham, who is best known as Dirty Den, served 10 years in prison for murder. The horrific incident took place after the actor tried to rob a taxi driver in Germany, following the altercation the driver died from a gunshot wound to his head. Despite denying any knowledge that there were bullets in the gun, he was found guilty of murder and send to prison. Surprisingly during his time in prison he acted in plays with other inmates and even became friends with his former EastEnders co-star Louise Jameson following her visits to the prison.After going on EastEnders, leaving and then returning again he was later involved in a sex scandal after a newspaper printed X-rated photos of the actor from his dressing room. Following his behaviour he released a statement and apologised, saying: "I am wholeheartedly ashamed of my behaviour and feel that I have let down my colleagues, as well as my friends and family."

Bruno Langley4 of 12
CREDIT: ITV & Getty Images

Bruno Langley

In November 2017 Coronation Street's Bruno Langley (who is best known as Todd Grimshaw) was accused of acting inappropriately towards a woman on a night out. Shortly after he was dismissed from the show another sexual assault allegation came to light.After the actor was charged with the two counts, he was then accused by a 15-year-old girl of 'pursuing' her. The former Corrie star then pleaded guilty to the two charges and had to pay a £500 fine and a 12-month community order.He then released a statement where he apologised for his "disgraceful behavoiur" he went on to say: "I have absolutely no memory of what happened because of excessive alcohol consumption and it was for this reason that I behaved completely out of character."However, I take full responsibility for my actions that night."

Joseph Shade5 of 12
CREDIT: BBC & SWNS

Joseph Shade

He played Ian Beale's son Peter Beale from 1998 to 2004 but Joseph Shade was spared jail in 2017 after admitting to sexual assaults against three teenage girls.After pleading guilty to the crimes of the three girls between the ages of 14 and 17, he was handed an 18-month sentence suspended for 24 months, a sexual harm prevention order for five years and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Tim Dowd6 of 12
CREDIT: ITV & Shutterstock / Rex

Tim Dowd

In 2018 the Coronation Street cast and crew were shocked to discover one of their directors had been arrested for child grooming. Tim Dowd was caught after a police officer posed online as a 13-year-old girl.He has also worked on Emmerdale, Heartbeat and Casualty.

Michael Le Vell7 of 12
CREDIT: ITV & Shutterstock / Rex

Michael Le Vell

Back in 2011 Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin Webster, arrested however the Crown Prosecution Service decided to not proceed with the case.However, in 2013 following fresh allegations from the accuser he was arrested again. The girl (who at the time of the trial was 17) accused the actor of abusing her from the age of six until 14. He faced 12 charges which also included sexual activity with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and indecent assault. He denied all of the charges and was later found not guilty. During the trial he did not appear in any of Corrie's episodes and after it came to light that he was innocent, he admitted outside the court that he was "delighted" and felt the result was "a weight off everyone's shoulders".Fast forward a few years and the actor has been declared bankrupt after having to pay out £200,000 in legal fees following the child abuse claims.

Bill Roache8 of 12
CREDIT: ITV & Shutterstock / Rex

Bill Roache

A few months after Coronation Street's Michael Le Vell was arrested so was his co-star Bill Roache.The Corrie star, who plays Ken Barlow, was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1967. However things got worse for the actor as he was then charged with two counts of rape and then five more counts of indecent assault against children between the age of 12 and 16.He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and after three weeks at the trial he was found not guilty. After thanking everyone for their support, he said in a statement: "In these situations there are no winners, and I think we should all be much kinder to ourselves."

Leanne Lakey9 of 12
CREDIT: BBC

Leanne Lakey

From 2001 to 2003 she was known for playing Belinda Slater in EastEnders but years after being in the BBC soap she accused of attempting to smuggle three kilos of cocaine into the UK.The actress was arrested at Gatwick Airport in 2016 after the class A drug was found hidden in the bottom of her suitcase.A year after the arrest, and Leanne Lakey was found not guilty after there was no evidence against her.

