Carol Harrison, 64, first appeared as Louise Raymond in Albert Square in 1998, where she reunited with her daughter Tiffany Mitchell (played by Martine McCutcheon) and son Simon Raymond (Andrew Lynford).
Louise had major storylines whilst on EastEnders including the character having an affair with Tiffany’s husband Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp).
But Carol only lasted a year on the BBC One soap with Louise fleeing Walford shortly after her daughter, Tiffany, got run over and killed by Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) on New Year’s Even 1998.
Speaking about her departure, Carol told OK! Magazine: “I was devastated when I found I out I was leaving EastEnders.”
Carol explained she only found out she had been dropped by the BBC One soap after finding out from the press.
She continued: “I read that I was being axed in a newspaper, which really hurt.
“There were a few things in the scripts that had me question how they saw me. I’d have characters telling me I was old or a ‘has been’.”
Carol added: “I was a case of art imitating life as I think that’s how the producer saw me, even though I was only 42!
“This was 20 years ago though, I’m sure things are different now.”
After being axed, Carol, who is currently appearing in stage play The Thunder Girls, revealed her career didn’t pick up after the soap.
“I felt like I’d been written off at the height of my career,” she divulged.
Carol said she felt as if she had been “pigeon-holed” into being cast as a middle-aged woman “who was either mutton dressed as lamb or a cleaner”.
Meanwhile, another EastEnders favourite, Patsy Palmer, appeared on This Morning today to speak about her time on the show.
Patsy opened up about her return to the soap as Bianca Jackson for a short stint later this year.
Chat soon turned to Patsy’s life in the United States as she has briefly returned to the UK to shoot scene for the soap.
When asked by hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby whether they know her overseas, she spilled: “No, they don’t know me. I have another name, my name is Julie really. So I thought I’m going to get back to calling myself my real name.
“But I actually get so confused myself that sometimes I’ll say Patsy, sometimes I say Julie and it’s like I confuse myself. So now in Malibu they call me Patsy Julie.”
“I didn’t know your name wasn’t Patsy,” Phillip admitted.
“Julie Anne Harris?” Phillip asked as Patsy explained: “That was my name, my name is Julie Merkell, my married name.”
“I’ve got so many names and then Bianca… Sometimes I’m ginger, sometimes I’m a mum and then I’m the wife. I’m everything.”
Carol Harrison’s interview is in this week’s OK! Magazine, out now.
EastEnders airs tonight on BBC One at 7.30pm.