Steve John Shepherd, aka the slippery Michael Moon, is set to leave The Square for good. We’ll be waving goodbye to the smooth talker after a busy few years in Walford.
Steve John Shepherd commented "After two years of playing Michael, I feel now is the time to move on. I have relished every minute of exploring his character. The good and the bad!"
"I feel extremely privileged to have had this amazing experience and I want to thank everybody at EastEnders for their extraordinary support. Most importantly I would like to thank the fans for taking him and his numerous flaws into their hearts. I wish them all the very best." Awww, we're going to miss you Steve!
Since his first appearance on the 1st October 2010, Michael has dabbled in many a scheme... and a relationship or two. Lest we forget his ultimate betrayal of kind-hearted cousin Alfie when bedding his wife Kat, and fathering a son, Tommy. Tsk tsk. The damage he caused was irreparable. But Michael proved himself when it came to Janine, his true partner in crime. They married, had a daughter, Scarlett... and then they broke up. Michael was left holding the baby and hasn’t done too bad a job if we do say so ourselves. Sniff sniff. We’re going to miss that man.
Executive Producer Lorraine Newman said of his exit: "Steve John Shepherd's wonderful, enigmatic portrayal of Michael Moon has captivated the audience for the past two and a half years. Michael Moon will remain on our screens until much later this year and I am sure the audience will enjoy the suitably dramatic end we have planned for the character. With Janine's return on screen this month, there's sure to be plenty of fireworks to come."
And we do love fireworks...
