Denise Welch to appear in EastEnders

Denise Welch is to appear in BBC One serial EastEnders this spring as part of the Slater family.

The actress and former Loose Woman has taken on the role of Alison Slater, mum of transgender character Kyle (Riley Carter Millington) who was introduced to the series’ plots last year with a mysterious connection to Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).

Kyle recently revealed that he is Stacey’s half-brother shortly following her discovery that her father Brian had led a double life. However, his claims were met with scepticism after Stacey’s uncle Charlie (Derek Martin) recalled that Brian only had three daughters in his other family. Kyle and Stacey finally bonded this week after he opened up to her about his past.

The Mirror reports that Denise will only appear in a few episodes with the storyline following Alison meeting Kyle who used to be Sarah for the first time.

“I’m thrilled to be part of such an iconic show. I have friends in the cast and can’t wait to start. It’s a short stint but such a powerful role and I’m thrilled to be taking it on.” – Denise Welch

Denise’s other acting roles include Rovers landlady Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street between 1997-2000 and French teacher Steph Haydock in school drama Waterloo Road between 2006-2010.

EastEnders airs Monday and Friday at 8.00pm and Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One, with repeat screenings on BBC Three at 10.00pm. Viewers can also catch up online via BBC iPlayer.