Matthew James Bailey Reflects on Craig Ingram's EastEnders Exit
Actor Matthew James Bailey discusses his character Craig Ingram's violent death, which concluded a grooming storyline with Amy Mitchell, and the show's collaboration with charities to raise awareness.
EastEnders star Matthew James Bailey has spoken about his character Craig Ingram's dramatic death. The disgraced detective was killed off in a violent confrontation with groomed teenager Amy Mitchell, played by Ellie Dadd, in the episode that aired on Wednesday, November 4.
Craig and Amy had fled Walford together after he offered to help her access her inheritance early. He claimed he lost his job for protecting her. Amy accessed the funds with help from Max Branning and left, shocking her father Jack. Jack then worked with police, and Sean Slater, to locate her. Craig seethed when the bank account was frozen, hitting Amy and pressuring her to steal from her stepmother's salon. After Amy was shown a video where Denise Fox revealed Craig's dodgy history, she confronted him. During a struggle in a bedsit bathroom, Amy hit Craig across the back of the head with a candlestick, leaving him unconscious. Amy left Craig for dead and returned to Walford. His body has not yet been discovered.
Earlier, Craig had stood up to Sean Slater, punching him, but Sean punched him back. Amy later called Denzel Danes from Craig's phone after realizing she was being held. Craig made a phone call to Jack, asking for a large sum of money in exchange for Amy's safety.
Actor's perspective
Matthew James Bailey, whose character Ethan Williams was also killed off in Hollyoaks in 2024, joined a chat to discuss his latest soap death. He believes Craig deserved his comeuppance and is happy to say goodbye to the character. "I feel like I’m starting to get a reputation, following in the footsteps of the magnificent Sean Bean where he dies in everything!" Bailey said.
He praised co-star Ellie Dadd for her performance in the final scenes and stated the storyline transitioned Amy from a girl into womanhood. Bailey revealed he took the role because of the storyline's importance in addressing social issues. He mentioned working with charities Barnardo's and End Violence Against Women during the process. Bailey stated he was honoured to portray manipulation and grooming to spread awareness for women.
The actor also discussed new projects, including a film shooting in February in The Netherlands about World War II. He aims to complete his soap opera bucket list by ticking off every soap. The episode can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
Social impact
The grooming storyline, which unfolded over recent months, was developed in collaboration with charities Barnardo's and End Violence Against Women. Bailey hopes the plot will raise awareness about manipulation and grooming. The show worked directly with these organizations to shape Amy's narrative.
Bailey's hope is that portraying these difficult themes will help spread crucial awareness.
