EASTENDERS fans were baffled last after spotting there was a new Arthur Fowler in town.
Stacey Slater and Kush Kazemi’s kid, who was named after the Albert Square original, has been quietly recast.
Instead of Hunter Bell, the role has been taken by Rocco Brennan – and the change didn’t escape fans.
He made his EastEnders debut in slightly unusual circumstances: getting crushed on a bouncy castle by Jean Slater.
Arthur was seen holding his arm and squealing: “Nanny Jean did it” after she set up a huge inflatable in the market for the children to play on.
One viewer joked: “Poor Arthur, first he gets recast then hurt.”
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Others wrote: “They silently replaced the actor who plays Arthur lol” and: “They’ve changed Arthur!”
Another asked: “Did the kid playing Arthur change during the same episode?”
Hunter Bell, who played Arthur before moving on after six years on the soap, congratulated the newcomer.
Writing on the Instagram page run by his parents, the actor said: “I want to say a HUGE congratulations to Rocco Brennan on replacing me as the new Arthur Fowler.
“I am sure you will be a huge success. Looking forward to watching you grow as I did for 6 years.”
He explained earlier this week that he had played the character since being picked for it as a baby.
He wrote: “Since then I matured into the little Arthur Fowler you have all come to know and love.
“However, I personally made a decision that at 6 years old I want to try different things in life.”
