EP274: LACEY TURNER – Eastenders, Strictly AND her new book “Gold Dust”

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:22 Hello everybody and welcome to Life with Nat. Today's ep is so special to me. Because it really is one of the greatest pals I've had on Albert Square. Lovely Lacey Turner. She is jiggling her stuff on the dance floor every Saturday night at the moment in Strictly.

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:39 I'm so proud of her. I know that it would take a lot of guts for her to do that, trust me. Everyone might think, oh, Lacey, performer, whatever, but, you know, she's out of her comfort zone and she's doing so, so well. And I know she's a homebird. She's very much like me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:02:52 She loves her kids, she loves her garden, she likes being at home. She loves her furniture and wallpapers, and she's just such a lovely soul. And her book is out today, Thursday the 22nd, Gold Dust, and it's all about the women who shaped her. And I'm gonna talk to her now. So here we go.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:14 Hello, my angel.

Lacey Turner 0:03:16 Hello, darling. You okay?

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:22 Yeah, I'm fine. How are you?

Lacey Turner 0:03:23 I'm alive.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:25 I'm a bit annoyed actually because I should be downstairs watching the results show.

Lacey Turner 0:03:31 Oh, I know. I think I folded it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:35 Listen, we're not here to talk all Strictly, but everyone's gonna want to know you're doing so well.

Lacey Turner 0:03:40 I still can't believe I'm doing it. It is really— it's— I love the Monday to Thursday. I love the training. But the Saturday night terrifies me, and you can see it all over my face.

Natalie Cassidy 0:03:52 Having known you for a very long time, I can see the panic in your face.

Lacey Turner 0:03:58 It's like—

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:00 But it's not coming out with your beautiful dancing legs, so don't worry about it. Honestly, you're doing the best job.

Lacey Turner 0:04:06 I should wear heels more often.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:08 I did, uh, I did love it when JoJo passed you your rugs.

Lacey Turner 0:04:18 Oh, he's so lovely, isn't he? Doesn't he look fabulous as well?

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:22 Absolutely fabulous.

Lacey Turner 0:04:24 He's amazing up there. I love it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:27 I think it's fantastic, actually. And I think, uh, well, that any— anyone who's been a bit negative, they've got to get over themselves. Things change, think, you know what I mean? It's like, get over it.

Lacey Turner 0:04:36 That's all it is, isn't it? It's just— we just— we don't like change, but I love it. I love it. I think, I think the 3 of them are brilliant together.

Natalie Cassidy 0:04:46 I completely agree. It's fantastic. I've got you on because I do a little book club and your book is out today when I'm putting this pod out, Thursday the 22nd of October. I was very, very lucky to be able to get a copy.

Lacey Turner 0:05:06 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:05:07 And I have had a very, very thorough flick through. I'm not gonna say I've read it all yet because I haven't had time, but But I honestly, it is so beautiful. It is so you, and I love it because I know you. Every word on that page is you. And how do you feel about having a book, Lace?

Lacey Turner 0:05:28 I can't believe I've got a book, to be honest. Like, when, like, someone said, oh, you should do a book, and I thought, I don't have anything to talk about.

Lacey Turner 0:05:38 I haven't really— can't write a book at 38. And then Somebody, Evangeline, said to me, why don't you write about— you always talk about the women in your life, why don't you write a book about the women in your life? And I thought, oh my God, I'd love to talk about them because I have. I mean, you know my life. I've been brought up by really strong women.

Lacey Turner 0:05:58 I've been at work surrounded by really strong women, lovely, amazing, powerful women. And I just, I thought, I, I've— a lot of them I've never thanked for everything they've given me. And, and I just wanted to I wanted everyone to know how amazing all the women are in my life. So I thought, yeah, do you know what? I will do a book.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:21 Well, I think it's brilliant that you've done it. And as you say, for the listener, I'm gonna make this book club of the month. So you need to go out and buy Gold Dust by Lacey, and then we can discuss it, me and all the listeners. We can do a big debrief on it, which will be brilliant. But honestly, listeners, whether you get the audiobook, whether you buy the book, you will absolutely love it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:06:43 It's got so much in it about our work and the place that we have loved for so many years. But actually, more importantly for me, are your family members, your sisters, your mum, your nan, all the experiences that you go through. And one thing I have to pick out, because I think it's something— we can talk about EastEnders in a minute, as we of course will. But one thing I did not know, and I read it and I was like, oh wow, I've got to ask you. Is I did not know that you were at the birth of your sister.

Lacey Turner 0:07:17 Yes, me and Daisy watched her come out. That was the best thing ever.

Natalie Cassidy 0:07:25 Honestly, when I read that, I thought, what an amazing— for your mum to choose to have her daughters there while she gave birth to Lily. I really, I just wanna know more about that 'cause I thought it was amazing.

