EastEnders’ Lacey Turner has revealed why she couldn’t resist a soldier’s life again.
Lacey, Walford’s Stacey Branning, was a revelation in last year’s one-off BBC 1 military drama Our Girl.
And despite currently heading back to the Square full-time, she says she just had to return to playing Molly Dawes, the no-prospects youngster who found new purpose as a soldier.
“I love Molly,” confides Lacey. “She’s feisty, she’s disobedient and she’s passionate, which I think is what draws me to her. She has a passion to belong and she wants to do better and help.
“I think maybe in her life she hasn’t really been given the opportunity. So, to join the army she’s got the perfect chance to become part of a team and a family, to achieve something and feel she belongs somewhere.”
The single drama, shot on a real army training base, pulled in more than six million viewers and Lacey says the offer to do more was irresistible.
“I can’t believe how successful the last one was,” she admits.
“It was really amazing because we were so lucky to be able to use real soldiers and film on their base.
“To go from something so small to be given a five-part series is just amazing.”
Lacey says Molly has grown up in this series and the newfound maturity is tested as she faces up to life as a medic in Afghanistan.
Molly is totally the focus of the drama and that meant Lacey had to get in shape and be ready for some hard graft.
“Just training yourself for the heat was enough,” explains the 26-year-old.
“We filmed in South Africa and there were points when it was around 46 degrees. You’re hot enough in the kit in this country, let alone a hot one. We were running up and down mountains and through rivers.
“It was tough as I’m in pretty much every scene. The whole thing has been a challenge, but an exciting one. It matters to me that it’s as close to real as possible because these people do this for real.
“You want to do them as much justice as you can. I hope that we have.”
Lacey has already swapped combat fatigues for civvies as she’s returned to EastEnders filming with Stacey out of jail where she’d been languishing since Archie Mitchell’s murder.
She says it’s great to be back and has settled in once more after a little bit of adjustment.
“I do feel like the new girl a little bit,” she adds.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe