Latest news with #EllieDadd
Metro
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
EastEnders star confirms she will be back after taking a break
EastEnders actress Ellie Dadd has confirmed she will be returning to Albert Square after taking a short break from the soap to star in a festive pantomime. The 20-year-old, best known for her role as Amy Mitchell, will be stepping into the spotlight this Christmas as Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Theatre is nothing new for Ellie, who began performing in pantomimes at just six years old. Before becoming a familiar face in EastEnders, she built an impressive stage career, including a run in the West End production of Matilda the Musical, where she played Amanda Thripp. Her early stage experience laid the foundation for her strong on-screen presence and emotional depth as an actress. Taking on the lead role in a Christmas panto is something of a homecoming for Ellie, who has spoken about her love of live theatre and the energy it brings. The production is set to run through the Christmas season, and Ellie's role as Belle is expected to be a highlight of the show. Despite her temporary absence from EastEnders, fans of the long-running soap can rest assured that Ellie will be back. She has made it clear that her time away from Walford is only a short break and that she will resume filming once the pantomime season wraps. Since taking over the role of Amy Mitchell in 2022, Ellie has become a key part of the show, tackling some of the most hard-hitting teen storylines in recent years. Her portrayal of Amy, particularly in storylines involving self-harm and mental health, received praise from viewers and critics alike, and even earned her a nomination for Best Young Performer at the Soap Awards in 2024. More Trending Outside of her role in EastEnders, Ellie has made a name for herself through other screen appearances, including a guest spot on Silent Witness in 2020 and her debut in the 2013 short film Lipstick. She trained at the prestigious D&B Academy of Performing Arts in Bromley, which also produced EastEnders alumni Tilly Keeper and Zack Morris. In fact, Ellie was stunned to discover that her former classmates were also part of the soap when she joined the cast. A full circle to be working alongside people she trained with as a child. Ellie has also built strong friendships with her younger EastEnders co-stars, including Bobby Brazier, who plays Freddie Slater. Their off-screen bond adds to the authentic chemistry that viewers see on screen, and it's clear that Ellie has become an integral part of the soap's younger generation View More » As she prepares to dazzle audiences on stage this winter, Ellie Dadd continues to show just how versatile and committed she is as a performer. Whether she's taking on heavy-hitting soap storylines or singing and dancing in front of a live audience, she brings warmth, energy, and depth to every role. Her fans can look forward to seeing her shine in Beauty and the Beast this Christmas, and then right back in the thick of the drama in Walford in the new year. MORE: Emmerdale casts Slow Horses and EastEnders star as newcomer 'sends shockwaves' MORE: Hollyoaks star marries boyfriend as they share loved up pictures MORE: Emmerdale's Beth Cordingly shares powerful message after 'crying eyes out for five hours'
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders star reveals secret link to soap co-stars – but can you guess who?
EASTENDERS fans have been left stunned after one of the soap's stars revealed a surprise connection to their Albert Square co-stars. Ellie Dadd, 20, revealed she crossed paths with two of her co-stars long before landing her big break on the BBC One soap. 5 5 The star joined EastEnders three years ago as troubled teen Amy Mitchell. She has taken on some of the toughest storylines as the troubled teen - from self-harm to mental health struggles. But now the young star is ready for something very different that's worlds away from soapland. This Christmas, Ellie will be swapping the drama of Walford for the magic of panto, taking centre stage as Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Fairfield Halls. Ellie's no stranger to the panto spotlight - as she reveals she's already a seasoned pro. She told the Mirror: "I started panto when I was six. I did it for four years, age six to 10. It was the best time ever. "Isn't it every girl's dream to play a princess at least once in their lives?" And she even met her future co-stars Tilly Keeper (who played Louise Mitchell) and Zack Morris (who played Keegan Baker) long before her Albert Square debut. Ellie added: "We trained together at the D&B Academy of Performing Arts. 'It was quite fun seeing them when I got there. I was like, 'Oh, my goodness!'' EastEnders legend makes a shock return just days after quitting Walford Panto is no walk in the park, with gruelling double-show days and barely any time off. But Ellie said that soap life has prepped her well. 'EastEnders has taught me a lot,' she explained. 'We film 14 scenes a day and we're there five days a week. If a scene's not going to plan, you've got to think on your feet. Soap's most harrowing teen storylines We take a look at other harrowing teen soap storylines from soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. Belle Dingle's schizophrenia in Emmerdale - Belle's (Eden Taylor-Draper) traumatic journey in Emmerdale took a dark turn when, after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma at just 16, her mental health began to spiral. The storyline, which saw Belle struggling with her grief and guilt, showcased her battle with hearing Gemma's voice inside her head, leading to a dramatic decline in her well-being. Hannah Ashworth's anorexia in Hollyoaks - Viewers were horrified as they watched Hannah (Emma Rigby), a seemingly innocent teen, spiral into dangerous behavior, starving herself in an attempt to achieve what she thought was the ideal body. As Hannah's condition worsened, the storyline became more intense, culminating in her being hospitalised for two months as she fought for her life. Bethany Platt's grooming ordeal in Coronation Street - Vulnerable schoolgirl, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie's darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator. The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her. Whitney Dean's abuse from Tony in EastEnders - Since the age of 12, she had been in a twisted relationship with her stepmum Bianca's boyfriend, Tony King. The predator had groomed young Whit (Shona McGarty), making her believe she was in love and planning to run away with him. On her 16th birthday, the traumatised teen finally revealed the years of abuse to Bianca. Tony was swiftly sent to prison sentenced for 13 years. "You learn to trust your instincts.' And although she's stepping away for a sprinkle of festive magic, fans won't have to wait long to see her back in Walford. 'They're just letting me have a couple of weeks off - and then I'll be back,' she confirmed. See Ellie from 12 December in Beauty And The Beast at Fairfield Halls, London. 5 5 5
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
EastEnders' Amy Mitchell actress reveals surprising hidden link to two co-stars
Ellie Dadd joined EastEnders three years ago, but has now revealed how she met two of her co-stars long before she joined the BBC One soap as troubled teen Amy Mitchell Since joining EastEnders three years ago, Ellie Dadd has tackled big storylines focusing on self-harm and mental health as troubled teen Amy Mitchell. Now she's ready to take a break for something more lighthearted – oh, yes she is! This Christmas, Ellie will be swapping E20 for Fairfield Halls when she plays Belle in Beauty And The Beast. And while she's still only 20, Ellie is an old hand at panto. 'I started panto when I was six,' says Ellie. 'I did it for four years, age six to 10. It was the best time ever.' She enrolled in D&B Academy of Performing Arts and met her future EastEnders co-stars Tilly Keeper (Louise Mitchell) and Zack Morris (Keegan Baker), who both joined the soap ahead of her. 'It was quite fun seeing them when I got there. I was like, 'Oh, my goodness!" This panto season, however, she will be playing the princess – something she's dreamt of since she was a young girl. "Isn't it every girl's dream to play a princess at least once in their lives?' laughs Ellie. Panto is famously gruelling, with two performances a day, and lead stars taking just Christmas Day off. But being on EastEnders has trained Ellie. EastEnders has taught me a lot,' she says. 'We film 14 scenes a day and we're there five days a week And if a scene is not going to plan, things need to change quickly. You learn to trust your instincts,' says Ellie. 'If things go wrong, you're like, OK, that's fine. We can sort it. Everybody's there for you." Just because she's taking a break to do panto, though, it doesn't mean Ellie's character Amy is off screen for long. They're just letting me have a couple of weeks off and then I'll be back,' she says. Next year, however, she might be asking bosses to write her out for a bit longer, as she dreams of following in the footsteps of fellow Walford waltzers such as Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown), Bobby Brazier (Freddie Slater) and Molly Rainford (Anna Knight) to take on the challenge of Strictly Come Dancing. It was visiting the set to watch the live show that gave Ellie the Strictly bug. 'If I had the opportunity to do it, I'd absolutely love to do it,' says Ellie. 'I love everything. The costumes, the dancing, just being able to go up there every weekend and put your heart on the line and enjoy yourself. 'It was honestly crazy just to see how it all works, because you don't really get to see it from watching it at home.' However, Ellie admits just watching the high-energy routines left her feeling fatigued. 'I don't know how those dancers do it every week," she says, laughing. 'They must be exhausted.' Ellie was just 17 when she joined EastEnders and was soon targeted by a stalker, who was handed a nine-month suspended sentence just before Christmas 2024, plus a five-year restraining order. Despite the ordeal, Ellie insists she's coping with the rigours of fame. 'You get used to the recognition,' she smiles. 'I forget I am in a massive soap like EastEnders.' Fame might be unsettling, but Ellie feels EastEnders' high profile also means the soap can be a force for good. When Amy had a self-harm storyline, Ellie was flattered when viewers said her scenes reflected their own experiences. It's great to know that I can help a lot of people through certain situations,' says Ellie. This year the BBC soap celebrated its 40th anniversary. Ellie was thrilled to attend the 2025 British Soap Awards, where EastEnders won the coveted Best Soap category. 'It's great to dress up and go to all these events,' says Ellie. 'It's something you don't normally get to do. It's just a completely different world.' Acting is a tough industry so Ellie is grateful for every day playing Amy, but she has loftier ambitions too "I would love to be in a big movie or a big West End show, but it's such a difficult industry that you're very lucky to have any job in it. Whatever I'm in, I'm lucky because there are thousands of other people that would have fought to be in the position I'm in.'
