“He’s decided to focus on new projects."
Aaron Thiara is reportedly set to leave his popular role as Ravi Gulati in the BBC’s EastEnders.
The actor, originally from Wolverhampton, joined the soap in July 2022 as a fellow prisoner of Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).
Ravi was later revealed to be linked to the established Panesar clan and was the adopted son of Ranveer Gulati (Anil Goutam).
It soon transpired that Ravi was actually the illegitimate son of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) and the father of Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury).
Ravi was thrown into the Walford action soon after his release from prison. He ended up killing Ranveer to save Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal).
Ravi escaped justice when Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Singh Deol) falsely confessed to the crime.
In 2023, Ravi’s former partner and Nugget’s mother, Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), arrived on the Square.
Priya brought along with her Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) – Ravi’s daughter, whom he knew nothing about.
In January 2025, Ravi also ended up killing Nish after pushing him off a roof.
The restauranteur later had a secret fling with Denise Fox (Diane Parish). This storyline saw Ravi take centre stage during the show’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
The viewers were given a choice to vote on whether Denise would choose to be with Ravi or reunite with her partner, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).
Denise ultimately chose Jack, but this gave Ravi a chance to embark on a new relationship with Priya.
However, recently, the audience have seen this bond crumble.
After cuckooing Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) and Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho), Ravi’s mental health deteriorated.
He was admitted to a unit and after being discharged, Ravi chose to abandon Priya and his children.
Priya started a scandalous affair with Max Branning (Jake Wood), but was shocked when Ravi returned.
Despite Priya asserting that their relationship is over, Ravi is currently determined to win her back, as well as discover the identity of her mystery man.
Upcoming episodes of EastEnders will see Ravi propose to Priya.
While EastEnders have not officially commented on the rumours of Aaron’s exit, a source told The Sun:
“Aaron has been at the centre of the some of the soap’s biggest storylines since his arrival as bad-boy Ravi back in 2022.
“He’s an incredibly popular member of the cast and the fans love him.”
“He’s decided to focus on new projects, but will stay on set until the end of the year to see out some juicy storylines his character has in store.”
Aaron Thiara quickly won the hearts of the audience and won ‘Villain of the Year’ at the 2023 British Soap Awards.
If the news of his departure is true, Aaron is not the only cast member set to leave the show in coming months.
Michelle Ryan (Zoe Slater) and Kellie Bright (Linda Carter) are also confirmed to be departing the soap.
EastEnders continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Monday, August 17, 2026.
