EASTENDERS fans have been floored after learning star Gillian Taylforth’s

true age. Gillian debuted as Kathy Beale in the BBC soap’s very first episode, which

aired in February 1985. Sign up for the EastEnders newsletter On August 14,

the actress celebrated her 69th birthday and has been praised for her age-defying looks. Taking to an EastEnders-dedicated online group, fans showered praise on Gillian, as one wrote: “Happy Birthday to Gillian Taylforth who is 69 today.” One reply read: “More like 39..!!!! Some women just never seem to age.. Gillian is one those fortunate Ladies!!! She’s great.” Another stated: “Aged really well”, as a fellow fan chimed in with: “Very pretty still today”. Read more on EastEnders Her original Walford stint spanned from 1985 to 2000. During this tenure, Kathy featured in hard-hitting storylines exploring domestic violence, rape, teenage pregnancy and alcoholism among others. In 2006, fans thought the character met her end after supposedly being killed in a road accident in South Africa. However, almost a decade later, Kathy was revealed to be alive in one of the soap’s biggest twists.

Her “demise” was actually an insurance scam concocted by controlling husband Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas), who also faked his death. Gillian appeared in several other shows during her time away from EastEnders. EastEnders releases a new Christmas teaser trailer featuring Kathy Beale Notably, she portrayed Sandy Roscoe in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks from 2013 to 2015. In recent episodes, the star has been off-screen while Kathy is in America visiting her imprisoned son Ben (Max Bowden). As fans recall, Ben was locked up earlier this year after committing credit card fraud during a trip to the US last year.

Spoilers for next week reveal Kathy’s imminent return to Albert Square. Throughout its 20-year history, Strictly Come Dancing has welcomed several stars from BBC soap EastEnders. Here’s a look at how some of them did over the years. Christopher Parker (Series One): Christopher played Alfie Moon’s (Shane Richie) younger brother Spencer from 2002 to 2005. finished as runner-up in Strictly’s first series. Jill Halfpenny (Series Two): Jill starred as Kate Mitchell in EastEnders from 2002 to 2005. She triumphed over Denise Lewis and Julian Clary to win the second series of Strictly. Louisa Lytton (Series Four): Known for her role as EastEnders’ Ruby Allen, Louisa took part in Strictly’s fourth series. She finished in fourth place. Letitia Dean (Series Five): Letitia, who debuted as Sharon Watts in the show’s first episode, took to the Strictly dance floor in series five. She finished in fourth place.

Matt Di Angelo (Series Five): Dean Wicks actor Matt also competed in series five of Strictly, finishing as runner-up behind Alesha Dixon. Gillian Taylforth (Series 6): Gillian, known for her long-running portrayal as Kathy Beale, took part in series 6. She ended up being the second person voted out. Jessie Wallace (Series 6): Kat Slater actress Jessie also competed in series 6, but was fourth voted out. Scott Maslen (Series 8): Scott, who plays Jack Branning, reached a respectable fourth place on Strictly. Kara Tointon (Series 8): Kara, who played Dawn Swann, won Strictly series 8 back in 2010. Jake Wood (Series 12): While his EastEnders character Max Branning was unlucky-in-love, actor Jake fared better with a fifth-place finish on Strictly.

Kellie Bright (Series 13): Kellie – aka Queen Vic landlady Linda Carter – finished as the runner-up of series 13. Emma Barton (Series 17): Known for playing Honey Mitchell, Emma reached third place on Strictly in 2019. Maisie Smith (Series 18): Formerly playing Tiffany Butcher-Baker, actress Maisie was 2020’s second-place Strictly finalist. Rose-Ayling Ellis (Series 19): Rose won over viewers’ hearts when she soared to victory in 2021. Bobby Brazier (Series 21): Having joined the cast as ‘Freddie Slater’ in 2022, Bobby joined the 2023 Strictly line-up. He finished in third place. Jamie Borthwick (Series 22): Jamie, aka Jay Brown, won the 2023 Strictly Christmas Special – and has been signed up for the next full series. She reveals to ex-husband Phil (Steve McFadden) that their son is in a bad way. Her elder son, Ben’s half-brother Ian (Adam Woodyatt) stayed behind in America to secure a better lawyer. READ MORE SUN STORIES What will happen next to Kathy and her family?