On 10 July 2006, the BBC announced that Richard had decided to leave the series after more than 20 years. An interview with "The Sun" revealed that problems with the "EastEnders" storyline (primarily Pauline's marriage to Joe Macer) were the main cause of her departure. Until the onscreen death of her character at Christmas 2006, she was one of only two original cast members of that programme to appear continuously from the first episode in 1985, along with Adam Woodyatt, who played her on-screen nephew Ian Beale.