Lacey Turner 0:07:41 I think it was my mum's idea of, like, contraception.

Lacey Turner 0:07:44 I think she was, she was trying to, um, trying to make sure that as we got older, we were careful. Like, this is what happens if you're not. But, um, no, it was just the most amazing thing ever. I was 13, Daisy was 11, and in that room was my mum, my nan, the midwife, me, and Daisy. And it was just the most amazing thing I've, I've ever experienced in my life.

Lacey Turner 0:08:12 And it's like when— because Lily's— there's 13 years between me and Lily. So if you go in my mum's loft, there's like loads of photo, like, packets, albums, me and Daisy, me and Daisy. There's nothing of Lily because then, like, iPhones were about, and so everything's in a cloud or on a stick or something. She was like, I'm adopted, I'm adopted. I was like, I can promise you now, I watched you come out, you weren't adopted.

Lacey Turner 0:08:39 But we cut her cords and everything. Like, me and Daisy take full responsibility for her perfect belly button.

Natalie Cassidy 0:08:46 I love that.

Lacey Turner 0:08:48 We say to her all the time, we made that, we made that belly button. But no, it was just amazing. And then I went on to have Dusty and Gypsy in the same room at the same hospital. It was just amazing. So in my head That's how birth went. And it was such a— like, my mum wasn't screaming or anything like that. So in my head, that's how my births were gonna go, and they did go that way.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:16 That's incredible, really, when you think about it. That was planted at 13, and maybe you just never had that fear, you know, people talking, you read stuff. And yeah, I wonder if that is actually—

Lacey Turner 0:09:30 I've never had that fear. I never had that Like, oh, it's gonna be awful, because my experience of someone giving birth was like magical.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:38 Yeah.

Lacey Turner 0:09:40 So I do, I do think that my mindset going into birth was, was that. So my births were lovely.

Natalie Cassidy 0:09:47 Now, you know, you've got 3 beautiful children, 2 girls and a lovely little boy. How is it at the moment? 'Cause again, everybody messages me about their week and the mum load and how they feel and how stressed they are. And as much as they'll be so excited that on to talk about all the glamorous things. I do think they wanna know just how Lacey's life is going with everything that's going on at the moment, being a mum, being on Strictly, writing your book. You've got all the press for this. How's it all going? How are you fitting it all in?

Lacey Turner 0:10:21 Oh, it's chaos. It's absolute chaos.

Lacey Turner 0:10:23 The WhatsApp group's pinging and I'm thinking, oh no, what do you mean you need a beanbag for tomorrow? I've never been on Amazon so much in my life. Can't find the library book, don't know where that went. Get to the point where you go, yep, yep, oh, I'm just gonna write finished that you've read that. Don't worry, shut the book, let's stop this.

Lacey Turner 0:10:43 Oh, I can't even— the homework I find hard myself. Thank God for ChatGPT. Um, but no, it's, it's madness. I mean, like, I'm just the same as every other parent. It's just there's so much stuff going on, isn't there?

Lacey Turner 0:10:59 And you're just chasing your tail the whole time. Packing the bag, unpacking the bag, packing the rugby bag, the PE bag, the this. I've never left the door with so many bags. 6 bags go out the door in the morning. It's a joke.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:14 But you're getting it done.

Lacey Turner 0:11:16 But somehow we manage. And I've got— I mean, you know, Matt's brilliant, my mum's brilliant. So, you know, I'm lucky to have people that are helping me. But But yeah, it's a lot, just a lot of things.

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:30 I can tell you something right now, whether you like it or not, it's not ending soon. So this is going on for quite a while, babe. So, uh, as I said, I'd put my money on you, but I'm not allowed, which is annoying because I know you. But, um, you're, you're, you're not going anywhere, I'm afraid. This is right up until Christmas, so you better get used to it.

Lacey Turner 0:11:49 Oh my God, no, I've put— I've put no camps for Half term. Now I suddenly thought, oh, oh God, what can I do with them?

Natalie Cassidy 0:11:58 They'll have to come with you and just sit in the, the training room.

Lacey Turner 0:12:02 You've met my 2 eldest. They sit, they are enough. Toby can't sit. They'll be having a punch-up while I'm trying to do some sort of waltz. Can you imagine?

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:16 Have they loved it though? Are they loving watching Mummy? I bet they love it.

Lacey Turner 0:12:21 They love it, they love it. I was at— Trilby is— well, it's funny because Dusty came home because obviously they've been in all the little BTs and everything, and Dusty came home and she was like, Mommy, I, I don't want to be on the telly, everyone's talking to me and now I'm lost in the lunch queue. And then you've got the other one that goes in on a Monday morning and goes, well, well, did you see me on the telly? To his whole class. Yet hasn't said a thing about it at home, hasn't mentioned it, but it goes bowling into school.

