Blast from the Past with… former Eastender Carli Norris (Belinda)
Ex-eastenders and Hollyoaks star Carli Norris reflects on her time in soap – and tells us if Belinda Slater will be back…
When Inside Soap catches up with actress Carli Norris, we’re spoiled for choice on what we should ask her first. The star is best known for her role as Belinda Slater in
Eastenders, but was also a huge hit in Holby as troubled nurse Fran Reynolds. Carli has enjoyed regular parts in
Hollyoaks and Doctors, too – and has a fashion label selling clothing from her vintage emporium, Chocodolly, in Colchester. Oh, and did we mention that she’s a mum-of-two, and is set to embark on a national theatre tour?
“Some people do get confused and go, ‘Why is that woman from Eastenders working in a shop?’” laughs 43-year-old Carli, as she joins us while in rehearsals for the stage adaptation of Henry James’ classic ghost story Turn Of The Screw.
“I have to explain to them that I need to pay the mortgage and oh, it is my store! Sometimes people will pop in just for a selfie, which is mainly down to Belinda.”
As the second actress to play the sultry Slater sister, Carli brought some sass to the Square when Belinda took a shine to Mick Carter. Sadly, though, she’d later be among several characters to exit the show as part of a cast cull in 2016.
“Who wouldn’t have enjoyed flirting with Danny Dyer’s character [Mick]?” grins Carli. “He’s lovely, and I really enjoyed my scenes with him. It was a shame when Belinda left, as she was funny and brought glamour to Walford – but the producer at the time wanted to shake up the show to make it more of a reality drama.
“I reckon when you have a show that big, you shouldn’t really change the essence of it,” adds the actress. “At the time I think everybody felt a bit of trepidation over what would happen next, where the storylines would go and who would leave. I’m glad that Kat and the rest of the Slaters are going back – I think it’s needed.”
So, if Walford bosses want to add Belinda to the mix of returning Slaters, would Carli be up for going back? “Maybe…” she responds hesitantly.
“Turn Of The Screw finishes in June, and then I start rehearsals for Jack And The
Beanstalk in October – so there’s only a small window in the summer. It’d depend on the circumstances, but I had a great time at Eastenders – if I was to return to any soap, it’d be that one.” We’d love to see Belinda back on the Square! But in the meantime, Carli is excited to be doing panto again. “After Eastenders and Holby I focused on the shop,” she explains. “But the Mercury Theatre in Colchester came to me to say they wanted an enchantress for Snow
White. It’s only up the road, so I thought, ‘Let’s do it’ – I had no idea how good it’d be! We’re nominated in the Great British Pantomime Awards, and I’m up against Elaine Paige [who starred as Queen Rat in Dick Whittington at the London Palladium] for Best Female Baddie!”
Such recognition has done little to calm Carli’s nerves ahead of her latest stage venture, though, as she admits to feeling anxious about Turn Of The Screw.
“I’m terrified!” she exclaims. “I’ve not done any proper acting on stage that isn’t singing and dancing for a long time. But I’m really excited to play to a different audience from the people that stop me in the street to say, ‘I saw you on the telly last night’. Everyone wants to talk about the soaps, even now!”