Stacey goes on the run after Phil attack - EastEnders airs Lacey Turner's final scenes
"It's her only option, Walford isn't safe" says the actress who is now on maternity leave
EastEnders has aired a temporary farewell to Stacey Fowler to accommodate actress Lacey Turner's real-life maternity leave.
The character's emotional final scenes (for a while at least) aired on Friday 2nd August as stressed Stace said goodbye to her family and fled the Square with husband Martin Fowler (James Bye), forced on the run following her attack on Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) which Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) has now pinned on arch-rival Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters).
Turner filmed her exit a few months back and recently announced she and husband Matt Kay had welcomed a baby girl, Dusty Violet. The soap has not confirmed exactly how long fan favourite Stacey is expected to be off screen, but it's likely we won't see her again until 2020. Speaking just after she shot Stacey speeding off in that black cab away from the descending police presence, Turner revealed her thoughts on what was going through her alter ego's troubled mind…
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How did Stacey feel after hitting Phil over the head?
I think it was blind panic that led her to hitting Phil. Seeing Martin, her husband, the man she loves and the father of her kids in danger, she had to do what she had to do.
Are her, Martin and Kat suspicious of Ben after he told them to flee and leave it to him?
To be honest I think they were all in shock, and seeing Ben so controlled they just did as they were told. I don’t think the three of them even had a chance to process everything that has happened and the trouble they could be in. Stacey definitely is in complete shock and when she got home that’s when we saw it all sinking in for her.
Why do you think Stacey decided to go on the run?
She sees that as her only option. Obviously Stacey has previous as she killed Archie Mitchell, and that also means a history with the police, so she thinks this could put her away for a very long time and she’s petrified. As it all sinks in, she thinks her only option is to take the kids and leave.
Was she surprised that Martin wanted to go with her?
That completely threw Stacey, she wants to protect him so she thought by taking herself out of the equation and out of Walford, she’d be able do that. I think this is where we see Martin’s true love for Stacey too, he’s willing to give his entire life up and go on the run with her, regardless of potential consequences down the line.
You're off on maternity leave and Stacey has fled with Martin - what's next for them?
Well, we’ll just have to see how Ben’s big plan plays out. Poor Keanu! Stacey and Martin are planning to lay low and let the dust settle but I’m sure they’ll be in cahoots with the Slaters for updates. For now, Walford isn’t safe for any of them so that's why they had to vanish.
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