EastEnders Hannah Waterman looks unrecognisable 17 years after quitting soap to move to Australia and Harry Potter role

SHE is well loved amongst soap fans for her role as Ian Beale’s third wife Laura Dunn.

But these days, Hannah Waterman, 46, is a far cry from Walford having moved to Australia, where she started a new life.

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The actress appeared on EastEnders from 2000 until 2004, until she was killed off after falling down the stairs in her flat after tripping over a toy when going to answer the door.

Janine (Charlie Brooks), who has recently returned to the soap, was wrongly accused of murdering her after a receipt was found in Laura's flat following a bust-up.

Following her stint on the show, Hannah, who is the daughter of actor Dennis, starred in Holby City, The Bill and New Tricks.

She moved Down Under in 2014 and has continued to work as an actress – most recently staring in the stage production of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.

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Speaking about her decision to move Hannah, who was a regular on Doctors at the time, previously told The Daily Telegraph Australia: “Work had really started to pick up but we thought ‘well, if we delay it again we just won’t do it’, so we thought we’d give it a year.

“But of course it’s no small thing to relocate like this, and a year isn’t really long enough.”

Hannah was previously married to EastEnders co-star Ricky Groves, who played Gary Hobbs.

Shortly after their split in 2010, she started dating The Bill star Huw Higginson, with whom she shares son Jack.

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