EastEnders star toyed with leaving

But the actor, who has played Peggy Mitchell's bruiser son Phil since 1990, said he decided to stick with the show because Peggy's exit meant he could explore new ground with his character.

In a magazine interview, McFadden confessed: "I thought it might be time to move on, with Barbara going, but then I realised it's a chance to do something different with Phil.

"The umbilical cord will be cut. We've had Phil and Grant, then Phil and Peggy, but now he'll be on his own."

He added: "I've stayed with the show because they've kept it

interesting."

Windsor filmed her final scenes in the Walford serial on Friday after nearly 16 years as the feisty matriarch.

McFadden took a break from the soap between Christmas 2003 and April 2005, in which he just wanted to "travel and eat curry and ice-cream".

After putting on weight during his time away, he has since got into shape with a strict daily regime of swimming one mile and cycling 10 miles.

The actor has lost more weight for a forthcoming storyline – which sees alcoholic Phil descend into an addiction to crack cocaine.