EastEnders fans gobsmacked as they realise iconic star has played THREE different Walford characters in 20 years

EASTENDERS fans have been left gobsmacked after they realised an iconic star has played THREE different Walford characters in the past 20 years.

It's not uncommon for actors to have minor roles on soaps before later landing bigger parts.

But Lorraine Stanley has surpassed many by appearing in the soap on two separate occasions before landing her current role as Karen Taylor.

Lorraine, 47, arrived in Albert Square as the matriarch of the family in 2017 and has become a fan favourite during that time.

However, she first appeared in EastEnders in the 2004 TV movie, EastEnders: Pat and Mo.

Lorraine played a young Mo in the special episode which revealed what caused Pat Butcher's feud with Big Mo Harris that lasted until Pat's death.

The actress then appeared in the Square again in 2016 as Thelma Bragg, the mother of Linzi Bragg who entered an illegal relationship with Jay Brown.

It wasn't a blink and you'll miss it appearance either, as she starred in eight episodes before returning as Karen a year later.

One die-hard EastEnders fan shared snaps of her three roles on X - formerly Twitter - and wrote: "Lorraine Stanley playing 3 gobs****s on the same show over the course of 20 years is pretty iconic."

However, Lorraine's time on the show will be coming to an end soon, as it was revealed in July this year that Karen was being written out of the show.

Lorraine recently broke her silence on the shock news, telling The Sun: "I was sad, it was a mix of emotions, it's sad but it's exciting as now I can go and do what I want.

"You can get a bit relaxed there and a bit comfortable. So I want to be out of my comfort zone.

"I just want people to remember her as the best mum on the square, a heart of gold, she'd give you her last fiver and would do anything for her kids - a bit like myself."

EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.