Lacey Turner | |
---|---|
Born | Lacey Amelia Turner 28 March 1988 Barnet, North London, England |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2004–present |
Known for | Role of Stacey Slater in EastEnders |
Television | EastEnders True Love Bedlam Switch Our Girl |
Spouse | Matt Kay (m. 2017) |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Full list |
Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) [1] is an English actress. With a career spanning two decades, she made her acting debut in the television soap opera EastEnders , in which she rose to prominence and has garnered critical acclaim for her portrayal of Stacey Slater, a character she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014.
Stacey is often regarded as one of EastEnders' most popular characters, while Turner is cited as one of the Britain's best soap opera actors. Her most notable storylines include struggles with bipolar disorder, sexual assault, which lead to "Who Killed Archie?", postpartum psychosis, and an affair with father-in-law Max Branning. Turner has won over thirty awards for her portrayal of the character, with her accolades including four National Television Awards, six British Soap Awards and eight Inside Soap Awards. During her break from the soap, she also appeared on Being Human (2011), True Love , Bedlam , Switch (all 2012), Our Girl (2013–2014) and Call the Midwife (2014).
Turner was born in Edgware, in the London Borough of Barnet, to Catholic parents Bev and Les. [2] She was raised along with her two younger sisters in Hertfordshire, near the BBC television studios in Elstree. [2] She had commented: "From my bedroom window you could see part of the square [the external filming lot for EastEnders], and you could hear them all filming at night. I used to say to my mum: "I wanna be on that!" [2] It was whilst living there that Turner decided to become an actress.
At the age of 10, Turner trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, but left after a year stating that it "wasn't my cup of tea". [2] She has since revealed that she was bullied whilst at school for being "too geeky". [3] Instead, she attended a local girls' private school, Peterborough and Saint Margaret's School in Bushey and went to dance, singing and acting classes outside school. [2]
Turner's earliest work included appearances on stage and in advertisements (notably a Haribo advert). [4] In 2004, Turner went on to audition for the role of Demi Miller on the BBC soap opera EastEnders . Though she failed to get that part, she was instead given the role of Stacey, a new addition to the popular Slater family. She started in the soap the day after leaving school, [2] and made her first appearance on-screen in November 2004. [4] Turner speaks with Received Pronunciation, and had to affect a cockney accent for the role. Commenting on the role, Turner said: "I always dreamt of being on the show and so I can't believe that I've fulfilled my greatest ambition!" [5] Since joining the show, her character has featured in numerous high-profile storylines, including abortion, drug abuse, a troubled relationship with her mother, discovering she has bipolar disorder, an affair with her father-in-law and the murder of her rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb).
Turner starred in a live episode of EastEnders on 19 February 2010 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the soap opera. The live episode gained over 16.6 million viewers which saw Stacey's husband die after falling from a rooftop during a police chase before Stacey's confession that she murdered Archie Mitchell. [6] After her co-star Charlie Clements who played her husband left in February 2010, EastEnders bosses declared that they are keen to retain Turner after proving her popularity with viewers, [6] however, she announced her decision to leave the show in April 2010. [7] She stated: "I'll miss Stacey and everyone in Albert Square very much but the time has come to try something different." [8] Turner later revealed that she had agreed with Charlie Clements to leave EastEnders at the same time as him. Of the decision, Turner said: "Charlie and I always said we'd go at the same time. For quite a while I'd been saying I was going to go and kept realising I wasn't ready. But when Charlie said he was going last year I was like, 'Right, OK, I'm going too'." [9] She departed on-screen on 25 December 2010.
On 6 December 2013, it was announced that Turner would be returning to EastEnders, to reprise her role as Stacey. Turner began filming in January 2014. [10] [11] She made her on-screen return on 7 February 2014 and departed on 25 March 2014. She returned full-time in August 2014. Since returning to the show she has featured in a highly acclaimed postpartum psychosis storyline.
Turner's character has proven popular with fans and critics, and the actress has won multiple awards for her portrayal.
