Strictly’s Lacey Turner hoping for EastEnders return as she misses Stacey

Lacey Turner hopes to return to Walford as the star takes a new stage with Strictly (Picture: BBC / Metro) Lacey Turner has admitted she ‘hopes’ to return to EastEnders in the future, revealing that she already misses playing Stacey Slater. The actress is currently taking an extended break from Albert Square after more than two decades playing the fan-favourite character, having first joined the BBC soap when she was just 16. While Lacey, 38, has been enjoying a very different pace of life away from Walford, it seems she hasn’t shut the door on Stacey for good. Speaking to the November issue of Prima magazine, Lacey explained that the break has given her a rare opportunity to spend more time at home with her family. She said: ‘For the first time in my life, I’ve had a long time off work, and it’s been lovely to be with my kids, potter around in my allotment and do things just for me. Get personalised updates on Strictly Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. ‘I genuinely love EastEnders and working, so I thought I would get bored during this break, but it’s been so lovely. ‘Will I come back to EastEnders? It will always have my heart and will be a big part of me. I love the show. I miss Stacey, so one day, I hope to go back, but when that is, I’m not sure. I just hope they don’t kill her off!’ Lacey shares daughters Dusty, seven, and Gipsy, 19 months, as well as five-year-old son Trilby, with her husband Matt Kay. Family life has often overlapped with her time on EastEnders, and Lacey recalled how she even brought newborn Dusty onto the set when she returned to work. ‘I miss Stacey, so one day, I hope to go back’ (Picture: BBC) Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. She said: ‘I smuggled my newborn daughter on to the EastEnders set. ‘I don’t think I was allowed, but I wanted to get stuck back in, so she was partly raised by cast members, assistant directors and make-up artists. ‘It was lovely to be able to go back to work and have her by my side, which is rare. The world is not set up for mothers to be able to do that.’ Lacey also spoke candidly about experiencing two miscarriages before becoming a mum and how she dealt with one of the losses while working on EastEnders. She said: ‘I had two miscarriages before my children were born… I had a miscarriage on the set of EastEnders. I had become so matter-of-fact about the subject because I just carried on. ‘Looking back, it’s quite sad to know I reacted in such a way. Everyone was so supportive when I told them, and now, I’ve learned to be more in tune and speak up.’ Her break from Walford certainly doesn’t mean Lacey is taking things completely easy, however, as she’s now preparing to step well outside her comfort zone on Strictly Come Dancing. Lacey has been paired up with Strictly professional Vito Coppola (Picture: Ray Burmiston/BBC/PA Wire) The actress has previously turned down the opportunity to take part after watching EastEnders co-stars Jake Wood and Kellie Bright juggle the demanding competition alongside their work on the soap. This time around, the timing finally felt right. She said: ‘I’ve been asked to do Strictly Come Dancing before. I’ve seen co-stars like Jake Wood and Kellie Bright work at the same time as doing the show, and I don’t know how they did it. ‘Now I’m not on EastEnders, it felt right. I’m nearly 40 and I want to start doing things I’m scared of. I want to go out of my comfort zone and push myself to see what I’m capable of. Maybe it’s a midlife crisis, but I want to show my children that they can do anything they put their mind to.’ Lacey has also used her time away from EastEnders to reflect on the women who have shaped her life in her new memoir, Gold Dust. The book covers everyone from her mother, grandmother and sisters to some of the iconic women she worked alongside in Walford, including the late Barbara Windsor and June Brown. Speaking about the book, Lacey said: ‘I didn’t think I could write a book, I didn’t think I had anything to talk about. But [publishers] Penguin encouraged me to talk about the women in my life and the penny dropped.’ She added: ‘I’ve been supported by such strong women at home and work, so it made sense to write about them.’ Deals of the Day Save over £700 on Simba's top-rated mattresses in this limited-time sale An Instagram mattress left me with back pain – this one completely changed my mind Book Val d'Isère, Val Thorens and Tignes for less in Club Med's ski sale From £700 MacBooks to discounted iPhones, the best Apple tech for studentsb Save 25% on red light therapy masks, sauna blankets and sleep gadgets in Bon Charge sale And while Lacey might be swapping Albert Square for the ballroom for now, her comments suggest Stacey Slater is never too far from her thoughts. 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