Priya leaves EastEnders as Sophie Khan Levy addresses whether she’ll return

Priya Nandra-Hart has left Walford following an emotional EastEnders exit, as Sophie Khan Levy also revealed she is expecting her first child.

Priya’s departure came after Ravi discovered that Max is the father of her unborn baby. With her secret exposed and her future in Walford suddenly looking very different, Priya ultimately decided to pack her bags and leave Albert Square.

Her exit has immediately raised another question. Is this really the end for Priya, or could Sophie already have filmed something connected to EastEnders’ mysterious New Year’s Day flash-forward?

EastEnders has confirmed that Sophie has finished filming after three years with the soap as she prepares for the arrival of her first child.

Is Priya leaving EastEnders permanently?

Sophie’s pregnancy had led some viewers to assume Priya would simply disappear from the Square for maternity leave before eventually returning.

However, the farewell given to Sophie by the EastEnders cast and crew made the departure feel considerably more final. Executive producer Ben Wadey thanked her for an “extraordinary three years” and said she would be “very, very missed”. 

Sophie herself hasn’t completely closed the door. Speaking directly to viewers in her farewell video, she teased: “Watch this space. Who knows if Priya will make a return?” 

There is therefore no confirmed return for Priya at present. Equally, Sophie’s choice of words has inevitably given viewers hope that her taxi departure might not be the last they see of her.

Fans question whether Priya is really gone

Online fans quickly began questioning whether EastEnders could be hiding something, particularly because many had expected Sophie’s real-life pregnancy to result in maternity leave rather than a permanent exit.

“I was hoping it was just for maternity leave,” one viewer wrote after seeing Sophie’s farewell, adding that they were “gutted” Priya was going. Another asked: “Is this for maternity or for good. Hope it’s not for good I love Priya.” 

A third fan was equally surprised by the announcement, writing: “Surely shes coming back though right??” before explaining that they had expected Priya simply to disappear for maternity leave. 

Others have been looking further ahead. One viewer suggested that Sophie could have already filmed material for the flash-forward, while another questioned who the pregnant woman in Max’s bed on New Year’s Day could be if Priya really has gone. 

Those theories remain entirely fan speculation, but there is a reason the flash-forward has become part of the conversation.

Could Priya still appear in the New Year’s Day flash-forward?

Priya’s pregnancy has already become closely connected to EastEnders’ year-long flash-forward mystery.

The storyline has shown a pregnant woman in Max’s bed on New Year’s Day, and Priya emerged as an obvious possibility after her own pregnancy was revealed. Her baby has subsequently been confirmed to be Max’s, making the connection even more intriguing. 

Priya leaving in September therefore doesn’t necessarily settle the mystery.

EastEnders films out of sequence, and we now know Sophie’s actual final scenes were filmed while the production was working on material involving Max and Cindy’s wedding. That has encouraged fan theories that she could have recorded additional scenes before finishing work on the soap. 

What EastEnders has done, however, is leave several questions hanging at once. Priya is carrying Max’s baby, the flash-forward involves a pregnant woman in his bed, and Sophie has chosen to leave viewers with “watch this space” rather than ruling out another appearance.

Priya may have left Walford, but EastEnders has given viewers plenty of reasons to keep wondering whether they have actually seen the last of her.

EastEnders airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.