Todd: I chose to leave Square

EastEnders star Todd Carty has spoken for the first time about his departure from the show - saying he was not sacked but left of his own choice a year before his character Mark Fowler was due to be written out of the script.

Carty, who is to return to his roots on the school series Grange Hill for a one-off episode, told Hello! magazine: "Let's get one thing straight - I was not sacked."

Carty, 38, also said that the hours on the Albert Square set were interfering with his family life. He has been working five or six days a week up to 12 hours a day.

Speaking of spending more time with his family, he said it "broke his heart" that he had spent so little time with his young sons, James, five, and 18-month-old Thomas.