Former EastEnders star Hannah Waterman has staged a big soap comeback. The actress is best known for playing Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) third wife Laura Beale in the BBC soap from 2000 to 2004. She has now swapped Albert Square for Summer Bay after landing a role in Home and Away. Hannah popped up as a magistrate in Thursday’s Channel 5 edition of the Aussie soap, as Perri Hayes (Cantona Stewart) appeared in court over the murder of his father Carl (Matthew Holmes).

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. She will also appear in Friday’s episode, which airs on Channel 5 at 1.45pm. Hannah, who now lives in Australia with husband Huw Higginson, left her role as Laura in EastEnders 20 years ago, with her character meeting a grisly end. She fell down the stairs after a row with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), who was later charged with her murder.

Following her death, Laura’s estranged husband Ian discovered that he was the father of her son Bobby. During her time on EastEnders, Hannah met her first husband Ricky Groves, who played Garry Hobbs. The pair married in 2006 before splitting in 2010. Hannah, who is the daughter of acting veteran Dennis Waterman, later popped up in an episode of Doctors in 2013. The star emigrated to Australia over a decade ago after meeting partner Huw, best known for playing PC George Garfield in The Bill from 1989 to 1999.

The couple tied the knot in 2022 and also have a son, who was born in 2011. Home & Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 with ‘first-look’ episodes airing at 6.30pm on 5STAR. This article was originally published on 25 November 2024. If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.

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