Actor Matthew James-Bailey has joined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders as detective constable Craig Ingram, a new character arriving in Walford this summer.
The 31-year-old, best known for playing Ethan Williams on Hollyoaks between 2021 and 2024, will portray a younger police colleague of Detective Inspector Jack Branning. Ingram is being brought in to take over Branning's workload after Branning's bosses conclude he is struggling to juggle professional duties with supporting his wife Denise Fox, who is undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer.
Executive producer Ben Wadey said James-Bailey has been a fantastic addition to the cast and that the detective's introduction forms part of a Branning family storyline unfolding over the summer months. James-Bailey, who has already begun filming, described joining the long-running series as a dream come true.