EastEnders star reveals why Strictly fans ‘will fall in love’ with Lacey Turner

EXCLUSIVE EastEnders star Emma Barton has praised her co-star Lacey Turner as she braves week one of Strictly Come Dancing, saying fans will ‘fall in love’ with the actress

EastEnders star Lacey Turner will win over Strictly Come Dancing fans, her co-star says.

Emma Barton, who has also been on Strictly, said viewers will “fall in love” with the Stacey Slater actress. Excited for her friend and co-star’s next venture, the Honey Mitchell actress said she thinks Lacey will do well in the competition.

Ahead of the first week on the show, Emma told the Mirror: “I’ve heard great things. Lacey is just the most adorable woman and the audience is gonna fall in love with her.

“Whatever she tackles, whatever she’s given, she goes in 10 out of 10, 100 percent. I really hope she does well. She is gonna have a wonderful time, and she will deliver.”

It comes as Emma also told us about her busy time on the show, after a sinister storyline that saw her character Honey kidnapped by Bea Pollard. Bea became obsessed with Honey, and tried to ruin her marriage to Billy Mitchell.

Emma said of the dark storyline: “I hope there’s happier times. The Bea storyline was so dramatic, and it turned Honey and Billy’s relationship upside down. After Bea was exposed, it was lovely to see that connection between Honey and Billy come back.

“Them realising their connection and love for each other is what was important.” Billy actor Perry Fenwick added: “It was nearly lost, and what was lovely was the public and all the writers on the show were wanting to show that even with a couple like them, through no fault of their own, their relationship was at risk.”

Perry confessed viewers would come up to him to warn him about Bea. He said: “They’d say, ‘Would she just [go]? She’s horrible,’ because they knew what she was up to. But it was mad.”

Emma and Perry both said how viewers often ask them the same questions when they are out and about.

Emma said: “I get comments like where’s Billy, always, and, ‘What are you doing in here?’ when I’m trying to do my grocery shopping.”

Both cast members hope to see a united Honey and Billy long-term. Emma told us: “I think it’s so lovely, we’re one family on the Square that is very much loyal to each other.

“I want to see more of that tight knit. I think the audience really love Honey and Billy, it’s been 21 years!” Perry added: “It is crazy. Emma said to me right at the start, ‘I’d love it if we became Jack and Vera, those iconic couples’.”

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .