Patsy Palmer says being on 'EastEnders' is the "hardest work" she has ever had.
Patsy Palmer says being on EastEnders is the 'hardest work' she has ever had
The 51-year-old actress - who now lives in California with her family - will be reprising her role as Bianca Jackson for "a short stint this spring", after playing the character on and off since her Albert Square debut in 1993, and the star has recalled suffering from "anxiety attacks" during her early years in the show.
She is quoted by the Daily Mirror newspaper as saying: "I was very young and we were thrown into the height of fame not realising there were 22 million people watching us.
"At some moments in all that madness back in the 1990s it would hit you and you would feel so overwhelmed and the anxiety would kick in.
"If you suffer from anxiety attacks, you don’t know what is happening.
"For me it was very environmental and about what was happening around me and what was happening in my life at that time.
"People see all the awards and people think it is glamorous, but it is the hardest work I have ever had at 'EastEnders'."
But Patsy admits returning to Walford feels like she is putting on an "old pair of slippers".
She added: "I must admit, when I see people in 'EastEnders', when I go back to work it is like putting on an old pair of slippers. They are family.
"I spent more time with them when I was in the show than with any of my own family."
The BBC confirmed last week that Patsy will be back in Albert Square once again, more than four years since she last appeared on 'EastEnders'.
Patsy said in a statement: "I’m so excited to be reprising the role of Bianca. 'EastEnders' holds such a special place in my heart so it’s always a pleasure to be back."
Bianca's return will begin when her stepdaughter Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) visits her in Milton Keynes with Zack Hudson (James Farrar), following Bianca’s off-screen break-up with Terry Spraggan (Terry Alderton).
Executive producer Chris Clenshaw is "thrilled" Patsy agreed to come back to the show again because she has always been a "fan favourite" and teased there will be lots of "drama" for Bianca.
He said: "I’m thrilled to welcome the fabulous Patsy back to the iconic role of Bianca Jackson. Although the character was last seen on-screen in 2019, Bianca still remains a fan favourite. We know our audiences will be thrilled at her return as she is thrust into the heart of the drama alongside step-daughter Whitney."
Following her 1993 'EastEnders' debut, Patsy left the soap in 1999 before returning in 2008 for a six-year stint.
The actress last reprised the role for Whitney's planned wedding to Callum Highway (Tony Clay) in 2019, but a planned reappearance in 2020 was axed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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