Showbiz

EastEnders star looks unrecognisable 27 years after soap – but can YOU guess who it is?

EastEnders star looks unrecognisable 27 years after soap – but can YOU guess who it is?

An EastEnders star looked completely unrecognisable as she performed on Sunday night – 27 years after finding fame on the BBC soap. 

The actress took to the stage to perform at a bottomless brunch in London alongside JLS singer and I’m A Celebrity star Marvin Humes and Melvin Odoom.  

After leaving EastEnders behind, the star, from Hornchurch in EsSєx, now works as a solo vocalist and her website describes her as ‘a professional singer providing live entertainment for hire’.

She performs at weddings, birthday parties and corporate events and her specialities include pop, R&B, soul and disco.

The mum-of-two was most recently spotted teaming up with Music Clique Club, who host boozy brunches on the first Sunday of every month, with radio DJs like Marvin and Melvin also performing.

But can you guess who the iconic soap star is? 

An EastEnders star looked completely unrecognisable as she performed on Sunday night - 27 years after finding fame on the BBC soap

An EastEnders star looked completely unrecognisable as she performed on Sunday night – 27 years after finding fame on the BBC soap

The actress took to the stage to perform at a bottomless brunch in London alongside JLS singer and I'm A Celebrity star Marvin Humes

The actress took to the stage to perform at a bottomless brunch in London alongside JLS singer and I’m A Celebrity star Marvin Humes 

It’s none other than Carly Hillman.

The 41-year-old first appeared on EastEnders in the 90s and was the youngest of the di Marco family who lived on Albert Square.

The actress joined the cast in 1998 alongside the famous family as she moved into Walford with mother Rosa (played by Louise Jameson, big brothers Beppe (Michael Greco) and Gianni (Marc Bannerman), and sister Theresa (Leila Birch). 

Nicky di Marco, played by Carly, was the best friend of Sonia Jackson, and her family were introduced to the soap as rivals to the Mitchell clan.

Louise, Michael, Marc, and Leila, went on to continue acting while Carly swapped life in front of the camera for a microphone.

The brunch has upcoming events in March and April, featuring live performances from DJs and producers playing R&B, Hip-Hop, House and Funk.

Carly also now runs her own performing arts school, Act One Stage School based in Romford after previously appearing in Harry and Cosh in 2002.

In 2009 she took a break from acting to focus on starting on a family, and now has two daughters with her husband Ben Probert. 

It's none other than Carly Hillman who first appeared on EastEnders in the 90s and was the youngest of the di Marco family who lived on Albert Square

It’s none other than Carly Hillman who first appeared on EastEnders in the 90s and was the youngest of the di Marco family who lived on Albert Square

The actress joined the cast in 1998 alongside the famous family as she moved into Walford with mother Rosa (played by Louise Jameson, big brothers Beppe (Michael Greco) and Gianni (Marc Bannerman), and sister Theresa (Leila Birch)

The actress joined the cast in 1998 alongside the famous family as she moved into Walford with mother Rosa (played by Louise Jameson, big brothers Beppe (Michael Greco) and Gianni (Marc Bannerman), and sister Theresa (Leila Birch)

She has still appeared on a several other TV series, including Soapstar Superchef and Celebrity Britains Best Dish.

Like many soap stars, Carly also delved into pantomime following her soap stint, performing in Cinderella at Croydon’s Fairfields Hall with Stephen Mulhern.

The EsSєx-born star has also started the Act One Stage School based in Romford.

Carly made headlines during her EastEnders stint when her character developed a crush on her tutor Rod.

After she tried to kiss him, Rod Sєxually ᴀssaulted her, and when she rushed home to tell her family, her big brother Gianni violently beat him up.

While Rod was charged for his crime, Nicky confessed she tried to kiss him first, and feared her family would no longer believe her.

Eventually the family dropped the charges, as long as Rod didn’t press charges over Gianni’s attack.

Humiliated by her behaviour, Nicky fled Walford and ended up in a youth hostel, but later reunited with her loved ones when they decided to start again with a new life in Leicester.

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