Natalie Cassidy 0:12:58 And the baby, she was—

Lacey Turner 0:13:00 I thought she was saying Mickey, but she was saying Strictly. So she makes me put Strictly on every morning, and when I tell you she watches the whole programme, she watches the whole programme, the interviews, everything.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:12 No, she doesn't.

Lacey Turner 0:13:14 Dance when the dances are going, and she sits down and watches every interview, every everything. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:19 Bless her little heart.

Lacey Turner 0:13:21 Yeah, I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:23 You've got to just enjoy now. Enjoy your time. I know everyone will be saying it to you. Enjoy every second of it. It'll be over. You'll blink and it'll be over. And then you'll have a lovely Christmas to look forward to.

Lacey Turner 0:13:34 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:34 Whilst I'm doing pantomime in Dunstable.

Lacey Turner 0:13:36 Oh, I can't wait. I'm coming.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:39 You're gonna come?

Lacey Turner 0:13:40 Yes, I'm coming. That's gonna be my one time this year.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:45 Um, no, it should be good. But you know what I'm like, I love being at home. I am a little bit anxious about it. I know, I'm surprised.

Lacey Turner 0:13:51 You love Christmas.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:52 I do, but the kids, like, you get to— Eliza's 16.

Lacey Turner 0:13:57 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:13:58 Joan is year 6, that sort of age where the questions are coming along. So actually, I thought it's quite nice to change it up.

Lacey Turner 0:14:07 Yeah, it might be nice. Will you still cook your dinner?

Natalie Cassidy 0:14:12 Yes, David's coming around as well, so we'll do it together.

Lacey Turner 0:14:15 Oh, so you'll still have your Christmas Day? Yeah, yeah, can't not have your Christmas Day. I used to love my debrief of your Sunday roast on a Monday morning. I miss that so much.

Natalie Cassidy 0:14:27 Well, I think everyone wants to hear about that because you do— I was very honoured, I have to say. I did have a little tear in my eye to see a couple of pages in there And you've mentioned me, which was so— really, I've felt very honoured.

Lacey Turner 0:14:42 A little bit. I can't— you're like a massive part of my life, especially there, so I can't not talk about you. You're a part— you're one of those women.

Natalie Cassidy 0:14:52 Well, I think for us, the special moments are the ones which no one would ever know about, as in coming into work, you having your 2 bits of toast with your butter, sitting down with your cup of tea and us talking about our weekends or talking about whatever we want.

Lacey Turner 0:15:10 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:11 It's a funny old place, isn't it? Because people say, oh, who do you see a lot? Who do you keep in touch with? And it's— when— I don't know about you, but for me, when you're in EastEnders, you're a family and you're there all the time. But because I don't speak to you all the time or I don't see you all the time, you're still my family. I don't need to speak to you every 5 minutes.

Lacey Turner 0:15:33 Exactly. You can— I could literally message you in 3 months' time one thing and it doesn't matter. I just feel like you can pick up from where you left off. But like, with that, I'd see your handbag on the floor and I'd go, oh, lovely, she's in, she's in already. The diary's out on the table. Never met someone so organised in my life.

Natalie Cassidy 0:15:59 It isn't organisation, it's pure panic and just trying to pretend to look organised. But the diary is still there. Wherever I go, people laugh.

Lacey Turner 0:16:07 I love it. I tried, I tried, I bought the diary. I think I wrote about a week's worth of things in it, and then it just almost— I forgot. And the school rings me in, are you collecting your children today? Yeah, I am, when they're finished. They are— oh, are they? I can't do it like you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:16:29 Um, well, you say that, but I think what I've learned in the book, you know, um, not getting too deep because again everyone can read about it, but you, you've been through a lot, uh, and one thing I must say is, um, the way you speak with such, um, class and bravery, um, about your miscarriages in the book about what you went through, your mental state, how you felt. Uh, and I know you did work with Channel 5 and you talk about it in the book and going on This Morning and what have you, but you really must be very, very proud of yourself for talking about those things. You don't need to do that. You didn't need to open up, and you're going to help a lot of ladies.

Lacey Turner 0:17:11 No, I thank you. I just felt like it— I mean, you know what it's like, you have this platform that you've somehow got. And I think you just think, if I hadn't have seen that girl on Instagram talking about it, I would never have known where to go. So if she can reach me, then I can reach so many people. Why would you not? You know?

Natalie Cassidy 0:17:39 And it's that thing, isn't it, of talking about something and opening up. And then it— all it takes is for one person to talk about it, and then it somehow opens the door for everybody else. Yeah. to, to speak. And it's quite an incredible thing when that happens, I think, because you just need one person to start it, and then it is like a ball rolling. And then all of a sudden you're surrounded by people who are in the same position when 2 days ago you had no idea that anybody—

Lacey Turner 0:18:08 you, you was just completely alone, and now you're surrounded by people in exactly the same position. So therefore you've just opened your By opening your mouth, you've opened your doors, and all of a sudden you've got a support system. It's quite incredible. And I think if you, if you can do it, you should do it, because it does, it does help yourself and other people.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:30 Yeah, well, I think it's very brave and absolutely fantastic. And yeah, as you say, I think the biggest thing about any problem, doesn't matter what it is, is feeling on your own. So if you can, like you say, all you need is a couple of people to go, oh, me as well. Oh, I did that.

Lacey Turner 0:18:53 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:18:53 And, and you can just breathe a sigh of relief and think, oh God, I'm not— it is normal. I'm not on my own. Yeah.

Lacey Turner 0:18:58 Because it is so normal. But because of the whole stigma and, and you know, that years ago you just didn't speak. Whereas now I think the world's changed and in many different taboo subjects, you know, people are much more open to talking. now, and I think it's brilliant. It, you know, it just gives people an immediate support system. Because I remember Googling it, and it was like, I didn't know what to do next. And there wasn't even anything on Google other than call 111. You know, you think, oh, right, okay, well, then there's nothing I can do. Carry on. But actually, what I needed was people.

Natalie Cassidy 0:19:39 No, it's fantastic.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:19 I'll tell you what I do wanna say. You're sat in your beautiful home with that fantastic wallpaper behind you. And I was loving, obviously, because all your female, the females in your life, but Bebe. Oh yeah. Matt's mum.

Natalie Cassidy 0:22:38 Yeah. Her love of colour and how you have got, learnt that really from her. And I love that because you— Yeah. Can I just say to everybody, This woman would come into work and she is just, Lacey is filled with colour. Her, she's got the most beautiful wardrobe, the most eclectic range of cardigans and shoes and beautiful jeans and lovely bags.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:03 And I didn't realise that a little part of that was from Matt's mum, which I like.

Lacey Turner 0:23:06 Yeah. Matt's mum is, I, I'd never met anyone like her. And when I first met her, I was fascinated by her and She's been in my life now for like 23 years or 20-something like that, 20-odd years. And, um, her style has never changed in 20-odd years, but it's her style. She doesn't follow trends, you know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:23:34 You'd never see her dressed top to toe in Zara or anything like that. She has always dressed the same, and she dresses for herself. And I loved it. And I used to just think, oh my God, she looks so cool, but also she's so brave that she didn't— she never looked like anyone else in the room.

Lacey Turner 0:23:51 I remember her saying to me once, we were sitting in a room and it was all really quite boring and beige, and she was— and me and her were dressed, and she was like, oh, we're like a couple of doughnuts in a room full of bagels. And I knew straight away what she meant, and I loved it. And She did. She taught me about colour, about, you know, just dress, be brave, wear colour, put colour in your home, you know. And it does. I've— my house is filled with colour because you walk in and you're just happy. It just makes me happy.

Natalie Cassidy 0:24:24 You talked about your mum, obviously, and your mum being— I know your mum, obviously, but absolutely pristine, turned out, worked in the bank, do you know what I mean? She was always immaculate. But more, more of the— your side of the family was a bit more conservative, a bit like my mum. Absolutely turned out—

Lacey Turner 0:24:43 Yeah, my mum's a plain Jane. I mean, if I brought out like a floral multicoloured dress, she would never wear it. And she used to pre-warn people when they come in my house, like, oh, it's a bit bright, my Lacey's house.

Natalie Cassidy 0:24:56 Just, yeah, she's been like— I think she's a bit embarrassed actually to bring everyone in. I had a neon pink sofa and a teal armchair. And then like I had like dot cotton wallpaper on the wall. So she— I think she would be like, just— yeah, she just— she'd used to warm people so they didn't go in and go, oh, this is a lot. But yeah, my mum is— my mum's very— but she always had like black dress, nice patent shoes.

Lacey Turner 0:25:25 She went to work, she was immaculate, always a Santander uniform. But she's not— she does not dress out there, my mum. I mean, an olive green silk trouser is about as far as she's getting lately.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:40 Well, she looks beautiful every time I see her. It's all right.

Lacey Turner 0:25:43 Um, I love her. I'm obsessed.

Natalie Cassidy 0:25:45 You mentioned Doc Cotton there with the old wallpaper. I love how you write about June, to be quite honest with you. Everything you said about everyone, I thought, oh yeah, no, that's right, I thought that. Oh no, yeah, that's what I would have written. So, um, I just— I did love the way you spoke about June, because unless you sort of were there, we were so blessed and so lucky, weren't we, to have those women in our lives?

Lacey Turner 0:26:12 I feel sad that the younger generation who work there now—

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:19 I mean, maybe it's different, maybe they feel that way about other people, but I just feel like we were so lucky To have like the 4 of them in one go with the knowledge they had and the etiquette they had and the way they worked.

