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Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Hollyoaks star 'helpless' in secret health battle - 'My body's exhausted'
Hollyoaks' Isabelle Smith has become a fan favourite as troubled teen, Frankie Osborne. Here, she talks her 'whirlwind' time on the soap - and the health battle that's 'not got any better' Despite arriving in Hollyoaks just last year, Isabelle Smith has quickly become one of the soap's rising stars. The actress took on the role of troubled teen Frankie Osborne in January 2024 and, eight months later, she won Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards. She has also been nominated for Best Dramatic Performance at the 2025 British Soap Awards, which takes place on 31 May. With hard-hitting storylines and potentially more awards to come, it's hard to believe that Isabelle was working on checkout tills before landing the job. 'It's just been very surreal – I never expected any of this to happen,' she says. 'I was working in the supermarket before I got my job at Hollyoaks so it's been a whirlwind.' Viewers have watched as Frankie endured harrowing abuse at the hands of her brother JJ and recently began taking and selling drugs. The scenes are intense and Isabelle has a health condition that she has to manage at the same time. 'Endometriosis affects me every single day as I'm sure it does a lot of women,' she says. Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. Isabelle explains she underwent a laparoscopy – surgery to diagnose and remove endometriosis tissue – when she was 21, but she still suffers daily symptoms, which can include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, heavy bleeding and digestive issues. 'It's been nearly three years since I had that and it hasn't gotten any better,' she reveals. 'When I'm on set, I'm just mindful that things might take me a bit longer. If I've done Pilates, I need to remember that I probably need a rest day in between. I get really bad fatigue so when I'm filming long days, sometimes I come home and I just go straight to sleep because my body's so exhausted. I try to keep my blood sugars up with snacks and make sure I have a hot water bottle and ibuprofen on hand, just in case.' Isabelle, 23, says she's learnt not to push herself too far at work and to look after herself. 'That's coming more with age – the power of being able to say no to things and putting my health first,' she says. 'I've not been very good at doing that but I'm getting a bit older now and my friends and family are so understanding. I need to say, 'No, actually I can't do that because I need to rest,' which sometimes makes me feel a bit useless and helpless but everybody reminds me that it's just my body and I need to take care of it.' After a challenging day of filming, Isabelle has boyfriend Adam Seel to spend time with – the couple live together in Manchester. 'We film in Liverpool so my drive home is where I do a lot of my de-stressing,' she says. 'I'll put on some good music, call my boyfriend to have a debrief then we'll have tea and watch a good series. If I've had a bad day, I'll put on Married At First Sight because that always cheers me up. I've got a little cat because I've grown up with animals and we didn't have one here so I was feeling a bit down. So we adopted a cat and it's crazy – they really are like emotional support animals.' With her upcoming storylines sounding very dark, it's no wonder she needs to wind down after work. Viewers are set to see Frankie's sexual exploitation storyline develop as her parents, Darren and Nancy, try to find her after she's taken hostage by the gang who have been grooming her. Darren manages to find her at a manor house but, with the gang preventing their escape, it's unclear whether they'll make it out unharmed. 'We've been exploring sexual and criminal exploitation and Frankie is somebody who is very vulnerable at this time in her life,' says Isabelle. 'She's not really sure who she can trust so she's fallen into another trap. Frankie has been taken, she's not sure how she's going to get out and I think she's in a little bit too deep. "She's quite isolated and that's when the sexual exploitation side of things really ramps up – there's going to be some harrowing scenes but it's so important that this stuff is given a spotlight because it does happen in real life. It can be very intense and quite overwhelming to film, but I just remind myself of why we're doing this and how it's helping so many people.' As for Isabelle's future at Hollyoaks, the actress admits she thinks she might know when she's going to leave. 'I think I know in my head and I think they know as well – but Frankie is here for a while longer,' she says. 'But in the world of soap, I could get hit by a bus – you don't know what's going to come through with each script and that's what makes it so fun and fresh.' For her next project, Isabelle admits there are certain actors she'd like to work with. 'I'd love to work with Siobhan Finneran – I think she's incredible. A dream would be to work with Jodie Comer. Just all these powerhouses of women.'