Jody Latham10 of 12
CREDIT: BBC & Shutterstock / Rex

Jody Latham

He played EastEnders' Rob Grayson (Whitney Dean's pimp) but in 2011 actor, Jody Latham, was arrested for growing cannabis. Police seized 24 plants from him.However, he managed to avoid jail with a 12-month sentence suspended for two years. In 2016 he was also accused of harassing a contestant on The Apprentice but was later cleared.

Ben Freeman11 of 12
CREDIT: Shutterstock / Rex

Ben Freeman

He played Scott Windsor in Emmerdale but actor Ben Freeman has previously been accused of raping a girl he met in Barbados while on holiday.Following the accusation he was 'released' from his contract and after denying the allegations he was found not guilty.

Linda Henry12 of 12
CREDIT: BBC & Shutterstock / Rex

Linda Henry

In 2015 EastEnders starLinda Henry - aka Shirley Carter - was accused of racially abusing a warden. The incident was said to happen after the actress was told off by the accuser of dropping a cigarette bud on the floor.She denied the claims and was later found not guilty.

The legendary Walford landmark has been on the square since the show first began in 1985.

It began life under the ownership of Ali and Sue Osman, however the cafe has changed hands a number of times since then.

The Osman's were forced to sell the business to Ian Beale due to Ali's gambling addiction.

Ian and his wife Cindy then took over the cafe before he sold it to his mum Kathy.

However after she gave birth to Ben Mitchell (her son by Phil), she sold the business back to Ian.

Ian then lost it after becoming bankrupt, and his nemesis Phil got his hands on it.

EastEnders
The cafe has been on the show since the very beginning ©BBC

However after Phil was wrongfully imprisoned for killing Laura Beale, his sister Sam sold it back to Ian!

But that's not the end of the who-has-owned-the-cafe-saga.

After Jane Beale became the owner (following her divorce from Ian), she sold it to Phil who then sold it back to Ian, who then gave it to Lucy, who they gave it back to Ian.

Got it?

EastEnders cafe gas explosion
The cafe's been the scene of many a dramatic storyline! ©BBC

Unsurprisingly, the cafe's name has changed a long with its owners, and over the years it's been called Al's Cafe, Bridge St. cafe, Laura's Café, Shirley's Cafe, Mandy's Café, Cindy's Café and more recently Kathy's Café.

However BBC bosses have revealed that they're planning on replacing the traditional East End cafe with a brand new vegan-friendly hipster coffee shop, and what's more, they're calling it Tofu and Toast.

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EastEnders cafe - STACKED

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CREDIT: BBC

There's been that gas explosion in the cafe

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CREDIT: BBC

Mel Owen made a comeback and popped into the cafe too

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CREDIT: BBC

Ian Beale rebranded it in memory of his mum Kathy who isn't actually dead

In a statement they explained: "EastEnders is all about reflecting real life and we feel Tofu and Toast is a fitting representation of contemporary east London.

"Since the show first began in 1985 it has kept up to date with what's happening in the East End and we feel it's perfect to have a presence of a vegan cafe on the square.

"EastEnders is all about community life and we're proud to be the first British soap to take a step towards representing our vegan and vegetarian viewers."

EastEnders Nick Cotton in the cafe
Throwback to 2009 when Nick Cotton kept the residents as hostages in the cafe ©BBC

However following the announcement viewers of the BBC One show have been left furious at the dramatic change, with one person tweeting: "This is political correctness gone mad! That's it I'm boycotting the show"

Someone else said: "I refuse to believe the traditional cafe is being replaced with a poshed-up coffee shop 😡😡😡 it's bad enough it's happening in real life I don't need to watch it on the TV"

Another commented: "As if they would properly close the cafe???????? It's just as much a part of #EastEnders as the opening sequence."

EastEnders Ian Beale Phil Mitchell crying
Ian will be devastated to let the cafe go ©BBC

A fourth wrote: "It's meant to be the traditional East End and who's even going to eat at the cafe? I can't think of one vegan person on the show"

Eek!

In the upcoming weeks viewers will see Ian decide to sell the cafe after Peter Beale calls from New Zealand asking for money help after heavily drinking and getting himself into debt.

What do you think of the shows overhaul? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

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