Lacey Turner 0:26:40 And I just feel like that is so rare now. I just feel like the fact that we had that, my God, that was the best lesson that anyone could ever have had coming into this industry.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:54 I completely agree with you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:26:56 And I— you, you mentioned a story in the book where you were rehearsing a scene and you were obviously just sort of doing it, you know, half pace, whatever, half-assed, because of your line running or whatever. And Barbara, lovely Barbara Windsor, we talked about, said, are you gonna do it like that? Or what? You know, you went, no, no, I was just rehearsing. Well, you know, you can't do it like that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:15 And I remember me doing something, and I remember— I don't know what it was— and I said, yeah, And June said, excuse me, pardon? And I said, oh, I'm just right— she said, I can't hear you, you need to speak up and use your mouth, dear. But all those things, we— Brilliant. You take it on. And you— and I do think nowadays, if we were to say that to a youngster, I think we'd probably get called up for bullying or something, which I understand why all the rules are in place, but I do think it's a shame that the youth of EastEnders now, like, all the chaperoning, they're not sort of with us enough.

Natalie Cassidy 0:27:57 They don't get— I get it.

Lacey Turner 0:27:59 We didn't have that when I was, I was 16. I didn't have a chaperone. I think you have a chaperone now too, like, I don't know, 17, 18, or—

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:09 but I didn't have a chaperone or anything like that. It was just me and you lot. You know, when I, when I started. But it's, um, I talk about it in the book, like the things, the way we were taught, the way we were treated on set, for me, made me work how I work. And I'm so grateful for that. But I could not do that today.

Lacey Turner 0:28:32 It wouldn't be allowed today, which I think is a bit sad because actually someone putting me out the door and saying, you know, you You can't do it like that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:40 You've gotta do it, you've gotta give it your best shot on every go. That comes from Barbara being in a world where you gave it everything because if you didn't, someone else was gonna fill the boots, you know?

Lacey Turner 0:28:52 And then your job's gone.

Natalie Cassidy 0:28:54 Mm-hmm.

Lacey Turner 0:28:55 So, and I liked that. I liked that way of, I liked to be pulled up. I was, I'm never late on set. I was late every day for work, but I was never late on set.

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:05 You wasn't late for anything.

Lacey Turner 0:29:06 I was like, tonight, Matthew, I'm gonna be— I come out that door and all of a sudden I was Daisy Slater. I could get dressed in about 4 minutes, but I was never late on that floor. And I, I would say I pretty much knew all my lines, and that comes from them, and that comes from working with people like Pam, Joan, Barbara, Steve. You know, if I had a scene with Steve, my God, I would not go in there unprepared.

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:31 I completely agree. I remember, I remember doing scenes with Steve where Jamie, I don't know, he was beating me up, and I had these scenes, and I was so petrified. But you just knew, didn't you? If you were on set with Steve, you just, you just knew you had to do your best.

Lacey Turner 0:29:48 You had to be on, on your top of your game, yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:29:51 And I love that, and I, I hope people still feel that somewhere there.

Lacey Turner 0:29:56 It's nice. I mean, we come from like the, The days where you— like, I like to be a little bit scared of my boss, do you know what I mean? It keeps me on my toes. It reminds me that actually I have a job to do and I have to do it properly. You know, I don't want to just bowl in and sit and have a coffee with my boss. I just, I, I like to be a bit—

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:16 No, I agree with you. I think there should— I, I, again, I think it's brilliant now that there's mutual respect because I think Some bosses have so much power, and then people get exploited. So I understand that side. But I like the hierarchy. I do like— I like the fact that— I completely agree. If we knew, if we saw a boss in the corridor, it was like, oh gosh, Dom's here, or whatever, Jane's here, or Matthew.

Lacey Turner 0:30:44 I'd probably be like, the governor's coming. Wasn't it? You could hear her voice, can't you?

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:51 And he's like, governor's here.

Lacey Turner 0:30:52 And he had little feet. I loved it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:30:57 But I just feel so lucky to have had that, to have been around in that time when they were all there. Like Wendy, I used to love sitting with Wendy. There was nothing better. I used to go around to Wendy's in my pyjamas and do all our scenes. We'd have a packet of Marlboro Lights, a bottle of Moët& Chandon. Happy days.

Speaker B 0:31:21 We were so lucky though. I just think like, how can I not write about that? That was such a lovely time of my life. I was so lucky to have that.

Lacey Turner 0:31:32 How could I not? How can you not put that in a book?

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:34 Well, I'll tell you something. The other thing that I love, because I— my book, I wasn't allowed photos in my book. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that, but fuck it, I am. I don't know. So I'm I'm really annoyed about it actually, but hey ho, there we go. But your photos are so gorgeous.

Speaker I 0:31:51 Is there one of you in there?

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:52 There is one of me and you in here.

Lacey Turner 0:31:54 We went to take that. An audience would take that, I think.

Natalie Cassidy 0:31:57 That's right, I remember it well. Yeah, I remember James Corden being there and James Corden coming up to us. Do you remember that? And saying, what are you— hiya, nice to meet you, what are you up to? And he went, oh, I'm just writing this little comedy thing, I don't know how it'll go. Gavin and Stacey turn-up.

Lacey Turner 0:32:11 Oh, stop it!

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:14 I remember it well. Um, but no, your pictures are absolutely gorgeous, and it really does— it feels really— it just feels you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:24 And I can— I'm so happy I can say that because, you know, I don't get people on here really. I have my family on here, and I just have people that I want on here. And when I saw the book, I thought, it's perfect. We can do the book club, and we can have a little chat, have a little catch-up. But it's lovely and I can't wait to finish it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:32:40 So as I say, I've properly dipped in and out today, but finish it properly and then I'm gonna hand it over to Linda 'cause she's gonna love it. Mm-hmm. And that's the other thing I love. There's something in there for every generation because it's not just about a certain age.

Lacey Turner 0:32:56 I loved writing it and I think you— and the fact that I sort of, if you go all the way back to my nan, you can see how it, how it all goes down the food chain and how we sort of— it gets diluted the more you, you know, the sort of old East End girl gets sort of diluted as you go down.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:14 But I just loved it. It was like the most wonderful therapy, talking about like my mum and my nan and my sisters.

Lacey Turner 0:33:22 And, and, and it's just a lovely thing for my children to have. It's like a little treasure box in a book. Basically.

Natalie Cassidy 0:33:29 It is. And I'm not, I'm not gonna spoil it, but I did cry at the end 'cause there's a beautiful, as you say, your children can keep that, they'll have it forever. Yeah. There's a fantastic little, beautiful little nugget at the end. You'll have to buy it to see it. But yeah, it is so, so beautiful for the kids as well, which I know you'll love. And I love the fact that you've put my life so far in brackets 'cause obviously you can do another one in a few years' time. Well, I'm still so young.

Lacey Turner 0:33:55 I'm only 38.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:02 Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska, and in New York, Pacific Life and Lace, I get asked a question every single day, about 100 times a day. What are we doing? Would you— are you going to go back to EastEnders anytime soon? I mean, I can't believe I've been able to ask that question.

Lacey Turner 0:36:23 Are you? I'll come when you come.

Natalie Cassidy 0:36:29 I'll come when you come.

Lacey Turner 0:36:34 Uh, I would love to one day, but right now there's just no time. I've had, I've had such a lovely year at home. I genuinely have had a lovely time with the kids and my garden, doing my veg, being with my chickens. I just think I so needed to just stop for a minute. And obviously I've got Gypsy, and I'm not having any more children because I'm so completely outnumbered and I can't even keep up with the 3 I've got.

Lacey Turner 0:37:00 So it's been so nice to just have her, and I've kept her a baby for ages. She's only just started walking, literally. Poor thing. We was watching Strictly and she was walking, and, and Tilby's going, she's walking, she's walking! And we're going, shh, shh!

Lacey Turner 0:37:15 And he's going, she's walking, she's walking! And we were going, shh! And then we were like, oh my gosh, she's walking! Poor third child.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:25 Cool.

Lacey Turner 0:37:25 But yeah, it's been so nice. So I've really, I've had such a lovely time off. But, you know, I love the people, I love the show, I love the place. But just right now, there's just no time.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:38 And also, you are, you're really busy and it's lovely. What I like, and I would say exactly the same, I love it there so much. I miss Geoff the Chippy.

Lacey Turner 0:37:47 Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:48 I miss Ange. Do you know? No, but we do. We miss the people that we miss that people don't know about.

Lacey Turner 0:37:53 It's the people that make that place.

Natalie Cassidy 0:37:55 It sure is. And the people that no one see on the telly.

Lacey Turner 0:37:59 Yes. Yes, it is.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:02 So yeah, I think it is lovely though to have a little rest. And I like what you said, you were tired, Stacey was tired, and it was time for a break. And, you know, Stacey, more than any character I feel in your generation, when you're at work, Lace, you're not just at work.

Natalie Cassidy 0:38:20 There are people that we know, Who go to work, and they'll order a bacon sandwich in the caf, and they'll sit in the Vic, and they might have a little storyline every now and again. When you're in, you're in, and you're there every day, every hour. You're in every storyline because you're so fantastic, and you've got so many relationships within the show, and because you do it so well that they trust you every time with those storylines, that when you're there, you are in the thick of it all the time. So I think it's really lovely. That you've just had that little rest?

