A NINETIES pop star has been spotted looking unrecognisable 33 years after her Top Of The Pops performance, EastEnders role and inheriting £400k from her celeb best friend.
Sophie Lawrence played Diane Butcher in BBC soap EastEnders, and was a regular from 1988 to 1991.
The now 52-year-old has also had numerous guest appearances over the years, most recently in 2012.
As well as her acting talents in the likes of EastEnders and Grange Hill, Sophie also achieved a top 30 hit in the UK’s singles chart with her cover of Donna Summer’s hit single Love’s Unkind.
And she’s shown off her pantomime talents in the past too, appearing as Janet in the West End’s adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show, as well as a lead in Daisy Pulls It Off.
In December 2006, the actress starred as Peter Pan at the Wycombe Swan, and in 2007 opposite David Essex again as Peter Pan.
She’s also been involved in the touring show Simply Ballroom as one of the presenters.
But the actress now looks completely different, years after her Top Of The Pops success.
It was announced earlier this year that the EastEnders star was going to be returning to the world of entertainment by taking to the mic as a DJ, and would take take the place of DJ Paul Stephen on Park Radio’s Mid Morning Show, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Talking to SuffolkNews, she said: “James Grint (Park Radio’s station director) and his wife, Sarah, are friends of mine and he asked me about three weeks ago – and he is really hard to say no to.
“I been interviewed on the radio loads of times but I’ve never done anything like this before.
“Despite what people think, there are a lot of buttons that DJs have to deal with and they all have a purpose. During my practices, I have found that sometimes I am not using them for the right ones, but I am sure by Tuesday it will all be fine.”
Sophie could be seen sitting with a pair of headphones around her neck in a green jacket and grey shirt as the news was announced.
Two years ago, On the Buses star Anna Karen left the bulk of her £427,000 fortune to Sophie.
The actress, who was most famous for playing Olive Rudge in the 70s sitcom, died in a house fire aged 85.
Anna left 65 percent of her estate to longtime friend Sophie once funeral and legal costs were taken care of, as well as inheritance tax and a £1,500 payment to another friend, the Mail reports.
Anna appeared in EastEnders as Aunt Sal between 1996 and 2017.
Sophie was from the same part of London as Anna and starred alongside her in comedy show Bazaar & Rummage, based on Sue Townsend’s book.
The remaining sum was split between Anna’s stepdaughter Gloria Gill, who received a fifth of the estate, and four friends who shared an eighth of the estate. While the remaining 2.5 per cent was left to the Actors’ Benevolent Fund.
Three fire engines and around 20 firefighters rushed to the blaze at Anna’s home in Ilford, London, at 10.20pm.
Despite their best efforts, Anna died at the scene.
Her agent Shane Collins, who also represented her best friend Barbara Windsor, said: “It is very sad news.
“But I’m happy that Anna will now be with her best mate Barbara and her beloved husband Terry Duggan.
“Anna was a great lady and a really nice person. She was a fantastic client to look after. I can’t tell you how much I liked her.
“She went through a hard time after she broke her hip a few years ago but came back to work again and appeared in EastEnders with a stick.
“Over the last couple of years she has been at home with friends popping by and her neighbours looking out for her.”