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Hollyoaks star 'helpless' in hidden health battle - 'My body's exhausted'
Hollyoaks star Isabelle Smith has opened up about her daily battle with endometriosis and Frankie's upcoming storylines on the Channel 4 soap in an exclusive chat with The Mirror Despite arriving in Hollyoaks just last year, Isabelle Smith has quickly become one of the soap's rising stars. The actress took on the role of troubled teen Frankie Osborne in January 2024 and, eight months later, she won Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards. She has also been nominated for Best Dramatic Performance at the 2025 British Soap Awards, which takes place on 31 May. With hard-hitting storylines and potentially more awards to come, it's hard to believe that Isabelle was working on checkout tills before landing the job. 'It's just been very surreal – I never expected any of this to happen,' she says. 'I was working in the supermarket before I got my job at Hollyoaks so it's been a whirlwind.' Viewers have watched as Frankie endured harrowing abuse at the hands of her brother JJ and recently began taking and selling drugs. The scenes are intense and Isabelle has a health condition that she has to manage at the same time. 'Endometriosis affects me every single day as I'm sure it does a lot of women,' she says. Endometriosis is a condition where cells similar to those in the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body. Isabelle explains she underwent a laparoscopy – surgery to diagnose and remove endometriosis tissue – when she was 21, but she still suffers daily symptoms, which can include chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, heavy bleeding and digestive issues. 'It's been nearly three years since I had that and it hasn't gotten any better,' she reveals. 'When I'm on set, I'm just mindful that things might take me a bit longer. If I've done Pilates, I need to remember that I probably need a rest day in between. I get really bad fatigue so when I'm filming long days, sometimes I come home and I just go straight to sleep because my body's so exhausted. I try to keep my blood sugars up with snacks and make sure I have a hot water bottle and ibuprofen on hand, just in case.' Isabelle, 23, says she's learnt not to push herself too far at work and to look after herself. 'That's coming more with age – the power of being able to say no to things and putting my health first,' she says. 'I've not been very good at doing that but I'm getting a bit older now and my friends and family are so understanding. I need to say, 'No, actually I can't do that because I need to rest,' which sometimes makes me feel a bit useless and helpless but everybody reminds me that it's just my body and I need to take care of it.' After a challenging day of filming, Isabelle has boyfriend Adam Seel to spend time with – the couple live together in Manchester. 'We film in Liverpool so my drive home is where I do a lot of my de-stressing,' she says. 'I'll put on some good music, call my boyfriend to have a debrief then we'll have tea and watch a good series. If I've had a bad day, I'll put on Married At First Sight because that always cheers me up. I've got a little cat because I've grown up with animals and we didn't have one here so I was feeling a bit down. So we adopted a cat and it's crazy – they really are like emotional support animals.' With her upcoming storylines sounding very dark, it's no wonder she needs to wind down after work. Viewers are set to see Frankie's sexual exploitation storyline develop as her parents, Darren and Nancy, try to find her after she's taken hostage by the gang who have been grooming her. Darren manages to find her at a manor house but, with the gang preventing their escape, it's unclear whether they'll make it out unharmed. 'We've been exploring sexual and criminal exploitation and Frankie is somebody who is very vulnerable at this time in her life,' says Isabelle. 'She's not really sure who she can trust so she's fallen into another trap. Frankie has been taken, she's not sure how she's going to get out and I think she's in a little bit too deep. She's quite isolated and that's when the sexual exploitation side of things really ramps up – there's going to be some harrowing scenes but it's so important that this stuff is given a spotlight because it does happen in real life. 'It can be very intense and quite overwhelming to film, but I just remind myself of why we're doing this and how it's helping so many people.' As for Isabelle's future at Hollyoaks, the actress admits she thinks she might know when she's going to leave. 'I think I know in my head and I think they know as well – but Frankie is here for a while longer,' she says. 'But in the world of soap, I could get hit by a bus – you don't know what's going to come through with each script and that's what makes it so fun and fresh.' For her next project, Isabelle admits there are certain actors she'd like to work with. 'I'd love to work with Siobhan Finneran – I think she's incredible. A dream would be to work with Jodie Comer. Just all these powerhouses of women.'
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside EastEnders Lacey Turner's family life and famous sisters in rival soaps
As Stacey Slater, actress Lacey Turner has been at the centre of some of EastEnders' most memorable storylines EastEnders' Stacey Slater, played by the illustrious Lacey Turner, has been at the heart of countless memorable plots in Walford since her first appearance in 2004. The skilled actress, 37, has bagged an array of awards for her portrayal as Stacey, earning accolades from Inside Soap Awards to National Television Awards. Off-screen, Lacey is just as dynamic, juggling the role of a mum to three little ones, after celebrating the arrival of her latest addition with husband Matt at the start of the year. It seems talent runs in the family, as Lacey's sisters, Lily and Daisy, are also familiar faces in the world of showbiz. Let's delve into their stories.... Who is Lily Turner? At 25, Lily is the baby of the Turner clan and appears to be following in her big sister's footsteps with her own ventures into acting. During a hiatus Lacey took from EastEnders in 2010, Lily stepped into the limelight on the same soap, portraying Shenice Quinn, the offspring of Kat's mate Martine. Despite being just a nine-year-old newcomer back when she joined the cast, Lily impressed as Shenice and continued the role until 2012. Interestingly, former EastEnders exec producer Bryan Kirkwood revealed that he was unaware of Lily's relation to Lacey during the audition process. He confessed: "Whether by accident or design I sat down and watched a [video] tape of a very talented young girl. And it was only after we decided that I was told it was Lacey's sister. So it was a complete accident." It appears that Lily, who more commonly goes by the surname Harvey, has seemingly stepped away from the acting world following her stint on EastEnders. Her current profession is somewhat of a mystery, but her Instagram feed is brimming with travel photos, alongside links to her YouTube and TikTok profiles. She does pop up on Lacey's social media every now and then; the sisters were spotted gracing the National Soap Awards together in 2022. "About last night... Me and my beaut lil sis. Thank you to the one and only @kymmullem for the waves," Lacey wrote, sharing a dazzling photo of them both. Who is Daisy Turner? Daisy, another of Lacey's siblings, burst onto the Hollyoaks scene back in 2011, portraying the character Jenny Houston. At the time, Daisy, then 20, commented: "All three of us do it. "Lacey and I acted as kids. Our mum, Bev, let us do everything – singing, dancing and acting. Recalling the moment she secured the role, she said, "I was at home with my mum and sisters when I got the call to say I'd got the part. Lacey said if I need her, she is there. "I suppose there is a bit of pressure because she is very good at what she does. She has done it for years and I am just starting out." Unfortunately, Daisy's tenure on Hollyoaks came to a dramatic end as her character Jenny fell victim to Silas in a spine-chilling plot twist. Now 34, Daisy also appears to have stepped away from the acting scene, with her recent career moves remaining under wraps.
