EastEnders' star Lorraine Stanley has proudly flaunted her impressive five stone weight loss, looking fabulous in a pair of denim shorts. This comes after the actress confirmed in an emotional statement in August that her character, Karen Taylor, would be leaving the BBC soap for good.
The 47 year old actress was all smiles as she posed in her garden wearing a £2 Zara T-shirt she picked up from online marketplace, Vinted. With a barbecue set up in the background, Lorraine seemed to be making the most of the beautiful weather.
Lorraine has documented her weight loss in the past year by sharing a before and after photo taken 12 months apart, attributing her new look to healthy living.
The soap star captioned the post: "What a difference a year makes. Five stone down, feeling good, clean living, healthy choices, new me, healthy mummy. Fit at 40."
Despite her departure from EastEnders, Lorraine seems happier than ever, having secured another role following her exit from the soap. She announced that she will be playing Queen Rat in this year's Dick Whittington pantomime in Portsmouth.
The actress, who hails from the seaside city, will be performing at the Kings Theatre during the festive season.
Sharing her excitement on Facebook, she wrote: "I can't wait for this! ! ! ! Panto in my home town with me old mate Jack Edwards is going to be epic! ! ! Ratty is coming to play Kings Theatre get your tickets early and I'll see you after the show Xxx."
Lorraine showcased a snapshot of her post on Instagram, also sharing a link to tickets.
Her prominent new role even made it to the front page of her local paper, leading her to share the post with pride.
However, this isn't her first job since her exit from EastEnders as she recently began filming for the forthcoming film, Departures, under the direction of Neil Ely and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan.
In the British film, Lorraine stars as Janet - mother of main character Benji - who finds herself back in Amsterdam after getting involved with a married man in the city the previous year.
Viewers expressed their frustration last year when it was revealed the EastEnders matriarch, Karen, would be taken off the show. The Launderette boss was last seen in Walford in February.
Though it seems that fans may not have seen the last of Karen, according to recent hints.
Upon the disclosure to Albert Square's residents regarding Karen's son Keanu's murder, Lorraine noted an upcoming funeral.
Discussing the possibility of returning to the series, Lorraine revealed: "You'll have to wait and see. I can't say too much, you know I can't."
"You know there [will be] a funeral of some sort, I would imagine. I'm not allowed to say anything!"
