Former EastEnders favourite Kellie Shirley is the new face in Casualty, having joined the BBC medical drama as psychiatric liaison nurse Sophia Peters in a new block of episodes called Storm Damage.
Nurse Sophia was first seen on screen last week in the episode Sinking Ships - Day 1 and is set to return this weekend in Sinking Ships - Day 2 where she catches the eye of consultant Dylan Keogh (played by William Beck).
But, while Kellie is set to make herself at home in Holby ED, she has revealed that she would always be open to a return to Walford one day in the future - and she already knows what she'd like her storyline to involve.
Kellie, who played Carly Wicks in EastEnders from 2006 to 2008, before making a brief return in 2012, told us: “Of course [I'd go back] — there’s always unfinished business in Walford! I’d love to put on Carly’s overalls for a brief spat before running off again."
But it isn't just a good old East End catfight that she misses about being on the soap, Kellie has also revealed that some of her closest friendships were made while working on EastEnders... "I’m good friends with Matt D’Angelo (who plays Carly’s half-brother, Dean Wicks), Linda Henry (Carly’s mum, Shirley Carter) and Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell), and Danny Dyer (who played Mick Carter) stars in a drama podcast I’ve written called ROAR.
"I’m very grateful to EastEnders, it’s had a massive effect on my life.”
Kellie also admitted that she still gets recognised in the street for her EastEnders role, decades after she left the show... “I get stopped all the time, and it blows my kids' minds because it was before them. The last time I was on the screen with EastEnders was 2012 and people are still like ‘Carly!’ I always think, ‘How do you know it's me with all the wrinkles on my face, like how can you tell?!’”
Read our full interview with Kellie here: Casualty exclusive: Kellie Shirley on romance for Sophia
Casualty airs on Saturday evenings and EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday, both on BBC One.
