EastEnders star Molly Rainford addresses potential return in ‘door’s still open’ admission

The actress left the BBC soap alongside Freddie Slater actor Bobby Brazier

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Molly Rainford appeared on EastEnders for the last two years(Image: ITV)

EastEnders star Molly Rainford has addressed making a potential return to the BBC soap just weeks after her exit as she made a ‘door’s still open’ admission.

The 25-year-old actress made her Walford debut on the popular BBC soap as Anna Knight back in the summer of 2023. Introduced as the daughter of George Knight and Rose Sawyer – the name given to Cindy Beale by a witness protection programme – Anna quickly became a fan favourite.

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Molly has been involved in a number of huge storylines in first two years on EastEnders, including her love triangle with Bobby Beale and Freddie Slater. The actress is one of the more popular younger stars on the programme, boasting over 295,000 followers on Instagram.

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Prior to leaving for Australia with Freddie Knight, with Bobby Brazier departing alongside Molly, Anna used her final moments in Walford to build bridges between Kojo Asare, Gina Knight and Harry Mitchell. Additionally, she spoke to her dad George Knight about the importance of forgiveness.

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Despite her exit scenes airing this month, Molly has now teased that she’s open to making an Albert Square comeback in the future. She told the latest issue of New! Magazine: “What’s so amazing about EastEnders is that you get to do what you love every day.

“I feel like I’m blessed that I was a part of it. Hopefully, the door’s still open for me to go back. But, yeah, I just want to get out there and experience more.”

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Molly Rainford has finished her time on EastEnders(Image: BBC )

Additionally, Molly said the invaluable advice and skills she has gained from being on EastEnders will be used in her future project. She explained: “I learned how to be a professional by being around so many amazing actors all day long. I want to use those skills and do something new.”

Outside of her EastEnders journey, Anna competed on Celebrity Race Across the world with her fiancée Tyler West, who she met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022. After weeks of traveling through South America, Anna and Tyler reached the final destination two minutes after siblings Roman and Harley Moon Kemp.

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Speaking to BBC News, Molly noted that one of her biggest takeaways from doing Celebrity Race Across the World is having newfound confidence. She stated: “Talking to strangers, asking people for help – those are things you just don’t do anymore, but the race forces you into it.

“It’s given me so much more confidence that now I’m thinking, ‘What have I got to lose?’”

Speaking about the impact the show has had on her and Tyler’s relationship, she added: “It proved to us we can get through anything together.”

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While she failed to win the Glitterball while dancing with Carlos Gu in 2022, Molly met her future partner Tyler, who was competing with Dianne Buswell on the programme. Announcing their relationship in March 2023, the couple went on to move in with each in London in January 2024 before Tyler proposed this summer in Mykonos.