In December 2010, Turner advertised Royal Mail 's campaign to remind people of Christmas postal deadlines. [12] The following year, she was cast as Lia Shaman in the third series of Being Human . [13] She appeared in its first episode broadcast on 23 January 2011, watched by 1.37 million viewers (5%). She reprised her role for the series finalé. In March 2011, she played Elizabeth Lavenza, the bride of Victor Frankenstein (played by Andrew Gower), in an adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus titled Frankenstein's Wedding , which aired on BBC Three, live from the derelict Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds, in front of an audience of 12,000. [14]
Turner appeared alongside David Tennant, Billie Piper, David Morrissey, Jane Horrocks, Ashley Walters and Vicky McClure in the BBC One improvisational programme, True Love , which aired in June 2012. Also in June, she played the leading role of Ellie, a character who claims to see ghosts and spirits, in the second series of Bedlam . In October, she starred in the ITV2 supernatural drama series, Switch , which centres on the story of four young witches living in contemporary London. Turner's character is referred to as the "immaculately dressed" careerist Stella. [15]
The actress played a young army recruit called Molly in a one-off 90-minute drama titled Our Girl . [16] She began filming in BBC Elstree Studios in October 2012 and the film aired on BBC One on 24 March 2013. This was then followed by a five-part series which began airing on BBC One on 21 September 2014. [17] Michelle Keegan took over from the second series in 2016.
In October 2012, Turner joined Asda 's Tickled Pink campaign. [18] She has also done voice over work in the CITV programme, Goodbye Year Six and narrated BBC Three's Don't Just Stand There, I'm Having Your Baby. Turner also starred in radio dramas, The One about the Social Worker and Up the Junction, which aired on BBC Radio 4 in September 2013. [19]
Turner appeared in the Channel 5 documentary Miscarriage: Our Story in October 2020, where she spoke of suffering a miscarriage while at work. [20]
Turner married Matt Kay in a private ceremony in Ibiza on 5 September 2017. [21] On 25 February 2019, Turner announced that she was expecting a child with Kay, having previously suffered two miscarriages. [22] On 12 July 2019, Turner gave birth to a daughter, Dusty Violet Kay. [23] [24] On 21 September 2020, the couple announced that Turner was pregnant with their second child. On 3 February 2021, Turner gave birth to a son, Trilby Fox Kay. [25] [26] [27]
In April 2021, she called for better support for parents who have suffered a miscarriage. Turner appeared on BBC Breakfast and said that the system "needs reforming". [28] [29]
Turner is good friends with EastEnders co-stars Jessie Wallace and Natalie Cassidy. [30] [31]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2004–2010; 2014–present | EastEnders | Stacey Slater | Series regular | [32] |
2010 | Last Tango in Walford | Stacey Slater | EastEnders spin-off | [33] |
2011 | Being Human | Lia Shaman | 2 episodes | [34] |
Frankenstein's Wedding | Elizabeth Lavenza | Television film | [35] | |
Life Outside | Gemma | Television film | ||
2012 | True Love | Michelle Booth | 2 episodes | [36] |
Bedlam | Ellie Flint | Main role; 6 episodes | [37] | |
Switch | Stella Munroe | Main role; 6 episodes | [38] | |
2013 | Our Girl | Molly Dawes | Television film | |
2013–2014 | Our Girl | Molly Dawes | Main role; 5 episodes | [39] |
2014 | Call the Midwife | Stella Crangle | Episode #3.3 | [40] |
Year | Title | Role | Station | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Up the Junction | Rube | BBC Radio 4 | [41] |
The One About the Social Worker | Tamsin Geraghty | [42] | ||
2023 | Gaslight | Tippi Griffiths | [43] | |
Karen Jane Wallace, known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series The Bill and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders. For her portrayal of Kat, she has won seventeen awards including Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards and the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer in 2001, Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards in 2003 and the British Soap Award for Best Actress in 2011. She also portrayed the role of Pat Phoenix in the BBC Four television film The Road to Coronation Street, for which she was nominated for the 2011 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Charlie Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Derek Martin. Charlie's first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000. He was played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001 and Richie Daysh in a 2018 flashback. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the spin-off EastEnders: E20.
Kathleen "Kat" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the second eldest Slater family sister and first appeared on 18 September 2000. Kat's usual dress is very short skirts and leopard-print tops, with much make-up and heavy fake tan. Her initial stint saw her involved in many storylines, most significantly in a plot twist that sees her supposedly sister Zoe Slater, revealed to be her daughter after she was raped by her uncle Harry Slater as a child. Kat and Zoe's relationship is tested several times, and a feud forms when they compete against each other for the affection of Anthony Trueman. Another key aspect to the character's storylines is her marriage to Alfie Moon, prior to which she became briefly engaged to Andy Hunter ; after Kat jilted Andy on their wedding day, he blackmailed her into sleeping with him in his revenge bid against Alfie and Kat. Kat was absent between November 2004 and May 2005 following Wallace's maternity leave, and Kat later left the soap on 25 December 2005.
