EastEnders’ Tom Watt played Lofty for three years before he left the BBC soap in 1988, with the actor going on to pursue a very different career away from acting

EastEnders star Tom Watt played George “Lofty” Holloway 35 years ago before he waved goodbye to the BBC soap.

The iconic character was part of the original cast in 1985, but after three years on Albert Square, he decided to hang up his acting boots. At 68, Tom chose to swap the drama of soap land for the thrill of sports journalism. He’s worked with big names like talkSPORT, Channel 4 and the BBC, carving out a niche as a sports pundit.

After leaving EastEnders, he hosted the drivetime show Season Ticket on talkSPORT for over four years, before moving to BBC London to cover live weekend football. He also hosted the weekly show Fans’ Forum on Arsenal TV until it was cancelled in 2013.

Tom didn’t just stick to broadcasting; he also contributed to Arsenal’s matchday programme and more recently, he’s been seen presenting for BT Sport and working as a writer and consultant for EA Sports.

One of his most intriguing projects was ghostwriting David Beckham’s 2002 autobiography, My Side, reports OK!.

Although he’s left acting behind, Tom has reprised his role as Lofty in EastEnders twice, making a surprise return to Walford in 2019 for Dr Harold Legg’s funeral, and again in 2022 for Dot Cotton’s send-off.

The actor reminisced about his return to the iconic soap on This Morning, saying: “I really enjoyed going back to do it, acting’s something I love doing I’m just not great waiting for the phone to ring and I’m out of town.

“They came along with this and I’ve got to say it wasn’t just ‘oh let’s get someone from the past back’. It was really well-written absolutely the right thing that Lofty was there for the funeral.”

Reflecting on his cherished moments in EastEnders during an appearance on Steph’s Packed Lunch in 2022, Tom expressed: “Lofty was a really rewarding character to play – a beautiful mix of comedy and proper drama. I had really good working relationships with people like Leslie Grantham, Anita Dobson, and Susan Tully.”

Lofty’s time in Albert Square was marked by his unrequited love for Michelle Fowler (played by Susan Tully) as despite his deep feelings for her, Michelle did not feel the same way.

The breakdown of their marriage and Michelle’s decision to terminate their pregnancy led to Lofty’s poignant departure from Walford.