Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner)

[Siobhan]

hmm I dunno, I do think he cares for her cos of all the stuff with Bradley but I wouldn't say he loves her..

Again.. would you protect someone you just care about over your son?? I think he hides it.. that is just me... maybe not love but obsession with her...

[alan45]

EastEnders star Lacey Turner has admitted that her character Stacey Branning is underestimating Janine Malloy as she embarks on an affair with the superbitch's new husband Ryan.

Stacey's secret relationship with Ryan (Neil McDermott) hots up in next week's episodes after she decides to stay in Walford rather than leave as she originally planned.

The mum-of-one's change of heart comes after Ryan tracks her down and things get steamy between the pair in an abandoned car park.

Speaking to All About Soap about the possibility of Janine finding out, Turner insisted: "Stacey's not frightened of Janine. She just sees her as a bit of a pain and obviously doesn't realise how dangerous Janine can be."

Meanwhile, asked what Stacey wants from Ryan, the actress replied: "They decided at first Ryan could have his marriage and his bit on the side, but Stacey's tired of not knowing where she stands.

"Then, while Ryan's still working things out in his head, Stacey decides she doesn't want anything too heavy so tells him their arrangement can stay as it is. She doesn't know what she wants!"

Last month, reports suggested that Janine will try to poison Ryan in an act of revenge over Stacey in a forthcoming storyline.

[alan45]

EastEnders Neil McDermott has admitted that Ryan Malloy wants a proper family with Stacey Branning.

Ryan is currently trying to track Stacey (Lacey Turner) down following her disappearance from Albert Square with their daughter Lily. McDermott told What's On TV that Ryan would leave his wife Janine for the mother of his child.

"And I think Stacey now wants him to be there as the father of her child," he said. "You've got to remember that Ryan was given away as a child by his mother, so he doesn't want the same thing to happen to his daughter."

Discussing Stacey's secret that she killed Archie Mitchell, McDermott said: "He is really confused by her. He never quite feels she's being honest.

"He knows she's hiding a lot. However, he can see she's very vulnerable and he wants to protect and take care of her. I don't think that would change if he found out the truth."

[Perdita]

EastEnders star Lacey Turner hasn't ruled out trying her hand at a "normal job" after leaving the soap.

The actress says goodbye to the role of trouble Stacey Branning this Christmas after six years in Walford.

Discussing her plans for the future, Lacey told the Radio Times: "I'm terrible at doing nothing, but I'm going to try really hard, at least to begin with.

"I find my job quite strange, really. All my friends have got normal jobs and went to uni. I feel I missed out on some things, but gained so much in a different way. So I might try some of those things and see what happens. I want the freedom to go whichever way I want."

But John Yorke, controller of BBC drama production, told the publication he had "quite a few" projects in the works with a view to having Lacey in the starring role.

"I don't think Lacey knows how good she is," he added.

The 22-year-old has picked up a string of television awards during her time in Albert Square, including Best Actress at this year's British Soap Awards.

[Perdita]

Lacey Turner has revealed that she will miss EastEnders after six and a half years of playing Stacey Slater.

The 22-year-old, who will be leaving the show at Christmas, said that she has "grown up" on the soap.

She told TV Times: "Now I've got to the end, I don't know why I'm going. I feel like I've grown up here, so I'll miss it all. The people, the buzz of it; everything. I might cry in a minute."

When asked what her favourite storylines have been, Turner replied: "I loved all the Bradley and Stacey stuff from the beginning. The fact that the geek falls in love with the tart; I just love the way their relationship went.

"I also liked Max and Stacey's affair because it was spread out over a year, so I got the chance to play a lot of different emotions. And the bi-polar storyline was great because of the effect it had on so many people; I learned so much doing that."

The actress explained that she decided to leave the show because she feels ready to "move on".

She added: "I've been here for six and a half years and I feel like it's time to move on and try something else. But I don't have a plan.

"I'm terrible at making decisions so I don't know what I'm going to do yet."

