EastEnders legend Lacey Turner has discussed her ‘never-ending guilt’ before making the bombshell decision to quit the soap opera.

The actress, 37, joined the cast as Stacey Slater in 2004, and after departing in 2010, she reprised her role in 2014, but she is set to leave the show again later this year.

She is stepping back to focus on her family life with her husband Matt Kay and their three kids – daughters Dusty, five, and Gipsy, four months, and son Trilby, four.

Now, Lacey has opened up about the ‘guilt’ she previously felt leaving her beloved children to go to work on the long-running BBC show. 

‘The older they get, the more you realise how quickly the little years pᴀss. It’s bonkers, so I take it day by day, week by week,’ she told OK! Magazine.

‘You feel guilty leaving them, but also guilty for not earning, it’s just never-ending. But we’ve got to stop judging and start supporting each other.’

EastEnders legend Lacey Turner has discussed her ‘never-ending guilt’ before making the bombshell decision to quit the soap opera 

Lacey said she is looking forward to taking a break, admitting she has never had one before, as she hopes to focus on her family and other work commitments. 

She also hit back at the judgement that is often placed on parents and said she wants to put an end to the opinion that people have to be ‘rich’ to be good parents.

‘You don’t need to have the most expensive formula or toys or pram – I overheard a couple saving up to have a baby, that shouldn’t be the case,’ she said.

‘Parenting isn’t about money, it’s about love, time, and doing your best.’

In an interview with MailOnline, Lacey also opened up on cost of living struggles and parenting stigmas, saying: ‘It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, we’re all the same.’

‘You do what you can. Ultimately if you strip everything back we’re all the same, it doesn’t matter what industry you’re in,’ she added.

‘You could be a broker, you could be hairdresser, you could be a gardener – we’re all facing the same struggles daily. 

‘Some people earn more money than others but everyone has different kinds of problems and ultimately underneath that is the judgement. You cannot judge people you don’t know, you never know what another person is going through.’

The actress, 37, joined the cast as Stacey Slater in 2004, and after departing in 2010, she reprised her role in 2014, but she is set to leave the show again later this year

She is stepping back to focus on her family life with her husband Matt Kay and their three kids – daughters Dusty, five, and Gipsy, four months, and son Trilby, four 

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Lacey Turner reveals ‘we’re all the same’ as she reflects on cost of living and parenting stigmas

According to reports, Lacey earns between £150,000 to £190,000 for her work on the soap, which falls in the same pay bracket as Gillian Taylforth who plays Kathy Beale.  

Earlier this week, Lacey confirmed she will be leaving EastEnders later this year, with bosses hinting there will be plenty of drama in store before her departure.

She told The Sun: ‘It’s time for myself and Stacey to take a rest and who knows what Stacey will get up to in her time away? Knowing Stacey, it will never be boring.’

An EastEnders spokesperson added: ‘We can confirm that Lacey will be off-screen later this year, but there is plenty of more drama to come beforehand and we will look forward to planning Stacey’s return when Lacey decides the time is right.’

A source added: ‘Lacey made the decision last year to take some time out from the show, she’s had a busy year both on and off screen, so it feels a good time to give Stacey a rest.

‘Lacey loves EastEnders, and it’s no secret how much EastEnders love Lacey, so it’s not a question of if she will be back, but when.’

Lacey made a brief return from maternity leave in February to feature in EastEnders’ live 40th Anniversary episode, when Stacey’s husband Martin Fowler was tragically killed in the Queen Vic explosion.

At first, it appeared that Martin had been successfully rescued from underneath the beam, but his heart then stopped as firefighters rushed to try and save him.

His ex-wife Stacey (Lacey) was left in floods of tears as Martin died in front of her eyes just moments after he declared his love for her and proposed.

The heartbreaking episode ended with Stacey hugging Martin’s lifeless body while her screams could be heard by those waiting outside the Queen Vic for news.