Where is Honey in EastEnders? And when will she be back?

10 June 2020, 12:06

Honey from EastEnders left Albert Square in January
Honey from EastEnders left Albert Square in January. Picture: BBC

Where did Honey go in EastEnders and when will actress Emma Barton be back? Here's what we know...

EastEnders’ favourite Honey Mitchell has had her fair share of dramatic storylines since joining the cast back in 2005.

But the much-loved character has been absent from Albert Square since mid-January, when actress Emma Barton was temporarily written out of the BBC soap.

So, where is Honey in EastEnders? Here’s what we know…

Where is Honey in EastEnders?

Last year, Honey Mitchell was part of a harrowing storyline which saw her battle an eating disorder.

She was left a shell of her former self after ex-boyfriend Adam (Stephen Rahman-Hughes) cheated on her with several other women.

Honey finally throws cheating Adam out in EastEnders

With her confidence at an all time low, Honey developed an eating disorder over several months — something which Billy (Perry Fenwick) finally discovered in January.

Read More: Amanda Holden reveals EastEnders was first acting job after drama school

After realising her eating disorder was affecting daughter Janet, she then decided she had to leave Albert Square to get better.

She told Billy at the time: "We’ll always have that love for each other, but Billy, you love me too much to give me the help that I need."

In upsetting scenes, emotional Honey said goodbye to the kids, with Will pleading for his mum to stay.

Honey later broke down in tears and begged Billy to make sure they call her every day, as he told her: "You can do this, Hon."

Honey left Albert Square in January
Honey left Albert Square in January. Picture: BBC

Read More: Where is Zoe Slater from EastEnders now?

Why did Emma Barton leave EastEnders?

Emma Barton left EastEnders late last year to accommodate her Strictly Come Dancing commitments.

The actress made it to the final of the BBC competition with partner Anton du Beke, but was beaten by Emmerdale’s Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse.

She then competed in the Strictly tour with Graziano di Prima.

It’s unclear when Emma will return to filming, as production is currently on hold until later this month due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But speaking about Honey’s return at the 2020 Radio Times Covers Party, 43-year-old Emma told RadioTimes.com: “Poor Honey really had a battering at the end of last year.

“It was right that she had to go and find herself. It will be interesting to see where they take that storyline when she returns, I haven’t seen any scripts or discussed anything as yet but they can’t ignore why Honey went away.”

Now Read: Who did Joe Swash play in EastEnders? Dancing On Ice star's acting career revealed