[alan45]

EastEnders' Lacey Turner has admitted that she was honoured to be given a mental illness storyline on the soap.

Speaking to the TV Times about her favourite plots during her time on Albert Square, Turner highlighted Stacey Branning's bipolar disorder and sectioning.

"It’s a huge honour when you receive a big storyline like this," she said. "But as it's reflecting something many people face, you really want to do it justice."

She continued: "That's what makes it slightly daunting at the same time."

Turner, who will leave after six and a half years later this month, added: "EastEnders was my favourite show and I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d work here one day."

The storyline recently received an award from the Mind Mental Health Media Awards for the second year in a row.


Lacey Turner has admitted that she would like every episode of EastEnders to be broadcast live.

The actress, who will exit her role as Stacey Branning later this month, was unmasked as Archie Mitchell's murderer in the soap's 25th anniversary live episode earlier this year.

"I loved doing the live episode," she told TV Times. "If it were up to me, every episode would be live, but I'm not sure the rest would agree with that!"

[alan45]

EastEnders star Lacey Turner has revealed that she made a deal with Charlie Clements to leave the Square at the same time as him.

The actress, who plays Stacey Branning in the BBC One soap, admitted that when Clements's character Bradley was killed off in the live episode earlier this year, she knew it was time to go.

She told Fabulous magazine: "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'."

Speaking of Stacey's departure, she said: "The whole thing hints at everything she's been through in the last six years and it all comes together. I'm really happy with the way it's all worked out.

"I'd like to be more like Stacey in some ways," Turner continued. "She's so forward and says what she wants to say when she wants to say it. I'd love to be able to be more like that, but I just don't have the guts."

[alan45]

EastEnders actress Lacey Turner has been praised by her co-stars ahead of her departure from the soap.

Turner, who plays Stacey Branning, announced that she was quitting the show in April and will leave our screens on Christmas Day.

Charlie Brooks, who plays Janine Malloy, told PA: "I am sad, but excited for her. There are so many great opportunities that are going to come her way. I think it's the right time for her to go."

Neil McDermott, who plays Ryan Malloy, added: "It's been great for me to have the chance to work with her over the last three months. She's a naturally gifted actress and hopefully she'll get loads of opportunities out there.

"She can do anything she puts her mind to. Acting comes really naturally to her. Whatever she chooses I'm sure she'll be successful."

[alan45]

EastEnders bids farewell to one of the most popular characters in its history this Christmas as Stacey Branning departs the soap in dramatic circumstances. It's been a big year for the Walford favourite as she's been revealed as Archie Mitchell's killer, lost her beloved husband Bradley, become a mother and - most recently - been involved in a battle with twisted Janine for Ryan Malloy's affections. With the romantic drama expected to reach a climax over the festive period, DS recently had a chat with Lacey Turner to hear about her departure from the role of Stacey.

What is the main attraction of Ryan for Stacey?
"I think it's just purely a physical attraction - she's really attracted to him and he's really attracted to her! They haven't been able to keep their hands off each other, so it's been a really strong attraction."

Is Stacey also attracted to the idea that she could possibly have a stable family life with Ryan?
"Well, I don't think that's the main reason that she likes him - it's just that she's really, really attracted to him. He's the first person who's come along since Bradley, and I don't think Stacey has really known what she wants from the relationship. There's been times where she's wanted everything from him, but also times when she's told him that she just wants a bit of fun. But I think the constant thing has just been a physical attraction that she can't stop!"

It's not the first time that you've been involved in a love triangle storyline as you previously had the Max plot - how has this one compared?
"I think they've been very different. The first love triangle was between Stacey, Bradley and Max - but I genuinely believe that Stacey loved Bradley and will always love Bradley. I think her relationship with Max is just a really, really strong friendship - a bit of a weird friendship! They've just got such a strong connection, they understand each other and they're the best of friends. With this Ryan storyline, it's only really been a physical attraction. However, as they happen to have a baby, that's helped as they've had to have a lot of contact because of the child."


