Nun funnier: June Whitfield gets to be a habit in Albert Square

SHE HAS starred with some of the nation’s most famous comic talents including Tony Hancock, Terry Scott and Kenneth Williams.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Apr 2015, 18:19 BST
June Whitfield making a one-off appearance in Albert Square, with Jessie Wallace as Kat Slater.June Whitfield making a one-off appearance in Albert Square, with Jessie Wallace as Kat Slater.
June Whitfield making a one-off appearance in Albert Square, with Jessie Wallace as Kat Slater.

And now veteran actress June Whitfield is set to appear in one of Britain’s best-loved soap operas when she plays a nun in EastEnders. Preview pictures of the 89-year-old’s scenes show her dressed in a wimple and comforting Kat Moon, played by Jessie Wallace, who goes to visit her at a convent.

In a cameo next week, Ms Whitfield will play Sister Ruth, who a troubled Kat meets when she decides to face her past by taking a trip back to the convent where she gave birth as a teenager to daughter Zoe. Kat has been having a traumatic time in Walford, attempting suicide and hitting the bottle as she struggles with a request for her to testify against her uncle Harry, who raped her and left her pregnant with Zoe.

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When Ms Whitfield’s casting was announced last month, she claimed she had been a fan of EastEnders “for years”, and had been “so impressed by the standard of acting”.

She was in Carry On films and also starred with Mr Scott in both Happy Ever After and Terry and June in the 1970s and 1980s before going on to appear in Absolutely Fabulous.

Her scenes on Eastenders are due to air on BBC1 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week.