Four EastEnders stars to leave the show early next year

Kirsty Branning (left) and Carl White (right) are among the characters leaving

Four stars of EastEnders are set to leave the show in part of an ongoing cast shake-up.

The BBC One soap will axe Kirsty Branning, Carl White, Poppy Meadow and AJ Ahmed early next year.

New executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins joined the show in July this year to try to boost falling ratings.

The outgoing actors include Kierston Wareing, who plays Kirsty Branning, and Phaldut Sharma who plays AJ.

Poppy Meadow (played by Rachel Bright) will be leaving EastEnders early next year

Daniel Coonan will end his role as Carl White, while Rachel Bright will finish playing Poppy Meadow after the character was introduced in January 2011.

The leaving cast members are set to film their final scenes in the coming months.

A spokeswoman for the programme said: "We wish them all the best."

Luisa Bradshaw-White (left) is joining the soap opera as Tina Carter

It was recently announced that Luisa Bradshaw-White will be joining the soap opera as Tina Carter, the sister of Shirley Carter, who is played by Linda Henry.

Comedian Terry Alderton will also be joining the cast as Terry Spraggan, the new love interest of Bianca Butcher, played by Patsy Palmer.

Speaking about joining the show he said: "I'm still in shock, it's all happened so fast. I can't wait to get started and I love the fact I don't have to change my name."

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