EastEnders' Karen star misses out on role in rival soap after blowing audition

28 November 2023 , 20:27

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Lorraine Stanley has played matriarch Karen Taylor for seven years (Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

EastEnders' Lorraine Stanley has revealed she once made a bonkers blunder that cost her a role on rival soap Coronation Street.

The actress, Karen Taylor on EastEnders since 2017, says she got it all wrong at an audition but hasn't yet given up hope of running the Rovers Return as she prepares to say goodbye to Albert Square. She's leaving at the end of the year and spoke about how she got it so wrong when a Corrie role came up.

Lorraine has not only become a household name in soapland but also has an impressive array of credits to her name. She portray a youthful Mo Harris in the EastEnders spin-off Pat and Mo, and also made appearances on Holby City, Casualty, Doctors, and The Bill.

Things could have been very different if she hadn't bodged an audition (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

In an interview with Inside Soap, the TV star previously expressed she was also keen to land a stint behind the bar on the Coronation Street set - but failed after her accent let her down. Recalling her experience, she shared: "I went to audition for Corrie once.

"I did a character with a northern accent for the read-through. But when I got there on the day, I just couldn't do the accent. I can only do it when I'm messing around! I was gutted." Despite playing matriarch Karen for seven years the star is being written out of the BBC soap as part of a shock cast cull.

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When the news was unveiled in the summer that Lorraine would be parting ways with the BBC soap, 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. "I’ll be sad to be saying goodbye to Karen Taylor and will miss all the cast and crew at EastEnders."

Speaking to The Sun, Lorraine revealed she is gutted to be leaving the EastEnders family but was excited to see what opportunities come next. And it seems her dreams of appearing on Corrie are not over just yet as she revealed: “I think it would have to be Corrie and I would have to be the new landlady.

“I'd be Gemma's [Winter] auntie, Bernie's sister. I'd be in there family and I'd take over The Rovers.” Opening up about the shock moment she found out she was being axed she explained that while she was sad to be leaving it gives her the opportunity to push herself outside of her comfort zone.

She said: “I just want people to remember her as the best mum on the square, a heart of gold, she's give you her last fiver and would do anything for her kids - a bit like myself.” The actress will exit the soap at the end of the year, and Lorraine confessed she would be furious if her character was killed off. I hope the door will be left open for Karen. I can't say too much but if they kill me then I would never watch EastEnders again.”

Sam Elliott-Gibbs