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Former EastEnders star Laurie Brett has revealed that she is still not ruling out a future return to the soap.
The actress's character Jane Beale last appeared on screen in January, when she departed Walford to take on a new job in Cardiff.
Brett initially planned to take time out from acting following her EastEnders exit, but she has since joined the cast of Waterloo Road as English teacher Christine Mulgrew.
Speaking on Lorraine today (August 22), Brett explained that the opportunity to join Waterloo Road was too good to turn down.
Brett commented: "I was going to take a break and then Let's Dance asked me to do Comic Relief with Tameka [Empson]. We did that, and at the same time my agent rang and said, 'Look, this part in Waterloo Road's coming up, it's a great part and I think you should be seen for it'.
"It was the first job I'd gone for coming out of EastEnders, [so I was] not really thinking I would get it, and I did. It was just such a great role and so different from Jane. The opportunity to do it was just too much to resist, really! It was just such a great thing. I'm so lucky to be able to walk out of one big job, straight into another."
The 43-year-old added that she is aware of how much Jane's ex-husband Ian is currently struggling on screen in EastEnders. The long-standing character recently suffered a breakdown and spent time living on the streets.
Brett said: "Bless him. I just saw that apparently he doesn't want to see Jane, and that's kind of heartbreaking!
"It was a huge thing, leaving EastEnders. It was very frightening and so to leave Adam [Woodyatt] and all the people that I'd been working with for eight years, it was a very scary time. Jane and Ian had kind of gone round in circles, but the door has always been left open."
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Meanwhile, as Brett's Waterloo Road character Christine is an alcoholic, viewers will see that she has a turbulent relationship with her teenage son Connor, played by Shane O'Meara (pictured above).
Brett explained: "Essentially, Christine's a very sad, lonely woman inside, and there's a huge reason why she is the way she is, but that comes out after Christmas and New Year in the second part of the series.
"What's really interesting about her is how she copes with the alcoholism - and it makes her a really big manipulator and liar. She uses her son as a crutch, and they have a very co-dependent relationship.
"[Connor is] played by the lovely Shane, who's going to be such a heartthrob. He's like a young John Travolta, he's going to have all the girls after him! And he's lovely to act with and we've got a great chemistry."
Waterloo Road launches its new series tomorrow (August 23) at 8pm on BBC One.
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Waterloo Road star Alec Newman has promised that the show is returning to "edgier" storylines in its new series.
The BBC One drama returns to screens tomorrow evening (August 23) as Newman's character Michael Byrne officially opens the new Waterloo Road in Scotland.
Waterloo Road's move away from its previous home of Rochdale was first announced last year as part of the BBC's aim to produce more programming in Scotland.
Discussing the school's relocation on BBC Breakfast today (August 22), Newman commented: "I suppose it's a 'truth is stranger than fiction' thing, in a way! There is a precedent for it and we are aware that it's a very bold, dramatic move.
"I spent a little bit of time with a real headteacher of an independent school down in the south of England, and that's what I was very concerned about - finding out from him, 'Is this actually tangible?', 'Is this something that could happen?'
"Although it's a drama, we have to stay in the realms of what's actually possible. I am reliably informed that it is, so I could relax on that particular concern."
Promising big things for the show's return, the actor continued: "Ironically, particularly in the first two or three episodes of the new series, we're kind of going back to what Waterloo Road was about initially - strong social issues, strong stories each week centring around the kids at the school, and a kind of edginess to the show.
"It was nice to feel that they've gone back to the roots of what the show was when it began."
Waterloo Road will air on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One for the next ten weeks.
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Hopefully the new series will be a bit edgier,but I'LL believe it when I see it.
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Waterloo Road star Naveed Choudhry has said that he is excited for viewers to see "a completely different side" to his character Tariq Siddiqui in the new series.
As the BBC One drama returns to screens tomorrow evening (August 23), fans will see that Tariq lost the use of his legs in the lorry crash which took place at the end of series seven.
Choudhry told BBC Breakfast today (August 22): "Tariq's world has been turned upside down and he's struggling to cope. The crash at the end of the series wasn't clearly shown, but the after-effect is shown - that Tariq is in a wheelchair.
