Toby Alexander-Smith wasn’t sure how ‘EastEnders’ bosses were going to pull off Chantelle Atkins’ ambitious exit.
The soap star – who plays evil Gray in the BBC show – admitted there were some challenges on set as he and co-star Jessica Plummer worked on her character’s heartbreak escape attempt.
Addressing the high stake episodes – which see Chantelle on the run before ending up back in Albert Square – he told Inside Soap magazine: "When I read through the scripts, I thought they were very ambitious – I really didn’t have a clue how they were going to film it!
"The crew had real imagination and ambition to try new things.
"They had planned it so well, and it was so well organised that we were able to completely focus on the performance – it became a bit like a dance, we really had to choreograph the scenes.
"We just had to trust that the end result was going to pay off…"
This week’s scenes will see Jessica’s character suffer a tragic death, but Toby explained that it’s important to highlight the real dangers faced by people in abusive relationships.
He explained: "It will certainly be a shock for viewers, and I think it’s important that it concludes in such a tragic way.
"We’re encouraging women to speak out before that happens, as sadly it is happening more and more frequently. Since lockdown, there has been a staggering increase in deaths.
"So for Gray, lockdown just catapulted his behaviour into becoming as bad as it could be.
"It’s not just the fact that Gray kills Chantelle, it’s all the other incidents along the way; we’ve covered the whole of that spectrum, not one single bit of his behaviour has been acceptable."