Lisa Faulkner's 'EastEnders' offer came "out of the blue."
Lisa Faulkner and John Torode
The 45-year-old actress will join the cast of the hit soap as "no nonsense" businesswoman Fi Browning in the spring but admitted the offer from BBC bosses was a shock and she ditched other work arrangements to say yes.
Lisa - who has penned a number of cook books and won 'Celebrity MasterChef' in 2010 - told Christine Lampard on 'Lorraine' on Thursday (09.03.17): "It came completely out of the blue. I was expecting to do my book publicity. I was expecting to do some more cooking, I had recipes to write and I had all this other stuff to do.
"The producers phoned up and said could I go and meet them and I met (executive producer) Sean O'Connor the producer and Julia the casting director and he just sold this character to me. He was very good at pitching and then they phoned saying would you do it and I said, 'why not? What's the worst that can happen? She's a great character so I'm looking forward to playing her."
The casting sees Lisa return to her acting roots as she has previously starred in 'Holby City' and 'Death in Paradise'.
However, she admitted she isn't used to the fast pace of the award-winning soap.
Lisa - who is married to celebrity chef John Torode - explained: "Do you know what, I started filming a couple of days ago and it's a bit of a baptism.
"You just go into this place and go, 'oh my gosh, it's so fast but everyone is so lovely."
Meanwhile, Fi Browning will play a major part in the BBC One soap and executive producer Sean teased that she is "a no-nonsense but sophisticated business woman" who has "an agenda" to cause mayhem on the square.
He said: "I'm really thrilled that we have been able to tempt Lisa Faulkner back to TV drama and back to the BBC.
"She's an extremely accomplished and hugely popular actress and we're very excited to have her in Albert Square.
"Fi Browning is something of a departure for 'EastEnders'; a no-nonsense but sophisticated business woman with strength and vulnerability.
"But does she have an agenda? And who - or what - has she set her sights on?"
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