Janine Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, introduced in 1989. The character was played by Rebecca Michael from 1989 to 1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and Charlie Brooks from 1999 to 2022. Brooks initially departed on 7 May 2004. She returned for a three episode guest stint in April 2008 before returning permanently on 18 December of that year. Brooks later took a break from September 2012 until April 2013, then departed again on 20 March 2014. In April 2021, it was announced that Brooks would reprise the role once again and return later in the year. She returned on 6 September 2021. It was announced on 24 September 2022 that Brooks had only agreed to reprise the role for 12 months and would depart again at the conclusion of her storyline, with her final scenes airing on 26 December 2022. The character has been described as a "super-bitch" and a "classic villainess". She has proven popular with critics and fans of the show. Her storylines typically involve her in an antagonistic role. She has been married five times: to Barry Evans whom she killed on New Year's Day 2004, David, Ryan Malloy, Michael Moon and Mick Carter. Her feuds include a long-standing conflict with former stepmothers Pat Butcher and Peggy Mitchell, Sonia Fowler, Lynne Hobbs, Laura Beale, Kat Slater, Zoe Slater, Stacey Slater, Sharon Watts and Linda Carter. Her initial departure saw Janine being wrongfully charged for the death of Laura Beale. Upon her return, Janine is caught forging a wedding to a wealthy, old-age pensioner, that ends with her new husband abruptly dying of a fatal heart attack upon discovering her false identity. She later accidentally kills local resident Danielle Jones by running her down in her car; conspires with Peggy's husband Archie to defraud the Mitchell family from their ownership of The Queen Victoria public house; and becomes a prime suspect in Archie's murder investigation. Janine later becomes involved in a love triangle with her third husband Ryan and his baby's mother, Stacey. All of this results in Janine framing Stacey for her attempted murder and also attempting to kill Ryan by poisoning him. Janine later gives birth to a daughter, Scarlett, with her fourth husband Michael, and they become embroiled in a custody battle over Scarlett, which leads to Janine murdering Michael, leading to her third departure from the show.
Stacey Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager and extension to the already established Slater family. She was created by scriptwriter Tony Jordan with Turner in mind. Producers explored the character's backstory with the introduction of her mother, Jean Slater, who has bipolar disorder. They then paired Stacey with Bradley Branning and writers developed a series of problems for their marriage, including an abortion and Stacey's scandalous affair with Bradley's father, Max Branning.
Jean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduced for one episode, Wright was reintroduced for four more episodes the following year and became more of a regular character in the following two years. The character is introduced as the mother of Stacey Slater who suffers with bipolar disorder. Her disorder strains her relationship with her children, Stacey and Sean Slater. Wright researched the disorder to prepare for the role. In April 2010, it was announced that Jean would be written out of the series, however, Wright was awarded a reprieve in late 2010. Jean departed on 13 January 2011 and returned on 29 March 2011. Wright announced her intentions to leave the series in July 2013, and Jean departed on 17 September 2013. Following her departure, Wright reprised the role for 15 episodes between 2014 and 2017. In December 2017, it was announced that Jean would be reintroduced as a regular character, along with Kat Slater and Mo Harris. She returned on 20 March 2018. On 11 December 2023, Wright appeared in her 1,000th episode as Jean.
Gillian Wright is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2004, for which she has won numerous awards. She previously worked as a drama teacher and a theatre director before occupying acting roles.
Shabnam Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Zahra Ahmadi from 2007 to 2008, and by Rakhee Thakrar from 2014 to 2016. Shabnam's first appearance was on 17 July 2007. Ahmadi made her final appearance as Shabnam on 24 October 2008. Shabnam returned to the show on 13 January 2014, after Thakrar assumed the role on 1 December 2013. After two years on the show, Thakrar abruptly ended her portrayal of Shabnam on 5 February 2016.
Michelle Keegan is an English actress, known for her roles as Tina McIntyre in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and Sergeant Georgie Lane in the BBC drama series Our Girl. Keegan has also starred as Kate Thorne in Ten Pound Poms, Tina Moore in the biopic Tina and Bobby, Erin Croft in Sky Max comedy Brassic and Maya Stern in Fool Me Once.
