Something must have happened behind the scenes

It’s a shock that she’s gone.

 

But she never really worked. She was a 27 year old who they all treated like a teenager and she was very plot driven. Her actions didn’t make sense other than to move the plot along. I can’t say I’ve missed her whilst she’s been offscreen but it’s annoying there’s another baby just landed on that family given they have too many kids already.

That really surprises me. I thought the audience were just starting to warm to her and understand her. She is so troubled and complex. It makes no sense for her to have Alfie's baby then just leave forever. Bizarre.

It feels like a huge waste of potential really. Hayley could have been developed so much through some great storylines and they laid the foundations pretty well, and I was hoping she could come back and soar under Kate Oates' tenure, so this exit feels like a damp squib on the character.

Eastenders has a habit of just ditching major elements of the show that they feel aren't working (see Michelle 2.0 and Kat's long lost son) instead of finding ways to improve them. Hayley was overused, very plot driven and very unlikeable even though the show tried to paint her as a saint. I thought other characters suffered in the writing to boost her too. She definitely had potential though and I thought there were moments of good, mainly down to the acting of those involved. I think Kate Oates would have been able to improve the character or at the very least given her a proper exit. It's a huge shame that last year had so much build up to an explosive Christmas and now it feels like it never happened. Such a waste and it's probably one of the main reasons viewers are switching off. There's no point investing in the storylines if, in the end, it amounts to nothing.

All that said, I can't say I've missed Hayley and I don't think there's a place for her now, especially when we're getting more characters on her age bracket coming into the show.

I haven't missed Hayley at all, she was great when she first came in and I think there was (and probably still is, in the right hands) a lot of potential but as soon as she had her baby and got drawn into Kat and Alfie, she definitely just became a plot device. It's odd that they pushed her so much only to reduce her to a plot device and write her out so quietly without even saying she was gone until now.

The Tiff storyline has really improved under Kate Oates.

 

I still love it whenever anyone calls Kathy out for being an appalling mother. It never gets old and her being back never gets more realistic.

I feel I’m in the minority here but I’m going to miss Hayley.

 

I thought the actress was great and she had potential as well.

 

I kinda wish the false rumour about her dying on Christmas Day turned out to be true now as it would’ve been a better ‘exit’ than what she got.

 

10 years! :cry: Some say you can still hear Ronnie's cry echoing around some areas of London.

Danielle's death twist was such a genuine shock moment and EastEnders at its absolute best!

Not sure on new Ben yet. It’s only 15 months since we last saw him and he’s quite different

I hope he isn't as shouty

I can't get used to Barry Grant from Brookside turning up in the square.

Mel is such a mood for me right now.

Mel going off in The Vic was almost as iconic as Glenda at the Mitchells

Omg Mel was iconic tonight I was screaming, yas queen you rip Linda apart get her to stfu

Not Sharon going from shit mum to iconic af in the space of 10 minutes.

That Sharon scene didn't disappoint after weeks of waiting *.*

Tbh it’s been two days and I’m still screaming every time I think of Mel shouting ‘SLAPPERS’ and pointing at Louise.