We've just seen Stacey and Ryan declare their love for each other in The Vic - does that mean their feelings have now become stronger?
"I think Stacey is just so caught up in the whole affair. I don't think that Ryan ever planned for it to be public - it's just one of those things that comes out, and it came out in front of everyone in The Vic! In the moment, I think Stacey does think she loves him, but we'll have to wait and see whether that's really the case."

If Stacey did decide that she wanted a future with Ryan, do you think it would have to be away from the Square because of all the repercussions?
"I think that if she wanted a future with Ryan, she could have it anywhere. It's there - it's like a ready-made family for her to take. But I don't know whether that's what she really wants and that's one of the questions in the build-up to Christmas Day."

Stacey hasn't really learned her lesson when it comes to affairs, has she?
"Obviously not, and I don't think she ever will! After saying to Kat that she wasn't that person anymore, she's then gone and had an affair! She's taken someone's husband for the second time! She just can't seem to find someone who isn't taken! So no, she really hasn't learned her lesson."


The fact that the other woman is Janine must make Stacey feel a lot less guilty, though!
"It probably does, yeah. She genuinely hates Janine after all that she's done. Janine has called the social and just been a nuisance, really! Stacey is not scared of Janine and doesn't really feel anything towards her. I don't think she really cares about Janine at all."

Janine does start getting her revenge as she plans to play Lauren's recording of Stacey's confession in The Vic on Christmas Eve - how would Stacey react if the truth about Archie was revealed?
"It's been going on for ages now and she's been carrying this massive thing around with her - if the truth came out, she could lose her child and she could spend a long time in prison. For someone to know - and for her secret to be told to so many people - would be a shock."

The full circumstances surrounding Stacey's exit are being kept secret, but do you think your final storyline does the character justice?
"Yeah, I was really pleased with it - really pleased with the way that it all panned out. I don't want to say too much as that would give it away, but I was definitely happy with it. It is interesting and it's got hints of all the stuff that I've done with Stacey over the past six and a half years."


Can you give us any more hints?
"There's some things that happen on Christmas Day that people won't expect. There's things that I read and I thought, 'God, really?' I had to read it a few times to get my head around it! But I really enjoyed doing it and I'm very happy with it."

Stacey has been such a popular character - can you pinpoint why she's been so appealing to the viewers?
"I'm not really sure, to be honest! I love her because she's just a normal girl. Although she's had really awful things that have happened to her, I think the audience really understand her. She's not a bad person - she's a fun person. She can be loud, she can be in your face - but I've also been given the opportunity to show the other side of Stacey. I think that she has a massive heart, and she just wants to be happy and have a normal life. That hasn't happened so far, but I think people like her because she just is who she is - and she just gets up and carries on!"

Was leaving EastEnders a difficult decision to make?
"Yeah, it was massive! It took me a long time - I thought about it for about a year and it was a huge decision to make. I spent most of my teenage years here, I've grown up here and I've loved being here. So to go away from here is scary but exciting. I just feel like it's something that I have to do - if I don't go now, I'd stay here for as long as they'd have me. So I had to be a bit brave - and I've done it now, so we'll see what happens!"

What has Neil McDermott been like to work with on this Stacey and Ryan storyline?
"He's been fantastic. From the minute he came in, I really thought that Neil was a great actor. I've enjoyed working with him and I think we work well together. It's been nice because I've often worked with a lot of the same people, so it's great to start working with someone new. You build up a rapport and then you know what the other person's going to do to a certain extent. He's such a nice man, I can't tell you - he's really lovely and a great actor."

Can you name any particular highlights from your time at EastEnders?
"I've enjoyed every storyline I've done, but particularly the bipolar one. That one allowed me to learn more and it had a really great reaction. There were lots of people who watched those episodes and realised that they had bipolar themselves. That meant a lot to me - that people had watched it, taken information and learned from it. I think it's so great that EastEnders can do things like that - they show things that do happen in real life and they help people. And also, working with Gillian Wright on that storyline was just fantastic - because she is a fantastic actress. I learned so much from her. So the bipolar storyline was one in particular that I felt honoured to do."