"In the last series, he was quite the bully with a lot of bravado, but now he's had that totally stripped down. You're seeing how he's struggling to cope without the support of his family, being so far away from home.
"It is down to a drunken lorry driver, so the fact that he's not in control of the situation also plays a part - it's a 'Why me?' sort of thing. He feels that God's punishing him for some of the stuff that he's done in the earlier series."
Revealing what it was like to film the emotional scenes, he continued: "It's great to show one side of a character and then show a completely different side - the vulnerability behind him.
"It's been a great challenge for myself, and the fact that Waterloo Road have put the confidence in me to deliver that - I really appreciate the opportunity."
Waterloo Road will air on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One for the next ten weeks.
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Ep 4/10
Thursday 13 September
8.00-9.00pm
BBC ONE
Imogen has a secret to share with Connor, Christine and Connor’s relationship goes from bad to worse, rival headmaster Gerard makes false claims against Michael and Sian reaches out to Michael’s estranged father, Billy.
It’s Imogen’s birthday, but unlike her attention-seeking mother Sally she doesn’t want any fuss. At school, Imogen is horrified to discover her fitness guru mum is helping with Tariq’s rowing fundraiser. And, worse still, Sally’s lycra-tight outfits and flirtatious manner are attracting attention, not least from Gus, who bets his school mates he can score with the older woman.
Jealousy rears its ugly head when Christine witnesses a closeness between Connor and Imogen. Worried that Connor might be confiding in Imogen about her drinking habit, Christine snaps at her son. But Connor retaliates - he’ll make his mother’s life a misery if she doesn’t back off.
Later, at Imogen’s party in the school house, a tipsy Sally turns up uninvited. Sensing Imogen’s shame, Connor asks Sally to leave. Feeling protected, Imogen reveals her hidden secret to Connor.
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It sounds a bit depressing that Tariq is now in a wheelchair.
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Waterloo Road continues its new series with a Tom-centric episode next week as he deals with a troubled student named Lula.
Following rows at home with her uncle Lionel, newcomer Lula (Marlene Madenge) lets her distress show at school - leading to tensions with her fellow pupils and concern from the teachers.
When Lula takes things too far by causing a scene at Denzil's commemorative ceremony, scrutiny surrounding her behaviour intensifies and Tom (Jason Done) is forced to investigate.
Confiding in Tom, Lula finally confesses that Lionel plans to perform an exorcism on her, as he believes she is possessed.
Before Tom can get to the bottom of the unusual situation, he faces a terrifying race against time to help Lula - as Lionel remains determined to get rid of the 'evil' inside of her…
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Waterloo Road continues on Thursday, August 30 at 8pm on BBC One.
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Waterloo Road newcomer Laurie Brett has admitted that she wants her alcoholic character Christine Mulgrew to create "water cooler" moments in the coming weeks.
Last night (August 23), viewers saw the former EastEnders star's first episode as Christine Mulgrew, who is a new English teacher for Waterloo Road following the school's relocation.
Christine's drinking problem and how it affects her teenage son Connor (Shane O'Meara) will be an ongoing story arc for series eight.
Brett, who bowed out as Walford's Jane Beale earlier this year, told The Scotsman: "I probably wouldn't have jumped into something so long-running if it hadn't been for the part. The part was just too good to pass up, really.
"Christine is so different to Jane. That's what attracted me. I don't know if I'd have been so eager if the character had been similar to what I've done before, but when I found out who Christine was and how she was, it was a no-brainer."
Discussing Jane Beale's 'nice' nature, she continued: "That's the hardest thing to make interesting. With someone like Christine who is full of flaws, it's so easy to get your teeth into that and have great fun with it. Playing someone who is just basically a nice woman for eight years did make me rack my brains a little bit.
"I'm always wary of being preachy, but hopefully some water cooler moments will come up around Christine. Not in a contrived way, but in an honest way as people respond to what she does.
"There are a few moments when I've come off set or out of the scene and people in the crew have said, 'My god, it does make you think about how much you drink'."
Waterloo Road continues next Thursday (August 30) at 8pm on BBC One.
