A beloved EastEnders star has confirmed her temporary exit from the BBC show for a "strange" new role.

Michelle Collins, who plays Cindy Beale, will leave the show for a month after playing a prominent part in the programme's 40th anniversary earlier this year.

She revealed the news at the British Soap Awards, an event that was dominated by the London-based show.

"I'm doing my one-woman show at the Edinburgh festival, called Motorhome Marilyn.

"I don't think she's anything like Cindy. It's a play about a woman impersonator lookalike who lives in a trailer and dresses as Marilyn Monroe. But she's 60, it's kind of strange.

"It's about failure, lost dreams, and feeling like life has passed you by. She's an interesting character. I'm really excited to play it. EastEnders have let me........

© South Wales Argus