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.
Karen Taylor played the larger than life Karen, Keanu’s mum in Eastenders.[/caption] Lorraine Stanley looks slimmer than ever as she shows off very glam transformation a year after axe[/caption] Lorraine has found a happy home treading the boards in Dick Whittington[/caption]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!!!
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.
“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.”
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.”
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
EASTENDERS
EMMERDALE