Danniella Westbrook announces surprising career change after EastEnders snub

TV fans were excited to see if their favourite soaps had made it on to the shortlist for the much-anticipated BAFTA TV Awards. So, many viewers were surely disappointed to see that EastEnders had been snubbed in the Soap and Continuing Drama category. Despite strong storylines, including Gray Atkins’ murders, captivating viewers throughout the year, the popular BBC soap failed to get a nod.

EastEnders actress Clair Norris, best known as Albert Square’s Bernie Taylor, has opened up about the upsides of looking totally different to her popular soap character. In an exclusive interview with OK! Clair, who recently returned to the BBC soap as heavily pregnant surrogate Bernie, told us that while she’s thrilled to be front and centre of the show, she doesn’t mind if people don’t recognise her.

Danniella Westbrook looked fit and healthy as she was pictured in the middle of a workout in a park in London on Monday.The 48 year old was seen with a friend in the middle of a sweaty session outdoors in the sunshine and appeared to be in enthusiastic spirits when she was spotted. Danniella wore a blue long sleeved crop top with a zipped collar, showing off a hint of her stomach, and a pair of matching blue leggings with a drawstring tie at the waist.

Clair Norris has been absent from our screens for over five months, but new spoilers have revealed that her upcoming EastEnders return is set to be dramatic. The actress, 24, will make her highly anticipated return to Albert Square as heavily pregnant Bernie Taylor on Tuesday 29 March, and she's set for a showdown with Stuart (Ricky Champ) and Rainie Highway (Tanya Franks). Bernie's drama-filled life in Walford couldn't be further from Clair's real life, with the actress living in London with her long-term boyfriend James Wood.

Danniella Westbrook revealed on Monday that she nearly crashed her car after seeing what she thought appeared to be a “dead body” on the side of the road.The 48 year old sounded stunned at the apparent prank in a clip uploaded to Instagram Stories on Monday as she filmed what looked like a pillow dressed in a grey hoodie perched beside a fence outdoors. “Looks like someone’s sat there,” Danniella said in the short piece of footage, before quickly finding the funny side of the situation.

Television star Denise Van Outen has opened up about a tricky first few months on set when she joined the cast of much-loved soap EastEnders back in 2015.The actress and presenter, 47, reveals in her upcoming autobiography 'A Bit Of Me: From Basildon to Broadway, and Back' that landing her role as Albert Square's sharp-minded businesswoman Karin Smart "wasn't what I'd expected".Though her on-screen appearance may have only been a four-episode stint over a month long period, Denise claims to have instantly picked up on an ambience of tension between many of her co-stars. "I'd been used to working on shows with a happy, buzzy, atmosphere," the mother-of-one disclosed to readers. "And during my time on EastEnders, that wasn't really the case." Get exclusive celebrity stories and fabulous photoshoots straight to your inbox with OK!'s daily newsletter.

From 1999-2022, the hospital drama was one doc appointment we were happy to keep. It began as a spin-off to Casualty but immediately set itself apart with the soap star cast, scripts that had more witty one liners and less medical jargon, and stories that made viewers come back to the Holby General ward again and again. The last episode promises more of that winning combination, as we find out the fate of much-loved surgeon Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel).

EastEnders viewers were left taken-aback when they caught sight of the newly "polished" Sharon Watts upon her return to Albert Square this week. Actress Letitia Dean, 54, came back for her latest scenes in Walford looking more glam than ever before, and it's not the only new thing of late as she made a recent comment about the soap's new set too. With her honey blonde locks styled into layers, the fan-favourite character strolled back into the soap showing off her fabulous tan and sun-kissed glow.

Cheryl Fergison has been spotted busking in Lancashire after taking up a new career.The actress, 56, starred as Heather Trott on EastEnders between the years of 2007 and 2012.Ten years on from leaving the popular BBC soap, Cheryl appears to have taken a break from acting to pursue her love of singing. In a bid to advertise a banquet and karaoke night she’s hosting at Great Fortune House in Cleveleys, she took to the streets to give a snippet of what people can expect from the night.The event is set to take place tomorrow, Friday 25 March, from 7pm onwards.

Brooke Kinsella is pregnant with her second child, OK! can exclusively reveal. Announcing herself and her husband Simon Boardley’s special news, the former EastEnders star has shared an adorable snap of her daughter Elsie kissing her bare bump.The 38 year old’s news comes just 18 months after she and Simon welcomed Elsie into the world and Brooke exclusively introduced her to OK!. Brooke told us of baby number two being on the way: “It’s all kisses for now… Here we go again @Simonboardley”.

EastEnders actor Steve McFadden has been hit with five points on his driving licence and forced to pay a £580 fine after being caught speeding. The actor, 63, best known for playing Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap, was pulled over by a police officer with a mobile speed gun in October last year. He was caught doing 35mph in a 20mph zone while on his moped near his home in North London.

Former EastEnders actor Danny Walters looked worlds away from his character Keanu Taylor over the weekend as he showed off his new look in Amsterdam. The actor, 28, who left the BBC One soap in 2020 after almost three years on Albert Square, took to Instagram to post a collection of snaps from his getaway.

EastEnders’ Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris) will soon make a dramatic return to the BBC soap when the heavily pregnant mum steps back into Albert Square and almost immediately goes into labour. In scenes that will air on the soap next week, surrogate Bernie, who left Walford at the end of last year, will be back as she prepares to hand over her newborn to parents Stuart (Ricky Champ) and Rainie Highway (Tanya Franks).