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders fans fume over ‘missing character' as they say ‘we don't see everything'
EASTENDERS fans have been left frustrated after noticing a major character has mysteriously vanished. Many viewers of the BBC soap are taking to social media to vent, claiming 'we don't see everything' that goes on in Albert Square. 5 5 Christian Clarke (John Partridge) was Roxy Mitchell's (Rita Simons) ride-or-die for years, but he has no contact with her daughter Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd). Christian was nowhere to be seen at Roxy's funeral after she tragically died and hasn't been mentioned or popped back to Walford since. Fans reckon it's a major plot hole that just doesn't add up. Taking to a Reddit forum, one viewer wrote: "It seems really strange that Christian was such good friends with Roxy for years and never turned up to her funeral or came to visit Amy later in life, he was literally gonna raise her as his own at one point. Another added: "I've always wondered this too. I get the actor may not want to return or not have been asked to but they could at least have mentioned him when she died. "Maybe shown flowers he sent with his name on the card or something like they've done with other characters funerals. "Maybe mention Amy has gone to stay with him for a weekend or that they talk or something. There's no one better to talk about her mum to than him. "Also find it weird that it's never acknowledged that she's part of the Mitchell family. You don't see her communicate with them or them with her." A third penned: "For things like this I think we just have to accept that we don't see everything. "She might have a phone call with Christian every now and then or meet up in central for lunch to chat about her mum, but it's not that relevant to the show." Top 10 most shocking Eastenders moments Amy Mitchell's had a rough ride this year so far, after getting caught up in the terrifying club crush that left her seriously injured and in a wheelchair. Before that, the teen was at the heart of a heartbreaking self-harm storyline, following a messy split from Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) and cruel bullying whispers at school. Her struggles with mental health saw her start therapy, as the show tackled the sensitive issue head-on in powerful scenes that struck a chord with viewers. Christian is best remembered for his explosive romance with Syed Masood (Marc Elliot) - a secret love affair that rocked EastEnders to its core. Forgotten soap storylines The nation's soaps have had many gripping storylines play out over the years. However, some plots proved to be far less memorable. Here are some forgotten stories from Weatherfield, Walford and more... Coronation Street Ken and Audrey's romance (2015): After the death of wife Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride), Coronation Street original Ken Barlow (William Roache) started to move on in his life. He started to develop a spark with old friend Audrey (Sue Nicholls), with then-Corrie boss saying it would be like "Ross and Rachel". In the end, nothing ever came of it and the two remained platonic pals. Beth's bigamy (2016): Despite being happily married to Kirk (Andrew Whyment), a troubling secret came to light about Beth Tinker (Lisa George). It transpired that she had never divorced from her first husband, Darryl (Paul Loughran), father of her son Craig (Colson Smith). Although Craig and Kirk were shocked - and Beth was arrested - the storyline didn't didn't go much further. EastEnders Kat Slater's secret son (2017): Capitalising on the popularity of Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie (Shane Richie), the two received a spin-off back in 2017. Titled 'Redwater', it saw the two travel to Ireland where they met long-lost son Luke, now called Dermott Dolan, played by Oisín Stack. Despite the high-tension events during Redwater, Kat seems to have put the experience behind her as Dermott's not been mentioned since. Alfie's brain tumour (2015): Having learned in 2015 that he had a brain tumour, Alfie kept the news from Kat until their trip to Ireland. At the time, actor Shane Ritchie revealed fans would see a change in Alfie as he battled the illness. It would appear that at some point after leaving the Square, was told the tumour was non-malignant. By the time Alfie returned in 2022, fans were left confused over what had happened to the storyline. Kathy and Buster's affair (2016): In 2016, Walford legend Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) fell into the arms of convict Buster Briggs, played by Karl Howman. Buster was the long-time lover of Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and fathered both her sons - Mick (Danny Dyer) and Dean (Matt Di Angelo). When Buster left, he begged Kathy to join him, but she refused for the sake of her family. Meanwhile Buster didn't even stop to say goodbye to Shirley before