Former EastEnders actress Lucy Speed has turned up in Heartstopper and looks totally different to how she did in Walford.
The actress was a favourite with fans of the BBC soap thanks to her role as Natalie, Bianca’s best friend. She joined the cast in 1994 and made a huge splash in Albert Square, thanks to a steamy storyline that saw her having a secret fling with Bianca’s husband Ricky.
But fast forward 30 years and the star is completely unrecognisable. Lucy appeared in the Netflix series as a healthcare worker named Susan. Gone was the blonde bob viewers may know her for, with her hair now short and swept back off her face.
READ MORE: EastEnders star unveils dramatic new look as he opens up on ‘dark times’
Click for more brilliant Daily Star showbiz stories
Now 48, it has been 20 years since Lucy was last seen in EastEnders. She had a dramatic ride during her first stint in the soap, where she was a sidekick to Bianca (Patsy Palmer) but ultimately ruined her relationship with Ricky (Sid Owen).
(Image: Netflix)
She waved goodbye to the Square in 1995, telling the Mirror later: “I had no real responsibilities being in EastEnders and I got frightened by all the fame. I thought I’d better leave, give up acting and grow up.”
Lucy said that when she first joined the programme she had done a lot of work on the stage and in adverts. But she “knew very little about what it was like to be well known”.
(Image: BBC)
“I knew what a buzz it was to work in that environment, but I never went into it for the fame and didn’t really expect to get recognised,” she said. “When I did it was a shock to the system.” She made the decision to do other things, but four years later she was invited back to the soap to reprise her role and leapt at the chance.
“I’d grown up and was more confident with more life experiences,” she said, explaining that at the time, she had just bought a flat, and the call from EastEnders left her thinking, “Cool, I can pay the mortgage.”
(Image: BBC)
When Natalie returned to Walford, she had a relationship with Barry (Shaun Williamson) and the pair tied the knot. Lucy remained in the soap for five more years, exiting in 2004.
Her other television credits include The Bill, Casualty, Doctors and Call The Midwife. She has also had roles in films such as Shakespeare In Love, Impromptu and Keep The Aspidistra Flying.
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
