ALL BEHIND YOU
Lorraine Stanley shares glimpse of first acting role since soap axe after admitting auditions were ‘soul-crushing’
EastEnders star is in her home town for her latest role
EASTENDERS star Lorraine Stanley teased a glimpse at her first acting role since her shock soap axe - after admitting auditions for new jobs were ‘soul-crushing’.
Last year, Lorraine, 48, made an emotional statement confirming that her character Karen Taylor would be leaving the BBC show for good.
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But she is all smiles as she is set to star in Dick Whittington, which will roll into King's Theatre in Portsmouth in a couple of weeks.
Slimmed-down Lorraine said: "Panto for me just sums up Christmas really. It's just fun for all the family.
Speaking about her new character, Queen Rat she said: "She's brash, she's dirty, she's filthy and lairy."
The star is back in her home town for the panto. She took to Facebook to say: "I can't wait for this!!!! Panto in my home town with me old mate Jack Edwards is going to be epic!!!
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Lorraine has no plans to reprise her role as loud-mouthed Karen.
She has no desire to be a recurring character like Patsy Palmer, who plays Bianca Jackson, saying: "Once you’ve done a soap, you’ve done a soap."
She told The Sun: "At the moment I wouldn't go back, I'm happy doing what I'm doing.
"They've left the door open, so never say never.
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"I made that special appearance and it was nice to see everyone and be a part of the family again."
Since leaving the soap, Lorraine has lost five stone, which she credits to making "good, clean living, healthy choices, new me, healthy mummy."
I’ll never return to EastEnders after brutal axe – even though auditioning for new jobs is soul-destroying, says Lorraine Stanley
She will also star in the film Departures, directed by Neil Ely and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan.
However, she admitted to The Sun that the auditioning process was not for the faint-hearted.
She said: "At the moment I'm auditioning, I'm just doing self-tapes, which is soul-destroying. It's horrible, I'm so bad at it.
"But I'm doing Panto in my hometown of Portsmouth, I'm playing Queen Rat, I've never done it before and I'm so excited."
Biggest soap stunts
Soaps are no stranger to dramatic stunts in the storylines. Not only do these moments create a spectacle for viewers, they also fundamentally change characters' lives.
Here is a look at some of the biggest soap stunts from over the years.
CORONATION STREET
- Tram crash (2010): The ITV soap marked its 50th anniversary with a intense tram crash - and live episode to boot. Overall, the crash and its effects were broadcast across a week in December 2010. Its resulting chaos saw regular characters Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) die.
- Richard Hillman tries to kill the Platts (2003): Of all the men unlucky-in-love Gail tied the knot with, Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) is probably the one she regrets most in hindsight. In 2003, murderer Richard tried to kill his step-family: first by gassing them with car fumes and then driving Gail (Helen Worth), Sarah (Tina O'Brien), David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Bethany (Amy and Emily Walton) into a canal.
EASTENDERS
- Queen Vic fire (2010): In September 2010, EastEnders bid farewell to matriarch Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) as a permanent fixture on the soap - she returned as a guest before the character's death in 2016. In the build-up to her initial exit, Peggy had trapped crack cocaine-addicted son Phil (Steve McFadden) in the Queen Vic. However, he escaped and set the boozer on fire.
- Bus crash (2017): In April 2017, a total of 11 Albert Square residents had their lives at risk in a terrifying bus crash. The stunt saw a double decker bus - the 764 to Barking - lose control and crash through the Albert Square market before hitting a low-level bridge. Notable passengers at the time included Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper).
EMMERDALE
- James Barton's death (2016): Interestingly about James' (Bill Ward) death was that it came in a spiral of events. After wife Emma (Gillian Kearney) locked James up in a jealous rage, he escaped and they tussled on a bridge over the bypass. Emma pushed him and James fell into traffic, in turn causing a 12-vehicle pile up, As well as James dying, key characters including Ashley Thomas (John Middleton) and Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) were injured.
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