Adam Woodyatt's surprisingly low EastEnders wage despite 39 years starring in BBC soap

EastEnders fans may be surprised to hear who the highest earning stars on the soap are.

Adam Woodyatt, who has played Ian Beale since the show's very first episode in 1985, reportedly earns £260,000 a year.

That figure places him behind several of his co-stars, despite his status as the longest-running cast member.

For comparison, Steve McFadden - the iconic face of Phil Mitchell - earns around £300,000 annually.

Meanwhile June Brown, who plays Dot Branning, was once offered a £300,000 contract to remain on the show until March 2018.

The true top earner was Danny Dyer, who joined the cast in 2013 as Mick Carter. Dyer’s salary reportedly towered above the rest at £400,000 per year before his exit from soap.

His pay packet has reportedly caused some tension among the cast, given his relatively shorter tenure on the show.

Adam and Danny were previously rumoured to have clashed on set, leading to Danny storming off, but both actors have denied this ever happened.

An EastEnders spokesperson told the Digital Spy: "Danny is always a consummate professional. Danny has never walked off set, nor has he ever lost his temper or been rude to anyone at work."

Speaking about the supposed row, Adam joked: "This is news to me. As Danny would say, it's pony." Despite Adam's low salary, his character remains one of EastEnders’ most enduring figures.

Recently, Ian’s return to Albert Square alongside former ex-wife Cindy Beale brought fresh batch of drama to the soap.

Since their arrival the duo has launched a new business venture called Beale’s Eels, but Ian’s life is far from smooth sailing.

In recent episodes Ian has been hiding a shocking secret from his family, and it’s about to unravel. His erratic behaviour is set to catch the attention of Cindy, Peter, and the rest of his family when he becomes uncharacteristically anxious about Bobby’s upcoming 21st birthday.

Ian then gets caught out in a lie about attending a council meeting.

Tension builds as Peter demands answers, leaving fans wondering what Ian is really up to.