Lacey Turner 0:38:51 Yeah, I think I needed it. And I, you know, I'll forever be grateful to that place for this, for the fact that they trust me with storylines and that I've always been busy because it's— that is, you know, that's— you've got to be grateful for that. It's a lovely thing to have. It's your job at the end of the day. But yeah, like you said, I just was always there at 7 and left at 7 every day.

Natalie Cassidy 0:39:16 No, you really did. And it's— I'm really pleased that you took a little break. And obviously, you talk about it within the book. I don't think anyone understands the anxiety. If I can just say, the live episode was happening when Martin Fowler was dying.

Natalie Cassidy 0:39:34 Obviously, no one knew at the time. So everyone was talking about this live episode, and rehearsal dates, and what we're doing. And Lacey was about to have a baby. And we're all at work going, I dunno what they're gonna do. She's not gonna be here.

Natalie Cassidy 0:39:52 It's impossible. What are they talking about? Rehearsal, live show. She's gonna have a little tiny baby. Or she could have the baby a week before.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:00 What are we gonna do? And, you know, the whole thing really was about you. So everyone was just running about like headless chickens thinking, how is this gonna work? Just smile. Oh yes, it'll work itself out.

Lacey Turner 0:40:10 I was coming whether I'd had that baby, not had that baby. I was— I did it in a nappy, for God's sake. But there was no way, not a chance, he was going without me there. I wouldn't have. I wasn't having it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:40:26 But having Gypsy, and then doing that storyline, and that pressure of that live episode, and the emotions of losing your dearest friend there. How did you do that, Lace? Really?

Lacey Turner 0:40:43 I actually don't know. I still, to this day— I mean, you know how bad it was. I couldn't even talk about it without literally crying. And I don't cry anymore, but I still get that heavy heart.

Lacey Turner 0:40:56 Like, I don't think I will ever get over that, that decision. The fact that Martin Fowler is no longer alive, that James Bye is not in the dressing room opposite me. I don't think I'll ever get over that. But it was the weirdest thing though, when we did that live. I think I've spoke to you about it before.

Lacey Turner 0:41:15 I've never— I never did a rehearsal without sobbing. And then it comes to the night and not a tear fell from my eye. It was like my body was saying, nope, this isn't the last time. No, you know. It was the strangest— I'm sitting there, I was sitting there thinking, why Why is no tears coming?

Lacey Turner 0:41:34 What? It was like I just wouldn't— it wouldn't do it. It wouldn't have it. It was so strange. But I would never, ever, ever, I don't think, get over that.

Lacey Turner 0:41:43 If I'm not over it now, I don't think I'll ever get over it. It was a really sad time, wasn't it?

Natalie Cassidy 0:41:49 It was a sad time. I— when we went over to Neptune House, which is now flattened, by the way.

Lacey Turner 0:41:56 I know.

Natalie Cassidy 0:41:57 Honestly, he drives me mad, Lace. He's sending me video. Mark sends me videos. This is where Studio D— I said, I don't wanna know. I don't wanna see it. And I don't want to hear about it.

Lacey Turner 0:42:06 He ignored me the other day. I saw him at EFS. Will you tell him I've got the needle? And if I beep my horn and I wave at him, can he please wave back? And don't pretend like you don't know me, Mark.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:17 He'll be devastated.

Lacey Turner 0:42:20 I said beep and I waved and he was just eating his thing on the bench outside and I thought, I ain't got time to stop. So I joined Mum. Tell him I've got the hump.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:29 I'll tell him in a minute. Worry about that. But no, I said, please stop sending me geographical things of where was this, where was that. I said, I'm very upset regarding everything changing. I don't like change, so the last thing I need is you sending me fucking videos.

Lacey Turner 0:42:42 I've seen a video though, and it's sad. All that history is gone. It's flattened. It's so weird. So weird.

Natalie Cassidy 0:42:52 But again, it's lovely, and new people, and I've seen the new family coming in, and you're watching watching it and you think, oh, just everything changes so quickly. Yeah, I haven't really watched it a lot. I don't know if you— I don't know if you have.

Lacey Turner 0:43:05 I haven't really watched it. It's just, I, I did— it's always on in the background, but that time for me is like bread, bath, all of that. So, um, but if they— I do go back and watch like bits that I want to watch, you know, like things, storylines that I know, because I still sort I saw Jake and Adam actually a couple of days ago. They came in up to the studio on Friday, and I saw Mo and Emma and Gilly in the car park. That's what's so nice about being in Elm Street.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:33 Oh, that's lovely.

Lacey Turner 0:43:34 Home. So I see— I still get to see everyone, so it's so nice. But yeah, if there's a storyline that I'm— I know is happening and I want to watch it, I'll, I'll make a point of sitting down and watching it. But I do— it's quite nice to be a viewer. And not being in it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:52 Yeah, I think it's a really good thing.

