BBC EastEnders' Lacey Turner to exit show as she plans major next chapter in her life

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EastEnders favourite Lacey Turner is buzzing with excitement for the "next chapter" in her life.

Best known as the loveable Stacey Slater on the BBC One drama, the actress often lets fans have a peek into her family life via social media.

In September, the 36-year-old announced that she and hubby Matt Kay are expecting their third child. Posting on Instagram, Lacey beamed next to Matt and their two young ones on a beach, proudly flaunting her ultrasound picture with the caption: "Aren't we lucky..... @thekayoskids."

In a rare interview, Lacey has opened up preparing for the arrival of her little one. Speaking to the Mirror, she said: "I'm excited for all of us really. It's like another chapter in our little story, yeah I am excited.

"There's nothing better than a newborn and a newborn cuddle, so that would be lovely. Yeah, we're really excited and we're looking forward to it."

Lacey's exciting news means she will be taking a break from her EastEnders role although details regarding her exit have yet to be confirmed.

The actress is already planning a heartfelt gift for her baby – a photo book brimming with cherished family memories. Lacey said: "You take lots of photos of them, 1000s of photos.

"I make one for my kids every year, I make them a photo book of their year, I just feel like when they're older, what if they want to look at the photos of themselves and they don't know how to get them off the stick, or don't know where they're going to be in a cloud or in a computer or something.

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"I love sitting looking through photos, it's nice that I do it for them, so I should be making three."

This year, Lacey has partnered with CEWE as she navigated the dos and don'ts in the lead up to Christmas. She continued to discuss the upcoming months as she and her family prepare for her new arrival, expressing: "I love this time of year and obviously we, you know, we've got a lot going on in our house but it's going to be lovely.

"As the children grow older, it's lovely. They change so much at this age and it's lovely to see they're going through their little milestones and it's great."

Lacey expressed her affection for the current season, saying: "I love being cold, cozy cardigans and fires, I don't know – I just love everything about this time of year! " Reflecting on her career, which has spanned over two decades, the EastEnders star feels "really lucky" to have had such longevity.

She attributes her success to being "I've been surrounded by brilliant people," Turner added: "I don't have a highlight, really, I've met some amazing people and learnt some amazing things – I've been lucky enough to do some amazing things. I am a lucky person."

One role that stands out to her is her portrayal of Stella Munroe in the 2012 ITV2 series Switch, a show about four witches living in Camden, north London.

Turner fondly recalled, "I loved that," with a wide grin on her face. She added: "I don't think we really knew what it was, when it went out if it was for kids or adults, it was a bit confusing. But had we pinpointed it, it would have been great. It was great fun to make, we had a great time making it."

Meanwhile, speculation surrounding her character Stacey's fate in EastEnders continues, with some fans believing she might ultimately be held responsible for Keanu Taylor's murder, despite Nish Panesar taking the blame.

Fans are speculating that should plans go awry in the storyline, Stacey might take the fall. One fan conjectured: "I think Stacey could take the fall as she's pregnant in real life. She might come out of it to have her baby, we don't know."

Adding fuel to the theory, another said: "I think Stacey will take the blame for killing Keanu." In the realm of holiday cheer (or lack thereof), Lacey pointed out that 73 per cent of Brits confess their disappointment with Christmas gifts.

Meanwhile, novelty items, mops, and socks rank as some of the least favoured presents. In contrast, a heartening 75 per cent of Brits say that cost doesn't matter—what counts is the thought behind the gift.

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