Former EastEnders actress Lorraine Stanley has expressed regret over undergoing weight-loss surgery, despite shedding seven stone. The 48-year-old, who played Karen Taylor on the BBC soap, had a gastric sleeve procedure that removed 75 to 80 per cent of her stomach.
Speaking in a new interview, Stanley said she would “100 per cent” have preferred to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. She acknowledged that surgery was not the long-term solution she once believed it to be.
The actress reflected on how her weight increased during her time on EastEnders, suggesting that the security of a steady income contributed to unhealthy habits. “I think I had too much money,” she told The Sun. “It’s better not working, because I haven’t got the money to eat out every day.”
Stanley had previously described the surgery, performed at a private London clinic, as “hands-down the best thing I’ve ever done”. However, she now says lasting change has come from lifestyle adjustments, including working with a nutritionist and fitness coach, altering her diet, and giving up alcohol.
After sharing a photograph of her new look on Instagram, Stanley received praise from former co-stars and fans. James Bye commented “Look at you skinny minny,” while Kellie Shirley wrote “Gorgeous inside and out!”
