Thompson 'had no EastEnders abuse'

Sophie Thompson has admitted that she was warned she could face abuse from the public when she played evil Stella Crawford in EastEnders.

However, the actress told What's On TV that the reaction to Stella's treatment of Ben had not been as harsh as feared.

"The producers took me to one side and were very worried about people spitting at me," she said. "They told me I must tell them if anything happens. They were more worried than I was!"

She continued: "But on the whole people were lovely to me. I'd get some funny looks from kids, but nothing nasty. It's just pretend, isn't it?"

Thompson added that she "loved" her role in the BBC soap.

"I look back at that time fondly," she said. "It’s something I never thought I'd get the chance to do, be in a soap. Working with Barbara Windsor and Steve McFadden - they're legends in their own lifetimes aren't they?"

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