exiting with a broken heart. Fans expected a showdown between the two women, but this never came to pass. Emmerdale Jacob's OCD (2016): After his dad, David (Matthew Wolfenden), was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) developed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This manifested in the form of cleaning. Jacob's OCD made a brief return one year on, after David had another scare after finding a lump. Jacob frantically searched the bins for a 'lucky coin' that had accidentally been thrown away. Despite stressful situations - such as being groomed by his teacher Maya, losing his fiancee Leanna to a serial killer, dealing with mum Leyla's drug addiction, and surviving a stabbing - the condition doesn't appear to have returned. Marlon and Charity's fling (2003): Few fans would likely remember few will remember the one-night stand between Charity (Emma Atkins) and Marlon (Mark Charnock) in 2003. The pair slept together when Charity was staying with Marlon while still under suspicion for husband Chris's supposed "murder". Hollyoaks Alex Browning's revenge plot (2014): Fans expected a confrontation when Dr Browning's son Alex (Ojan Genc) mer stepmum Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe). After all, Mercedes, with Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) and Lindsey Butterfield (Sophie Austin) had murdered Alex's dad, double-murderer Dr Paul Browning, after he kidnapped and attacked his new wife. In fact, the soap teased Alex would seek revenge for his father's death upon arriving. However, he instead gave Cindy's son Hilton (his half-brother) a life-saving transplant, became his godfather, and leaving the village soon after. Syed, engaged to Amira (Preeya Kalidas) at the time, came out on New Year's Day 2009 in one of the soap's most groundbreaking moments, sending shockwaves through his strict Muslim family. Things turned violent when Christian was beaten up by Amira's relatives in retaliation. And as the drama continued, trust between the couple started to crack - with Christian even ordering a DNA test via scheming Yusef, casting doubt on the paternity of Amira's baby, Yasmin. Still, the pair managed to patch things up, moving in together and exploring adoption and surrogacy. But the return of Amira with Yasmin stirred up more trouble, while Christian also faced false abuse claims from Ben Mitchell and a brutal bust-up with Phil. In the end, it all became too much. With trust in tatters, Christian left the Square - but not before Zainab and Lucy locked the couple in a room, forcing one final heart-to-heart. Ultimately, Christian and Syed left Walford together in 2012 - a bittersweet goodbye to one of the show's most unforgettable love stories. Could they ever return to EastEnders? 5 5 5
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders star taking a break from soap for new role after 20 years onscreen – and fans will be devastated
EASTENDERS star Emma Barton will be taking a short break from the soap for an exciting new role. The actress - who plays Honey Mitchell in the BBC soap - has been a beloved mainstay in Walford for more than 20 years. 4 4 But this Christmas she will be following in the footsteps of many of her co-stars and appearing in panto. And the role is far from Emma's EastEnders turn as the kind and lovely Honey Mitchell. Instead she will be playing the wicked witch Carabosse at Torquay's Princess Theatre's production of Snow White. A spokesperson for the theatre said: "Emma is delighted to be back on stage, working with Jordan Productions again, in Sleeping Beauty. 'With live music, stunning sets, slick choreography, sensational costumes and special effects, Sleeping Beauty promises to be Torquay's most spectacular Pantomime ever." It is believed that Emma will only need to take a short break from the soap due to the Christmas filming break and that fans won't notice her abscence. EastEnders has been contacted for comment. Likewise The Sun recently revealed that Emma's co-star Ellie Dadd is also starring in panto this year. The star, who plays Amy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, will be spending a few weeks away from the East End after bagging herself a brand new stage gig. It has been confirmed that Ellie, 19, has landed a big-money panto gig in Croydon this year. EXCL EastEnders' Perry Fenwick and Emma Barton on 'terrifying' 40th anniversary live episode - and if it'll be fourth time lucky for Billy and Honey She will be taking on the iconic role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Croydon Fairfield Halls. Ellie will be entertaining audiences nightly between Friday, December 12, 2025, to Sunday, January 4, 2026. She is the third EastEnders star to bag a panto role this year after Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell, confirmed he would be appearing in The Alban Arena's production of Aladdin. Teen Ellie has played the role of Amy in the soap since 2022. 4 4
