EastEnders star Lacey Turner slapped by a ghost on BBC soap set

Lacey Turner may have had several dramatic storylines during her 17 years on EastEnders, but her character Stacey Slater has never - at least to our knowledge - had an interaction with the supernatural.

The actor, who made her debut on the BBC soap in 2004, thinks that she may have had an encounter with a ghost during filming - and the alleged incident is said to involve a former co-star.

Speaking to Heat Magazine (via Yahoo! News), Turner shared that she often used to go on cigarette breaks during filming, with Laila Morse and the late Wendy Richard - who played Mo Harris and Pauline Fowler respectively - often accompanying her.

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Following Richard's passing in 2009, Turner recalled that she was debating having a cigarette break, before she felt "great big whack" on her "bum" as she contemplated going outside.

"I turned and laughed, thinking it was a runner, but there wasn't a soul there," she shared, before noting that the late Barbara Windsor - who portrayed Peggy Mitchell - was the only person nearby.

"I was standing in the studio where the Fowlers would film, and I'm convinced it was Wendy telling me to go for a cigarette like she used to," reasoned Turner, who added that Morse also believes it was a sign from the late Richard.

Turner, who has also appeared in Our Girl, is currently taking a break from the soap after Stacey departed Walford in October 2025, with the popular character opting for the sunny skies of Brazil.

During her hiatus, the actor signed up for the latest season of Strictly Come Dancing, where she is partnered by Vito Coppola. It's been a solid start for the couple in the series, as they have progressed without being in a dance-off.

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Turner also confirmed that she would be releasing her first memoir, which is titled Gold Dust: My Life (So Far) with the Women Who Shaped Me. The book is due to be released on Thursday (22 October), and is set to feature anecdotes from her career.

Billed as an "uplifting celebration and a reminder that women are just as precious as gold dust" (via Amazon), the book will also include stories regarding EastEnders icons such as Windsor and June Brown.

EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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