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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Victoria Johns

EastEnders' Lily life off-screen - real age, other soap role and 'famous family'

EastEnders' Lily shocked her mum Stacey Slater when she announced she was pregnant - aged 12 - in January.

The character is played by Lillia Turner, who is tackling the controversial storyline with great skill.

The actress has been in the soap since 2010, but thankfully her life off-screen is a lot less dramatic.

So, as viewers wait for the results of the tween's lavish gender reveal party - while mum Stacey tries to fend off a loan shark - here's the lowdown on Lillia's life away from Walford.

Real age

In EastEnders Lily is 12 years, but in real life, Lillia is slightly older.

The actress is 13 and the fifth child star to play Stacey's wayward daughter.

Lillia Turner, who plays Lily Slater in EastEnders, is at the centre of a hard-hitting storyline on the soap (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

Lillia took over the role from Aine Garvey who played the role between 2014 and 2019.

However when the character was a baby, the role of Lily was played by three different actors before the Lily's four year break from the soap.

Famous family rumours

Fans would be forgiven for thinking Lillia and on-screen mum Stacey, played by Lacey Turner, were related as they both share the same surname.

However the actress' are not thought to be family members despite Lacey's younger sister Lily previously being in EastEnders.

Fan thought the actresses were related (BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)

She made her debut as Shenice Quinn in early 2011 just as her big sister had bowed out on the Christmas Day special.

Shenice was the daughter of Kat's friend Martine, played by Tamara Wall, known to Hollyoaks fans as Grace Black.

Lily was nine-years-old at the time, but wasn't asked to audition because of her sister.

Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood explained he didn’t know Lily was related to Lacey when she was asked to read for Shenice, but was simply impressed by her talent.

Other soap role

Lillia has played Lily since 2010, but it's not the actress' first stint in EastEnders.

She first rocked up in the soap playing a child called Alyssa, who was part of Mick Carter and Mitch Baker's kids' football club.

Lillia previously played Alyssa in EastEnders (Lilia Turner/Twitter)

Sharing a throwback photo in which she larks about with a ball outside the Queen Vic, Lillia wrote: "Throwback to my first EastEnders role."

However the actress has now firmly established herself as Lily and has earned the praise of her co-star Lacey.

The mum-of-two, 34, told Digital Spy: "Lillia is such a great little actress – there's something about her that is so warm and so natural, and her instincts are just bang-on."

Lacey added: "She's been so desperate for a storyline of her own for so many years, so to see her have one is lovely. To watch her absolutely nail it has just been brilliant.

"I've tried to stay out of it as much as I can because Lilia actually doesn't need any help, tips or guidance because she's just great. She's got something that is so natural that I don't want to take that away from her."

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