Eastenders actress Lauren Crace has admitted that the attention of soap fans can often be daunting, especially when she is out alone.

Crace plays Danielle Jones on the BBC soap opera and her character moved to the square in a bid to connect with her long lost mum, Ronnie Mitchell.

“I was recognised as soon as my photo was published, before I’d even appeared on screen,” Crace told the Sunday Mercury. “It was very strange.

“Now I can’t go out at all without people saying something. It can be quite daunting, especially if I’m on my own and a group of school kids all want to take my photo. For some reason, buses are the worst!

“You are in people’s living rooms four or five days a week and audiences know your character inside out. When people see you in the street, they don’t always realise you are an actor and not that character.”

Crace was asked to audition for Eastenders as she completed her final year at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) last summer.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got the audition,” she explained. “It’s not what I expected, especially as I don’t come from London.

“It all happened so quickly. I had a couple of auditions and then the next week I started work, back in June. For the first week of filming I was still appearing in my final show for RADA.”