Adam Woodyatt too busy for EastEnders return

Adam Woodyatt is too busy to return to 'EastEnders'.

The 54-year-old actor took a break from the soap - on which he has played Ian Beale for 36 years - to take up a role in stage production 'Looking Good Dead' and is now set to go on tour with 'My Fair Lady' and he admitted that, while the door was left open for him to return to the show, there's a lot of other appealing options on the table.

He said: "I'm never gonna say never.

"But it's a question I get asked all the time. And it's a question I can't answer because I don't know the answer.

"It's not just my decision, it's their decision as well.

"They've got to write something. I've got to be available. Because I keep doing other work. The door's open, but there's a lot of doors that are open."

Adam admitted returning to the stage has reignited his love of acting.

He told The Buzz: "I love being on stage. I've kind of relearned in the last year or so why I fell in love with this job in the first place...

"There's something inside you, you get bitten by this bug, this theatre bug. And it doesn't leave you,”

Meanwhile, after years on 'EastEnders', Adam finds it hard to say who he enjoyed working with the most, but he singled out the late June Brown (Dot Cotton) and Steve McFadden (Phil Mitchell) for particular praise.

He said: "That's like saying pick your favourite child.

"I mean, the word legend gets thrown around far too easily. But [June] was without a doubt.

"A legend and an icon.

"And for me, Steve McFadden. If I have got to narrow it down and pick someone, I'll pick Steve because he's a top bloke and a top actor."