EastEnders' Bradley Branning is unrecognisable 7 years after leaving soap

Yes, yes, we know – as time passes, people get older and look older and celebrities we knew when they were younger will probably look more than a little bit different almost 10 years down the line.

However, we still can’t quite get over the shocking transformation that Charlie Clements, aka EastEnders’ Bradley Branning, has undergone in the seven years since he left the BBC soap.

The actor uploaded a fresh selfie to Instagram over the weekend and sent his fans into a tizzy with the new look, with Charlie opting to shave off his ginger locks in favour of a huge ginger beard.

Captioning the photo, Charlie quipped: “A year ago everyone was up in arms because I looked SO different at 28 to 18.

“Bet they didn’t expect this at 29! #actor #chameleon”.

The comment is in reference to Charlie’s appearance on Loose Women last year, which sparked a similar response from shocked EastEnders’ fans due to his grown-up look.

After joining Albert Square in 2006, Charlie chose to leave EastEnders back in 2010 and his character Bradley’s death is arguably one of the most emotional in the soap’s history, with the son of Walford lothario Max Branning falling to his death as he tried to protect his wife, Stacey, in EastEnders’ first ever live episode.

During his time on the show, Bradley was at the centre of some huge storylines – including Max and Stacey’s illicit affair and being taken hostage by Nasty Nick Cotton.

The actor won a host of soap awards for his exit from the show and has since gone on to star in Casualty, Murdoch Mysteries and even as Henry VIII in a docu-drama about the infamous British monarch’s life.

Last year, Charlie insisted that he had no regrets about leaving EastEnders, saying at the time: “I don’t regret it. By leaving it’s allowed me to do other things.

“I had a great time on the show when I was there but it was time to go.”