Well, it would seem that the rumours that Derek Branning is set to leave EastEnders at Christmas are true, as the actor who plays him, Jamie Foreman, has used his unemployment as a reason to get out of paying child support!

We reported earlier in the month how Derek was set to depart the show in the Christmas Branning secret exposure, chased away from Albert square by a gang of thugs as his dark and sinister past finally catches up with him.

And now it would seem that Foreman, who is the son of real life gangster and Kray associate, Freddie Foreman, has confirmed this as he has told a court, at a hearing regarding child support, that he will not be able to keep up his child support as he is likely to be leaving the soap.

Foreman has famously struggled with maintenance payments in the past, and has warned by the court that he may be jailed if he continues to fail to make payments.

Foreman had been ordered to pay £1,000 a month for each of his two sons after landing the role of Derek Branning back  in 2011, but magistrates have now cut that to £50 a week per child, the Daily Mail reports.

The barrister for the Child Support Agency, Crispin Hayhoe, told Bromley Magistrates Court: “Mr Foreman is an actor and I understand that the role he is playing at the moment is likely to end shortly.

“The agency understands the situation Mr Foreman faces. It is not uncommon for people effectively to lose their jobs.”

Foreman’s representative James Mehigan said: “Prior to paying £1,000 per month per child, he was paying £50 a week for each child.

“When this job finishes at the end of this month he will be back in the same financial position. So he has asked the court to revert to £50 a week per child.

“It was not easy to pay, but he had managed to pay it prior to that.”

EastEnders can be seen week-nights on BBCOne/BBCOne HD