EastEnders star Lorraine Stanley, who plays matriarch Karen Taylor, has revealed that she cried buckets when she learned that her screen daughter Bernadette suffers a miscarriage in the BBC1 soap
EastEnders star Lorraine Stanley, who plays matriarch Karen Taylor, has revealed that she cried buckets when she learned that her screen daughter Bernadette will suffer a miscarriage in the BBC1 soap.
The 41-year-old actress described the emotional plotline as “every mother’s nightmare” and adds that Karen tries to keep herself together for the sake of her teenage daughter.
“Oh it really moved me, when I read it I sobbed,” said Lorraine. “And then the actor in me was excited to play that and for people to see a different side to Karen. It’s every mother’s nightmare so I don’t think you can play it tough. She tries to keep it in and tries not to cry in front of her kids, but when Karen’s with Shirley then she lets go a bit more and then you see she’s really trying to hold it together for them. That’s even sadder actually.”
Lorraine went on to reveal that Karen desperately tries to comfort Bernadette during it all.
“That was a really difficult scene actually and I’m really interested to watch it. Karen’s talking about different family stories and about Bronson the dog and various things, and she’s going on and on just to try and put Bernadette at ease and stop her from worrying about what’s happening until the ambulance comes.”
Lorraine said she hopes that EastEnders fans will now see her character in a different light.
“I want people to see that softer side because it’s easy to play tough - that for me comes easier, but to get those vulnerable moments and to see her as a really good mum. Her public appearance is different to how she is at home with the children. She’s a tough cookie outside the house and she wouldn’t take any nonsense off her kids either, but indoors you see that actually she’s a brilliant mum.”
