EastEnders' Lacey Turner announces new role away from BBC soap

EastEnders icon Lacey Turner is branching out from her role as Stacey Slater on the BBC One soap to host a new podcast

The 36-year-old star will celebrate television and film legends, tracing their roots back to their soap opera beginnings with the show called 'We Started Here'.

Lacey, who has been a fixture on our screens as the formidable Stacey in EastEnders, will offer listeners an exclusive look at her own journey into the acting world, which began over twenty years ago.

The TV star will chat with a host of esteemed industry figures about their soap origins, covering everything from auditions and interviews to setbacks and triumphs, and how these experiences equipped them for global stardom.

Commenting on the project, Lacey expressed her enduring affection for EastEnders: "EastEnders holds a very special place in my heart, it was my very first acting job, and although I have been fortunate enough to explore other roles, for me nothing compares to working on a soap."

She added, "With this podcast I get the opportunity to talk to some incredibly talented people in the industry that also started their career on a soap, including writers, actors and many more, and I get to explore how soaps launched their careers and where they are now, which is very exciting.", reports the Daily Star.

Kris Green, Training Executive at BBC Studios Drama Productions, applauded the influence of soap operas, "Soap has always had the most extraordinary ability to entertain the nation.

"But few see what goes on behind the scenes and many forget the stars whose careers it launched."

Celebrating the nurturing environment of such shows, Green added: "These iconic shows are the unsung university of the screen industry in front of and behind the camera and Lacey's journey is the epitome of how shows like EastEnders can create household names."

Green also expressed enthusiasm about Lacey Turner's new role as a podcast host, stating, "Lacey's a natural podcast host so we're beyond delighted she's agreed to take this on alongside her EastEnders schedule. We can't wait for you to listen."