EastEnders star Lacey Turner QUITS the soap

EastEnders star Lacey Turner has revealed she's leaving the soap, with bosses already plotting a huge storyline for her exit.

The actress, 37 first joined the cast as Stacey Slater back in 2004, and after departing in 2010, she reprised her role in 2014.

Lacey told The Sun that she will be leaving screens later this year to focus on other work commitments and family life, with bosses hinting there will be plenty of drama in store before her departure.

The star shares three children with her husband Matt, daughter Dusty, five, son Trilby Fox, three, and her baby daughter Gipsy Olive, who was born in January, this year. 

She said: ''It's time for myself and Stacey to take a rest and who knows what Stacey will get up to in her time away? Knowing Stacey, it will never be boring.'

An EastEnders spokesperson added: 'We can confirm that Lacey will be off-screen later this year, but there is plenty of more drama to come beforehand and we will look forward to planning Stacey's return when Lacey decides the time is right.'

A source went onto add: 'Lacey made the decision last year to take some time out from the show, she's had a busy year both on and off screen, so it feels a good time to give Stacey a rest.

'Lacey loves EastEnders, and it's no secret how much EastEnders love Lacey, so it's not a question of if she will be back, but when.'

Lacey made a brief return from her maternity leave back in February to feature in EastEnders' live 40th Anniversary episode, when Stacey's husband Martin Fowler was tragically killed in the Queen Vic explosion.

At first, it appeared that Martin had been successfully rescued from underneath the beam, but his heart then stopped as firefighters rushed to try and save him.

His ex-wife Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) was left in floods of tears as Martin died in front of her eyes just moments after he declared his love for her and proposed.

The heartbreaking episode ended with Stacey hugging Martin's lifeless body while her screams could be heard by those waiting outside the Queen Vic for news.

In a recent interview with MailOnline, Lacey also opened up on cost of living struggles and parenting stigmas and said: 'it doesn't matter what industry you're in, we're all the same'.

The star who welcomed her third child in January, opened up on pressures faced by new parents as prices continue to rise.

The star has joined forces with baby formula brand Bonya to challenge the stigma surrounding infant formula use and frugality in the UK during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Lacey, who has played Stacey Slater on the BBC soap since 2004, said: 'You do what you can. Ultimately if you strip everything back we're all the same, it doesn't matter what industry you're in. 

'You could be a broker, you could be hairdresser, you could be a gardener - we're all facing the same struggles daily. 

'Some people earn more money than others but everyone has different kinds of problems and ultimately underneath that is the judgement. You cannot judge people you don't know, you never know what another person is going through.'

She admitted: 'I look at my shopping bill and think when did that go up? What would be a £70 shop suddenly becomes a £120 shop and you go oh my God, I'm not buying them again. 

'Everybody is ultimately the same and it comes back to the judging thing and the pressure. People feel the need to have the best and buy the best and how much it actually costs and it shouldn't be like that.'

According to the Daily Star and OK!, Lacey earns between £150,000 to £190,000 for her work on the soap as a fan-favourite, which falls in the same pay bracket as Gillian Taylforth who plays Kathy Beale. 

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Reflecting on life as a mother of three after welcoming her baby daughter Gipsy Olive in January, Lacey gushed: 'I'm very lucky to have three lovely children and a great family.'

She explained: 'I'm lucky to have Matt and we're a great team. I really love being a parent. It comes with challenges as it does for any parent but I love it, I love watching them grow and everyday is different. 

'They're small and learning and making mistakes and changing, they need different things. You're constantly adapting and they're learning from you, it's a really lovely journey to be on. 

'It does come with its challenges, there's daily decisions and they're always sitting in the back of your head. Are they reading enough, are they watching or eating too much rubbish? I want to do my best and whatever our best is in our house it works.'