TV star Joe Swash has achieved many career highs over the years, but it all started when he debuted as Mickey Miller in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
The 43-year-old actor, who is married to fellow TV star Stacey Solomon, first appeared on Albert Square back in 2003 with his family and remained on the show until 2008.
Mickey was portrayed as a wheeler-dealer and found himself involved in various money-related scams. But, will he ever return permanently? And why did he leave in the first place?
Joe debuted as Mickey in 2003 (Credit: BBC)
Why did Joe Swash leave EastEnders?
Following a successful run on the show, Joe’s initial final episode as Mickey in EastEnders aired on July 1, 2008.
His character starred in a storyline that saw his family home burned down in a gas explosion. Weeks later, he joined his mother and sister for a fresh new start away from the square.
It was reported that Joe’s time on EastEnders had come to a sudden end after his and co-star David Spinx’s characters had “run out of steam”. David played Mickey’s father, Keith Miller.
“He and David were told their characters had run out of steam by EastEnders boss Diederick Santer. Joe was stunned at first. He’s loved playing Mickey and felt the fans still enjoyed watching his antics,” a friend of Joe’s told The Sun.
They added: “But he soon realised if the stories weren’t there, he didn’t want to be just going through the motions. He’s now thinking over his next move carefully. He doesn’t want to become just another former soap star.”
Joe returned for a one-off episode last year (Credit: BBC)
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