Lucy Beale

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Nicola Stapleton has said that her character Mandy Salter is capable of outwitting Lucy Beale as the troublesome teen launches her first scheme against her.

Lucy, now played by Hetti Bywater, is back on Albert Square in time for Pat's funeral next week - and takes a disliking to Mandy after discovering that she is her dad Ian's new partner.

Episodes coming up later this month see Lucy hatch a plot against Mandy as they start to spend quality time together - keen to get her in trouble with Ian (Adam Woodyatt).

Stapleton told Soaplife: "Mandy wants to be part of the Beale family and she's desperate to win Lucy over, but she gets it all wrong. She goes to The Vic with Lucy, but because she doesn't want Lucy to see her as the wicked stepmother, she behaves like an older sister.

"Mandy gets drunk and Lucy gets her to buy some drugs. She does it because she thinks it's going to win her points with Lucy.

"Mandy passes out and wakes up to find the pills are gone. It's only later she discovers Lucy's planned it so Bobby finds the drugs."

Asked whether Mandy can avoid Ian's fury by getting herself out of Lucy's frame-up, the actress replied: "Mandy's no fool and I'm loving the storylines I am doing with Adam, so I hope so!"

EastEnders airs Lucy's return on Thursday, January 12 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

[megan999]

I'm looking forward to Lucy's return. Am tired of Mandy.

[Perdita]

Former EastEnders star Melissa Suffield has said that she has "moved on" from the soap.

The actress played Lucy Beale in the BBC show until being axed for alleged "unruly behaviour" and underage drinking in 2010, with Suffield's last appearance in EastEnders in August of that year.

Tweeting after the first screen appearance of her replacement Hetti Bywater in last night's episode, Suffield said: "I'm a bigger, better, happier person now. Great starting point for me but I've moved on."

Suffield then directed Twitter followers to a music video by the band Deadwax in which she stars, as well as writing: "We've got Casualty, a couple of films coming up.

"And yes, give the new girl a chance - it's a very tough job and I wish her every success. Like I said, I'm happier now and hope you all are x."

Bywater's casting was announced in November 2011.

[Dazzle]

It's nice to hear Melissa Suffield is happy, and not bitter about being axed.

[xcarlyx]

The new Lucy annoys me already. :/ the facial expression just irritated me

[tammyy2j]

The new Lucy annoys me already. :/ the facial expression just irritated me

Me too

[Perdita]

EastEnders newcomer Hetti Bywater has praised the soap's cast for giving her a warm welcome to Walford.

The actress recently landed the role of Ian Beale's wayward daughter Lucy, who returned to Albert Square last week in time for Pat Evans's funeral.

Revealing how she got into acting, Bywater told The Mirror: "I went to a drama school on Saturdays and then I was taken up by an agent. I've done two films and some adverts, so this isn't my first job but it is still a very big deal.

"[Joining EastEnders is] pretty overwhelming. I was really nervous as everyone knows each other and it's like a big family, but they're all really welcoming."

The 17-year-old revealed that Shona McGarty (Whitney Dean) has been appointed as her mentor on set, while everyone else at the programme "has been like a mini-mentor".

Bywater has taken over the role of Lucy from Melissa Suffield, who left EastEnders in 2010.

Discussing the challenge of playing an established character, Bywater said: "It is quite difficult as everyone knew the old Lucy and what she was like, but hopefully I can put my own stamp on the character."

EastEnders fans will see Lucy return to her mischievous ways this week as she launches a scheme against Ian's new girlfriend Mandy (Nicola Stapleton).

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Hetti Bywater would like Lucy Beale to find love with Fat Boy.
The teen actress joined the soap this year as Ian Beale's troublesome daughter and told Inside Soap she thinks honest lad Fat Boy would be a good influence on her character.
Hetti said: "I think Lucy is probably best suited to Fat Boy. He's such a nice character, so considering all of the scheming and plotting Lucy gets up to, I think he'd bring her back down to earth.
"A relationship would really do her good, and I think Fat Boy is the perfect person for that."
The young soap star said she hopes she is nothing like Lucy in real life, but admitted she loves playing her.
She said: "It's fun to portray someone so naughty and mischievous because she's so far removed from myself."

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Hetti Bywater has admitted that she gets emotional when filming big scenes for the Beale family.

The actress's character Lucy Beale turned against her troubled father Ian earlier this year after he suffered a mental breakdown and disappeared for a number of weeks.

Lucy and Ian have managed to get their relationship back on track in recent episodes, putting an end to the tense scenes that Bywater shared with on-screen dad Adam Woodyatt.

Bywater told The Sun: "Adam is amazing. He can turn on the tears so quickly that I find it hard not to cry in scenes with him. In one scene I filmed recently I wasn't supposed to be crying, and I just burst into tears. The team had a word with me about it, but luckily it worked out okay.

"Another time Lucy was supposed to tell Ian to 'drop dead' during a fight and I started crying because I just didn't want to say the words to him.

"Lucy is a bit of a bitch and that wasn't the first time I haven't wanted to say the lines she comes out with. I always end up apologising afterwards."

She added: "Lucy has been really hard on Ian, but in the next few months they really build up a relationship and you see a much softer side to her."

Bywater added that she believes she has improved as an actress since she first took over the role of Lucy.

She said: "I look back at my first scenes in EastEnders and just cringe because they are so terrible. I wasn't acting very naturally at all. Most of the time on set you can't tell if people are saying lines or having a conversation because they are so natural in their parts.

"At the beginning I was constantly asking people 'What were you saying?' and they'd reply, 'Oh no, I was just reading my lines'. I'd always wonder why I couldn't do that. But I think it's something that you get better at - I've definitely got better since January."

EastEnders continues tonight (October 22) at 8pm on BBC One.

[lizann]

rumours that lucy will find a lump on her breast and could be tackling a cancer storyline