Shona Bernadette McGarty is an English actress and singer, known for her portrayal of Whitney Dean in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2008 to 2024.
"Who Killed Archie?" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It began on 25 December 2009, Christmas Day, when the character Archie Mitchell, played by Larry Lamb, was murdered by an unseen person. Events leading up to and following the murder put several characters in the frame, in the style of a Whodunit mystery. The culprit was kept a tight secret within the production crew as well, with only seven people knowing the identity of the killer. The murderer was revealed as Stacey Slater during a live episode titled "EastEnders Live", broadcast on 19 February 2010, the show's 25th anniversary. Turner was told thirty minutes before the broadcast that Stacey was the killer, and actors rehearsed several possible endings. Finally, a two-hander episode between Stacey and her ex-lover Max Branning on 26 March 2010 explained how she killed Archie - who had previously been the show's main antagonist prior to the character's death and murder storyline.
"EastEndersLive" is a live episode of the British television soap opera EastEnders, broadcast on BBC One on 19 February 2010. It was also simulcast to Irish viewers on RTÉ One. The episode was commissioned as part of the show's 25th anniversary celebrations, and was the first EastEnders episode to be broadcast live. It was the series' 3,952nd episode, and was written by Simon Ashdown, directed by Clive Arnold and produced by Diederick Santer. The episode concludes a "Whodunit" storyline "Who Killed Archie?", about the murder of Archie Mitchell, revealing his killer to be Stacey Slater. It also sees the exit of Charlie Clements as Stacey's husband Bradley Branning, who dies after falling from the roof of The Queen Victoria public house.
"Queen Vic Fire Week" is a group of four episodes of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, broadcast between 6 and 10 September 2010 on BBC One. The episodes included a fire at The Queen Victoria public house, also known as The Queen Vic or The Vic, and the departure of the character Peggy Mitchell, portrayed by Barbara Windsor, who left the series after sixteen years in the role. During the episodes, Peggy—the pub landlady—has her crack cocaine-addicted son Phil imprisoned in The Queen Victoria, forcing him to go cold turkey. She later learns that her deceased husband Archie was murdered by the person he raped: Stacey Branning. Before she can report Stacey to the police, Phil escapes and sets the pub on fire. Stacey and her infant daughter Lily are trapped inside, but are rescued by her lover Ryan Malloy – prompting Stacey to reveal to him that he is Lily's father. In light of the incident, Peggy decides against reporting Stacey for Lily's sake. She then plans to make a fresh start, bidding her family goodbye and leaving Walford.
Lily Slater is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and is portrayed by Lillia Turner. Lily's first appearance in the serial is in episode 4023, originally broadcast on 23 June 2010, in which her birth is depicted. Lily is the daughter of Stacey Slater and Ryan Malloy. Stacey and Lily both departed on 25 December 2010 at the conclusion of the Who Killed Archie? storyline. On 6 December 2013, it was announced that Lacey Turner would return to the soap to reprise her role as Stacey, and would begin filming in January 2014 – thus meaning Lily would be re-introduced into the serial. Lily temporarily departed the serial on 2 August 2019 once again after Stacey attacks Phil Mitchell in a panic to save Martin Fowler. Lily along with her family returns in episode 6133, originally broadcast on 21 September 2020, two weeks after the soap's return to transmission – this time with Turner in the role.
The Slater family are a fictional family from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, that have appeared since Episode 1,997, first broadcast in September 2000. The family are introduced as a central family unit, originally consisting of father Charlie Slater, grandmother Mo Harris, Charlie's daughters, Kat Slater, Lynne Slater, Little Mo Morgan and Kat's teenage daughter Zoe Slater, and Lynne's partner Garry Hobbs. A fifth sister, Belinda Peacock, was introduced one year later. The family were the eighth to be introduced in the soap's history, replacing the di Marco family who departed during the previous month. The Slaters were created by Tony Jordan and introduced by John Yorke. The Slater sisters were cast in an improvisation session. In their first years on the show, the family were involved in storylines about child sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Lillia Turner is an English child actress, known for portraying the role of Lily Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 2020. Her most notable storyline includes when her character was placed at the centre of a teenage pregnancy and received both positive and critical opinions. For her portrayal, Turner was nominated for a National Television Award and won the award for Best Young Performer at the 2023 British Soap Awards.