EastEnd in depression plot

The BBC soap has embarked on a hard-hitting storyline...

16:21 14 May 2009

EastEnders has embarked on a hard-hitting storyline where Stacey Slater develops bipolar disorder.

Stacey, who has recently had to deal with the death of a close friend Danielle, has been displaying more and more increasingly unpredictable behavior.

From explosive fights in the Square's beauty salon to excessive shopping sprees, her erratic behavior continues to worsen over the coming weeks.

Actress Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey, said: "It's great that EastEnders is continuing to raise awareness of this difficult issue. I hope I can do justice to this challenging storyline".

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Stacey's mother Jean Slater (Gillian Wright), who also has the condition, is the first to notice her daughter's breakdown.

EastEnders producer Dierderick Santer said: "Stacey is a character of highs and lows of great passions and dark moods.

"This week, those contrasts become bigger and we realise her mood is far more complex than simply being upset about her friend's death."