Nina Dobrev is welcome back to 'The Vampire Diaries' anytime.

The 26-year-old actress quit the supernatural drama earlier this year after six years playing the lead character Elena Gilbert but CW president Mark Pedowitz admitted they didn't want her to leave and would have her back if she evr wanted to return.

He said: ''We would have loved Nina to stay. She did a great job for the six years she was on the show and she's welcome anytime she wants to come back.

''I have to give credit to [producers] Julie Plec and Caroline Dries in terms of [re-focusing the show] on Damon and Stefan [Salvatore]... as well as having Kat Graham and Candice Accola's characters stepping up in ways we're very happy with.''

Nina quit the long-running TV show because she wanted time out to ''be a kid''.

She admitted she was looking forward to having a break from her previously ''regimented'' life and enjoying being able to ''chill'' before getting back to work.

She said: ''[I wanted to] do the opposite of what I'd been doing for the last six years. I had a very scheduled, regimented life, and I've just been taking time to not plan anything and see where life takes me and chill for a second before getting back into it. I want to live like a twenty something!

''I had such a routine that I'm excited to not have one at all.

''I was on 'Degrassi: The Next Generation', which was high school, and I was in actual high school for four years, and then I did four years of high school on 'The Vampire Diaries'. I'm ready to graduate and emerge into the real world and be an adult for the first time.

''But before that, I need to be a kid! I'm so excited to find out what's going to happen next.''