EastEnders legend lands role on rival Channel 5 soap 20 years after grim Walford exit

An EastEnders icon is stepping back into the soap world, but this time, she’s swapping Albert Square for the sun-soaked shores of Australia.

Hannah Waterman, who captured viewers’ hearts as Laura Beale in EastEnders from 2000 to 2004, has joined the cast of the long-running Aussie soap Home and Away.

During her four-year stint on EastEnders, Hannah became a familiar face as Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) third wife. But her time on the soap ended in one of the show’s most shocking storylines when her character met a grim fate.

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Laura was killed off in 2004 after she answered the door, tripped over a toy, and fell down a flight of stairs. Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) was accused of Laura’s murder following one of their explosive rows and the discovery of a damning receipt in Laura’s flat. The plot twist became one of the most memorable moments in EastEnders history.

Since saying goodbye to Walford, Hannah has continued to work as an actress, appearing in British telly favourites such as Doctors, The Bill, New Tricks, and Holby City.

Over a decade ago she decided to make a life-changing move and leave the UK behind for Australia. Hannah continued to carve out a successful acting career there.

One of her credits Down Under is for the drama Bali 2002, which chronicles the tragic events of the 2002 Bali bombings. Now Hannah is making a triumphant return to soapland as she joins Home and Away. The series has been a staple of Australian television since it first aired on January 17, 1988.

A source told The Sun: "Hannah moved to Australia years ago for a new life, but she’s still acting.

"She loved dipping her toes back into the world of soap briefly, and who knows it could mean she finds her way back more permanently."

Home and Away chronicles the dramas, romances, and heartbreaks of the residents of the fictional coastal town Summer Bay. The soap recently celebrated an impressive 35 years on air.

Channel 5 secured the rights to the show in 2000, and UK audiences have been tuning in to watch it ever since. Besides this new career milestone, Hannah has also experienced some highs in her personal life while in Australia.

Three years ago she married actor Huw Higginson, who is best known for his decade-long role as PC George Garfield in The Bill. Huw shared a photo from their wedding in October 2022, where the couple could be seen posing on a boat in Sydney with their 11-year-old son Jack.

He captioned the sweet family snapshot: "Got married to my love yesterday. We had the best of days." In the photo Hannah is beaming at Huw and wearing a patterned blue dress paired with gold strappy sandals and a navy pashmina.

She is also holding a bouquet of cream flowers. Before settling down in Australia in 2014, Hannah was married to EastEnders co-star Ricky Groves. The couple tied the knot in 2006 but separated in 2010 and got divorced four years later.

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