EastEnders star Lacey Turner has revealed that she and former co-star Louisa Lytton were once reduced to tears of laughter during a 'very serious' telling off from bosses, and has also shared a ghostly encounter involving late co-star Wendy Richard.
Turner, who is currently promoting her new book, Gold Dust, opened up about her early days on the soap in an interview with Heat Magazine, reminiscing about a particular day of filming when she and Lytton, who played Ruby Allen, found themselves in trouble.
'Mischievous' duo in trouble
'Louisa Lytton and I were really mischievous back in the day,' Lacey explained. 'On one particular day of filming, we'd had enough, when you work on a soap, it's a relentless schedule and we were so exhausted that we ended up with the giggles and couldn't stop.'
The pair were sent to the production manager's office for wasting time, but the telling off took an unexpected turn. 'Only when we got there, during the very serious telling off, Louisa and I kept poking each other in the leg because behind the production manager on the wall was a picture of the two of us dressed up as Peggy and Pat from a Heat photoshoot!'
'I don't know how we held it together, we were crying with laughter as soon as we left the room,' she told Heat Magazine.
Ghostly encounter with Wendy Richard
Turner also recounted a spooky experience involving the ghost of Wendy Richard, who played Pauline Fowler. 'Back in the day, it was always me, Wendy and Laila [Morse], who'd go for a cigarette together,' she said.
'One day, after Wendy had passed away, I was standing by the back door debating whether to have a cigarette break when suddenly I felt a great big whack on my bum, I turned and laughed, thinking it was a runner, but there wasn't a soul there.'
'It was only Barbara [Windsor] in that day, but she was down the other end, I was standing in the studio where the Fowlers would film, and I'm convinced it was Wendy telling me to go for a cigarette like she used to.'
Turner added that Laila Morse still reckons that it's 'got to have been Wendy' to this day, while confirming that she'll 'never forget it.'
Ruby Allen's turbulent history
Lytton's character Ruby Allen first appeared as the sweet and innocent daughter of ruthless gang lord Johnny (Billy Murray), and soon found a fiercely protective best friend in Stacey. Their relationship eventually fractured when Stacey's ruthless brother Sean (Rob Kazinsky) began romancing Ruby to get his hands on the huge wealth she'd come into upon her dad's imprisonment.
When Ruby discovered the truth, she fled Walford, still in possession of her money, but with a broken heart. Ruby returned 12 years later, and although fans were delighted when her friendship with Stacey was fixed, they were equally horrified when she was soon raped by two men after a night out during a huge storyline on sexual consent.
Stacey acted as her rock, even confessing to her own rape at the hands of Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) years earlier, and stood by Ruby's side as she bravely faced her attackers in court, with them ultimately being convicted.
It wasn't to last, though, as soon enough, Ruby found herself in a relationship with Stacey's ex-husband, Martin Fowler (James Bye), and the two friends fell into a vicious feud. When Ruby miscarried her baby, she falsely accused Stacey of pushing her down the stairs and causing it after a fierce confrontation, later orchestrating Stacey's arrest and imprisonment, before she again fled the Square when her lies were uncovered.
Her latest return in 2024 saw her re-emerge with Martin's son, Roman, and the love triangle kicked off all over again, up until Martin was killed during the soap's 40th anniversary episodes. Both wracked with grief, they continued to feud over his funeral service, and when Stacey's daughter, Lily Slater (Lillia Turner), set Martin's fruit stall alight in an attempt to frame Ruby, the two had a final, ferocious confrontation. Afterward, Ruby packed her bags and again left the Square, drawing a line under their bitter feud. For now, anyway…