Natalie Cassidy 0:43:53 I, I haven't watched much of it. Eliza's absolutely, every morning I can hear it in her room, she gets ready for school and it's on, she's absolutely on it. And I know there's loads going on now because we've got all New Year coming up, Christmas are gonna be big, it's always massive, innit? So I look forward to that. And Mark's supervising Lance's next block, so he's really busy with that.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:14 So again, it is nice 'cause I still feel like, You can still talk about it, keep your hand in a little bit. Absolutely. 'Cause Mark's there. But yeah, it's all changed. But it's, uh, yeah, honestly, the way you, you speak about it in the book, and all of the women that we, we loved.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:30 And, you know, we also— you have to remember, and I know that we talk about it with such grace and how wonderful it was, but, you know, you're a young woman. You've gone through quite a lot of loss as well with those women.

Lacey Turner 0:44:43 Yeah. Yeah.

Natalie Cassidy 0:44:45 Do you know what I mean? You, you— I know we don't talk about that, but as young girls, you don't go into a job really anywhere else at a young age with a different demographic and a different generation of person, get so close to them that you're gonna lose people of that age through work. It's very rare.

Lacey Turner 0:45:03 It's funny 'cause in my life I've never— I haven't really lost many people. It's, you know, I never really thought about that. But when I did talk about Barbara, I was sitting, I was actually sitting on this sofa here.

Lacey Turner 0:45:18 I was crying. I don't know what I, she just was, I think because I was probably, although I didn't work with Barb the most, I was probably out of the 4 of them closest to Barbara. Obviously, when we lost Wendy, that felt— that feels like such a long time ago. I remember going to her funeral and everything, but I felt really young then, whereas Barbara seemed to be like the most— I really felt her loss in like building. And I think because obviously Scott's our friend and my agent, so it's— it— I don't know, it was— I just felt really— I got really choked up talking about Barbara.

Lacey Turner 0:46:02 I loved her.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:03 And she loved you. And as you say, the book is that little bit of therapy and lovely to walk down memory lane and remember all those things. You talk about, oh, I'll just do this, and that's what I do, and no, I'm nothing really special. And you, you are very, very— you need to stop putting yourself down.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:25 You are so special. You— what you've done, what you've created, the character you've created, the life you've got for yourself, your family, your children, Matt, everyone you surround yourself with, all your friends. You are so special. I'm absolutely honoured to know you. I could cry, 'cause honestly, I'm very, very proud of what you're doing at the moment, 'cause I know it's out your comfort zone.

Lacey Turner 0:46:47 Oh, wow.

Natalie Cassidy 0:46:48 People might think, oh, Lacey, Lacey, oh, entertainer. Oh, I know how hard that must be for you every Saturday. I, I, I'm sort of like, I hope she's all right. I genuinely, I think, oh, she'll be in makeup now. It's a long day Saturday. She'll be tired.

Lacey Turner 0:47:05 Oh no, it is. But I just don't feel— I'm just a normal person. Just, you know what I'm like, I'm very strong-minded. If I want to do something, I'm gonna do it. Um, but I'm just like everybody else. It's just I just go and get something if I want it.

Natalie Cassidy 0:47:20 Yeah, and that's why people love you. That's why your book is going to be a huge success this week. I promise you now, it's going to be unbelievable. Everyone, get it. For nans, aunts, sisters, people, brothers who like EastEnders, who don't, you will love it. Get it in the old stocking for Christmas. Come on, early Christmas shopping, get it in there. Or the audiobook. Before we go, one question. The audiobook, how tired were you after doing that?

Lacey Turner 0:47:47 Oh, do you know what? Heave picked me up, I said, don't talk to me, I cannot listen to my voice for another minute. Oh my God. And actually, I'm worried I sound miserable in it because, you know, I've got like monotone and my mouth's upside down. So I always sound miserable and look miserable, but I'm actually not. But my God, I thought, please, please just don't ask me one thing. I can't talk anymore.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:17 Well, I'm sure it's going to sound beautiful.

Lacey Turner 0:48:19 But I loved it. It was lovely to hear it out loud. Yeah, and I did laugh at the bits that have always made me laugh, so hopefully they'll make other people laugh.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:29 Absolutely. Oh, Lace, well, listen, it's— we're 42 minutes in. I promised you 40 minutes. I want you to go and relax and do something for the evening. I'm gonna go and watch the results show, and I'm not joking. I love you so much. Thank you for doing this.

Lacey Turner 0:48:45 Thank you for having me.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:47 And, um, We'll talk very, very soon.

Lacey Turner 0:48:49 All right, darling. Love you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:52 Love you.

Lacey Turner 0:48:53 Thank you.

Natalie Cassidy 0:48:54 Bye, darling.