A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Mouthy, nosy and brash? Oh yes. But new EastEnder Karen Taylor is also a real gem, says the actress who plays her

To see loudmouth EastEnders single mum Karen Taylor, you wouldn’t believe the actress who plays her had mixed with the Royal Family. But while not employed as an actress Lorraine Stanley worked as a waitress – and served our future king.

‘I freelance for lots of private chefs and we go to very well-to-do houses,’ says Lorraine. ‘I’ve served royalty, lords and ladies. I’ve served Prince Charles, politicians, all sorts.’

The Taylors arrived in Albert Square with a bang this month after being evicted from a nearby tower block, which is being knocked down, and immediately began rowing with Sharon Mitchell and Stacey Fowler. ‘In the beginning, the Taylors clash with everyone,’ says Lorraine. ‘But actually, they’re really nice.’

Lorraine (pictured inset) describes Karen as, ‘a jobless, 20-cigarettes-aday lioness with a heart of gold who’d do anything for anyone. She stands outside smoking, trying to get to know her neighbours. Whether they like her is another matter...’

At first, Karen appears to have a brood of five – an absent older daughter Chantelle, trainee mechanic Keanu, teenage ‘dreamer’ Bernadette, and younger sons Riley and Chatham (played by real-life brothers), who have learning difficulties. But soon after arriving in Walford, it’s revealed that she’s also mother to local bad boy Keegan Baker.

‘They’re decent people trying to get by,’ says Lorraine, 40. ‘ They haven’t got a lot but a lot of rich or middle- class people would love to have what the Taylors have, which is family love.’ However, this being soap, they’ll be hiding secrets. ‘You’ll have to wait and see what they are.’

Portsmouth-born Lorraine became an actress after going to drama school and her most notable part as a prostitute in the 2006 cult Brit flick London To Brighton earned her a London Film Critics Circle nomination.

And if you think you’ve seen her in EastEnders before, that’s because she’s appeared twice, most recently last year as Thelma Bragg, who stormed into the Queen Vic to confront Jay Brown after learning he was dating her underage daughter Star. ‘At the time I thought the role had

come too soon – the timing was wrong. But Karen Taylor is the right character for me,’ she says.

And now’s the right time, too, since her daughter with partner Mark Perez is now 18 months old and in nursery. ‘I’ve managed to do brilliant work in theatre, film and TV but I’ve not done any long-running stuff, so it’s nice to have a bit of security now that I’ve got my baby,’ says Lorraine. ‘And I’m chuffed to be cast in such an iconic show I’ve grown up watching.’