EastEnders actress, Lorraine Stanley, has shown off her stunning weight loss after revealing she would be leaving Albert Square.
Lorraine, 47, who plays Karen Taylor in the soap, told her co-stars how much she would miss them as she announced she was saying goodbye to Walford at the end of the year. However, she seemed rather chipper when she recently revealed her fabulous figure - clad in black lycra - which was a far cry from frumpy Karen's oversized shirts and jogging bottoms.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Lorraine shared a snap of herself, flexing her muscles in her living room, wearing a black Nike vest and leggings. Captioning the photo, in which she looked happy and healthy, she said: "I’m feeling fantastic!!!, adding: "#fitat40something #weighttrainingforwomen #igotthis."
The actress told fans last year she managed to drop almost a stone in six weeks by cutting down on sweet treats and upping her protein intake. Lorraine also revealed on ITV's Lorraine she'd cut out carbs. Speaking to Carol Vorderman, she said: "I've lost 12lbs in six weeks. My mate Louisa is my fitness guru, I've got her to thank for it. She talks about nutrition. I've eaten a lot of boiled eggs, fish, chicken. No carbs, no crisps and chocolate. "I'm enjoying it and I feel better for it."
When news broke in the summer that Lorraine would be leaving EastEnders, the actress took to Instagram to share her sadness: "Thank you to Daran Little for creating the Taylors and to the BBC for giving me the opportunity to play such a fabulous character," she wrote.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness"I’ll be sad to be saying goodbye to Karen Taylor and will miss all the cast and crew at EastEnders." Fans and co-stars were quick to express their support and love for Lorraine, who replied: "Your kind words of support have been amazing!!! I’m going to miss my Taylor/Baker famalam Clair Norris, Danny Walters, Roger Griffiths and Matthew Morrison. Much love."
Lorraine also thanked co-star Gillian Wright, who plays Jean Slater, for a special gift, writing: "I love my hat you made @therealgillianwright. It’s so warm and cosy and fits perfectly."
The actress added that she was excited about her life after EastEnders saying: "I’m looking forward to my next chapter and excited about being a jobbing Actor again & starting new ventures."
We still don't know how Karen will exit the show, but in coming episodes it looks like the lies she and Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) spun about the recent ‘kidnap’ of Albie will come back to haunt them. If the truth is revealed and Sharon finds out, Karen may be headed for the iconic taxi out of Walford - or worse...
* EastEnders is on BBC One at 7.30 pm on Monday