Lisa Maxwell as Naomi

Lisa Maxwell as Naomi

Lisa Maxwell lost her voice the day before she had to film her 'EastEnders' scenes.

The 'Loose Women' panellist was worried she had blown her opportunity to impress on the BBC One soap as she could barely talk while shooting her guest role scenes as David Wicks' (Michael French) girlfriend Naomi.

She said: "l actually lost my voice the day before we started. On my first day, we didn't actually film anything because we had rehearsals and I thought, 'Brilliant, this gives me a chance to get my voice back.'

"But when I did start filming the episode, I barely had any voice. I don't know if anybody could tell, but I knew, because I had to breathe properly and make sure that my voice was there. It was a concern for me at one point!"

While the 49-year-old star - who previously played a policewoman in 'The Bill' for seven years - admits she was nervous before stepping onto Albert Square, she felt relaxed by Michael's presence.

She added to RadioTimes.com: "I thought I was going to be absolutely fine as I knew it was just the one episode and the character was fun.

"So I wasn't worried ... that was until the night before and the morning of filming, when I got really quite nervous.

"I was having to do some deep breathing on the morning of the first day.

"But as soon as I arrived I saw Michael French, who was just so lovely and generous and kind, so I was immediately put at ease. So from then on, working with Lindsey Coulson [Carol Jackson], Nitin Ganatra [Masood Ahmed] and Michael we all just fell in love with each other.

"It was like a big 'love-in' because it was essentially just a four-hander. It was lovely - one of the best jobs I have ever done, I loved it! I would go back in a heartbeat."

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