Would you say that your storylines this year have been particularly strong? The Stacey and Archie reveal in the live episode was certainly memorable!
"Yeah, I never saw that coming! Not even on the day! I'd made my whole family put bets on Sean! I was so convinced that it was Sean! That was another time where they trusted me with such a massive thing. And being involved in the live episode was a once-in-a-lifetime thing - it's such a huge cast and it's like a huge machine here, so the fact that it ran so smoothly was great. I felt very proud to be part of that - and to be able to achieve that as a team felt really good."


And you were also unwell on the day of the live episode!
"I wasn't well at all! I hadn't spoken for two days - I was told that I wasn't allowed to speak for two days because I'd lost my voice. Everything had just closed in my throat, but five minutes before the live episode, I thought to myself that I'd just have to be naughty and just speak. I was so scared that I was going to open my mouth when it came to my line and that nothing would come out! So before the episode I had to test my voice out, and fortunately something did come out! In the actual episode, I managed to last the full half an hour, but I had nothing left after that for a couple of days."

Did being ill make it difficult to prepare for the live episode?
"Well, I was sent home from one rehearsal because I was unwell, and I felt like I didn't know the script. I didn't know that Stacey was Archie's killer then, but now I know why they were so scared and so quick to get me to the doctor! But then, I didn't even know whether it would matter whether I was in it or not!"

Are you glad that Shane and Jessie have been back for your final months on screen?
"Yeah, it's nice to have them back. They're such big, bubbly characters - both the characters and Jessie and Shane themselves. They're a lot of fun and they're so good at playing the characters that they play - nobody could play them like they do, so it's great to have them back."


Kat has brought that bubbly side of Stacey out as well, hasn't she?
"Yeah, definitely! She's brought the little party girl out in Stacey, and the mouthy, upbeat and fun side of her after all the dark years that she's had."

How have you found playing Stacey since she became a mother?
"It's definitely been different as an actress. One thing is that it's like suddenly having another prop - it's not just you, because you have to constantly think about where the baby's going to be all the time! And you constantly have a pram, or a dummy or something else! It's different because, without a baby, you have a lot more freedom to do what you want. But it's also really nice to have the baby when you're filming. It's also been good to show how someone so young can be a mother - as it happens a lot."

Do you think EastEnders can carry on going from strength to strength in the months ahead?
"Yeah, I hope so! The show's had a bit of a revamp and it's getting better and better. I hope it carries on doing really well."

Can you tell us anything about your future plans?
"I don't make plans - I don't like them! (Laughs) I've got Being Human coming out in January, but I just like to take each day as it comes and see what happens."

Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to the EastEnders fans who've supported you over the years?
"Yeah - I can't thank them enough! They've made Stacey who she is and they've helped me so much. When people write in and they're supporting you, it's just life-changing. Without those people, there wouldn't be a programme and there certainly wouldn't be a Stacey, so I can't thank them enough. I'm forever grateful for the support they've given me."

[alan45]

Stacey Branning bows out of EastEnders after six years on Christmas Day and these pictures show the first glimpse of the drama in store in her final episode.

In last night's edition of the Walford soap, viewers saw Stacey's nemesis Janine Malloy (Charlie Brooks) discover that she killed Archie Mitchell, giving her some powerful ammunition in her ongoing war with the new mum.

With Janine now having a recorded confession from Stacey (Lacey Turner) in her possession, it seems as if she has everything she needs to get rid of the Albert Square favourite and destroy her blossoming relationship with Ryan (Neil McDermott).

As Christmas Day dawns on the Square this Saturday, fans can expect events to reach a climax - making Stacey desperate to flee.

With her world crumbling around her, Stacey ends up on the roof of the Queen Vic - the exact spot where her late husband Bradley lost his life back in February - leaving viewers to wonder what she will do next.

However, whether Stacey will get out of the Square safely or depart Walford in a much darker fashion remains to be seen…