Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) made an exit from EastEnders as her mum Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) waved the grieving mum off on Monday.

The beloved character has been struggling after the death of her ex-husband Martin Fowler (James Bye) in the aftermath of the Queen Vic explosion last month.

The former couple had an emotional reunion in his final moments, promising to spend the rest of their lives together.

Sadly, it was not to be, and since Martin’s death, Stacey has sought to protect the truth about her and Martin from his partner Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton).

With preparations for Martin’s funeral now underway, Jean has encouraged her daughter to take some time away from the Square, suggesting she visit her brother Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky).

While initially reluctant, Stacey eventually agreed and made her on-screen departure in the latest episode of the BBC soap as she left in the back of a cab – although, we should probably mention that we didn’t actually see Stacey in her own exit scenes.

Actress Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey, is currently on maternity leave from EastEnders after giving birth to her third child back in January.

However, she returned to the soap’s set last month to be part of her live episode.

When is Stacey leaving EastEnders?

Stacey will also be back on screen in the coming weeks, with Lacey having been seen filming emotional scenes for Martin’s funeral on location with other cast members.

At present, it is unclear how bosses intend to write her character out on a more permanent basis to accommodate the rest of Lacey’s maternity leave.