Shirley made the decision to leave the square (Picture: BBC)

Last night’s instalment of EastEnders saw yet another character depart the square, as Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) said her emotional goodbyes.

Residents such as Jean (Gillian Wright) and Denise (Diane Parish) weren’t the only ones sad to see her go, as fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment.

‘Aw, will miss Shirley, she’s so good!’, one fan wrote.

Another Shirley Carter lover (aren’t we all) said: ‘Shirley left EastEnders? The apocalypse is near’.

Shirley left the square with Lady Di in tow after an eventful Christmas period that saw son Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) get lost at sea, after diving in to save childhood sweetheart Linda (Kellie Bright).

While Mick’s death hasn’t been confirmed, due to the weather conditions and the fact he was out in the icy water for so long, the Carter family are trying to come to terms with the fact he has most probably died.

Shirl’s emotional exit scenes left many fans in tears, praising the actress for her performance.

One particularly poignant scene saw Shirley say her goodbyes to friend Jean, who was already suffering with loneliness over the festive period.

Shirley didn’t leave alone (Picture: BBC)

Shirl is the third character to have exited in the past week, following the likes of Mick and Janine (Charlie Brooks).

In a heart to heart with Denise, she confessed that the Square just didn’t feel like home for her anymore, with the loss of Tina (Luisa Bradshaw-White) and now Mick.

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However, a spokesperson for EastEnders has confirmed that she will return.

Though it is still unclear how long she will be away from our screens, at least we have her return to look forward to.

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It was an emotional episode as Shirley said goodbye.