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
EastEnders star reveals struggle to find work a year after she admitted job hunt was ‘soul destroying'
A FORMER EastEnders star has spoken out about her fight to build her career following her harsh exit from the soap. The actress, who played one of Walford's matriarchs from 2017 to 2024, told fans about her work strife on social media. 4 4 Lorraine Stanley, who portrayed Karen Taylor, was written out of the show in 2023 as part of a shock cast shake-up. The soap star, 48, has been brutally honest about how hard it has been finding work since being axed from the show. She shared a funny photo on her Instagram Stories wearing oversized glasses and pulling a humorous face. The star wrote alongside it: "I didn't get the job, but at least I still got my good looks and sense of humour. "But it's given me some confidence getting back in the room and I did get some good feedback... "So onwards and upwards." Lorraine played downtrodden laundrette worker Karen since 2017. She earned the 2018 British Soap Award for Best Newcomer and the 2019 Inside Soap Award for Funniest Female. But Lorraine previously told The Sun she wouldn't be returning to the BBC soap in a hurry. She admitted: "I'm a busy mum at the moment. I don't plan on doing anymore soaps, once you've done a soap, you've done a soap. I'll never return to EastEnders after brutal axe – even though auditioning for new jobs is soul-destroying, says Lorraine Stanley "At the moment I'm auditioning, I'm just doing self-tapes, which is soul-destroying. It's horrible, I'm so bad at it." Behind the scenes she has embarked on a weight-loss and fitness journey with a total body transformation. The star is now slimmer than ever after showing off her five-stone body makeover. Sharing before and after pictures last year, she told fans that she'd been making "healthy choices". Since leaving the soap, Lorraine has acted alongside other soap legends in gritty British film Departures. She joined Hollyoaks hunk David Tag and Coronation Street 's Kimberly Hart-Simpson in the project. The movie is described as "Shirley Valentine meets LGBTQ Trainspotting". 4 4
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Legendary Emmerdale star returns to soap six years on from explosive exit with unfinished business - and their first scenes have already been filmed
Emmerdale is set for a dramatic twist as a major character is set to make a surprise comeback - and their first scenes have already been filmed. In a move that's sure to thrill soap fans, Robert Sugden is reportedly returning to the village in a storyline packed with emotional tension and family drama. Six years have passed since Ryan Hawley bowed out of the ITV soap, leaving viewers heartbroken when his character was written out in 2019. Now, according to The Sun, the actor has stepped back into Robert's shoes for a short stint, with his return set to air next month. He is believed to be returning for ex-husband Aaron Dingle's wedding to his killer brother John Sugden. An insider told the publication: 'Ryan has a lot of respect for the show and its fans and he really wanted to give them a treat so he agreed to come back for a brief stint. 'It's going to be a huge surprise for fans especially the Robron fans who have missed Robert desperately since Ryan quit. 'Nothing was seen as being too extreme to keep the secret with fake names on scripts, smuggling him in and out of the studios and keeping everything very tight.' MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment. Ryan is the fourth actor to have played Robert, taking up the role in 2014 and following in the footsteps of Richard Smith, Christopher Smith and Karl Davies. In one of his most explosive storylines, he accidentally killed sister-in-law Katie after she took a photo of him and Aaron kissing whilst he was engaged to Chrissie White. During his time in the role, Ryan has won various awards, including a Tric Award for Soap Actor last year and the gong for Best Soap Actor at the TV Choice Awards the year before. He also bagged Best Partnership with Danny Miller at the Inside Soap Awards back in 2016 and Best Newcomer at the same awards ceremony in 2015. In June 2019, Ryan quit his role on the soap after five years of playing the much-loved character. The actor reportedly decided to leave the long-running soap to pursue 'other projects'. An insider told The Sun in 2019: 'Emmerdale fans have loved every minute of RobRon's story, and what Ryan has brought to playing Robert. 'But he has decided to take a break from the show for the foreseeable future and try other projects. Since his departure from the Dales, Ryan has been gracing other television shows with his presence. He made an appearance on Casualty last year as Jamie Cleveland, and stunned fans with a dramatic new look featuring a long hairstyle and beard in Silent Witness. The actor has also been part of Channel 5's revival of All Creatures Great & Small as Sid Crabtree.
