Lorraine Stanley teases 'lairy' new role after dramatically quitting EastEnders

Former EastEnders actress Lorraine Stanley is back with a new role - dressing up as a regal rodent for a fun-filled pantomime performance that looks set to take Portsmouth by storm

EastEnders star Lorraine Stanley has given fans an advanced look at herself in a new role - five months after her final soap appearance.

The 48-year-old TV star played Karen Taylor in the BBC soap from 2017 until June this year and has claimed she won't go back to the show now that she has wrapped up on the set. But she is not wasting time landing new roles as she will appear in an upcoming film titled Departures, directed by Neil Ely and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan.

But before this, she can be seen on stage playing the Queen Rat in a new pantomime version of the classic folkstory Dick Whittington - with performances set to begin at the King's Theatre in Portsmouth in a couple of weeks. The TV star joins BGT dancer George Sampson among others in the cast and appears very enthusiastic about her new role.

In a video post on Instagram, Lorraine can be seen discussing her upcoming performance. She declared: "Panto for me just sums up Christmas really. It's just fun for all the family." And describing the Queen Rat, she cackled: "She's brash, she's dirty, she's filthy and lairy."

Lorraine has also whipped up excitement for the role in a Facebook post - where she wrote: "I can't wait for this!!!! Panto in my home town with me old mate Jack Edwards is going to be epic!!!"

Since exiting EastEnders, Lorraine has explained the unexpected hurdles she's faced while looking for a new role. She told The Sun: "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."

Back in June, Lorraine confirmed she had been seen on Albert Square for the last time and she would not be coming back. Sharing a video montage of moment of her time on the show, she shared an emotional statement about her exit. She wrote: "Well that’s a wrap!! I’ve had the best 7 years!! Thankyou @bbceastenders for having me. @daranlittle for creating the Taylor’s, Sean O’Connor for giving me the opportunity with the @bbc @crampsielinge for casting me,I really can’t thank you enough.

She added: "The cast, crew, Directors, writers, makeup, wardrobe all made my time on the show so much fun and I had the best giggles,I’ve had a ball playing Karen Taylor & I’m very proud of what the Taylor/Bakers brought to the show! Thank you to the fans who have all been wonderfully bonkers. I haven’t got photos of everyone but here’s a little montage of the photos I have. Adios."

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