EastEnders fans left in shock over ex-TOWIE star’s cameo in soap after old clip resurfaces

EastEnders fans have been left in shock over an ex-TOWIE star’s cameo in the long-running soap after an old clip from it resurfaced on social media.

I'm sure we're all familiar with the extensive cast of The Only Way Is Essex, but even the biggest EastEnders fans will be surprised over the unlikely crossover.

Now, let's start by pressing rewind back to 2017 when the likes of Yazmin Oukhellou first appeared on the ITV2 show.

The 29-year-old reality TV star had her relationship with James Lock, which was documented on the programme, but ended up calling it quits and leaving the show some four years later in 2021.

She then delighted fans after making a surprise return to TOWIE the following year in 2022, but was later involved in a devastating car accident with her boyfriend, Jake McLean, in Turkey in July last year.

Jake had been driving the pair to a friend's villa in Bodrum, when he lost control and the Mercedes saloon plummeted down a verge after swerving off the road.

Yazmin, who was asleep in the car at the time, awoke to the vehicle cascading down the cliff before landing upside down and crushed to the floor.

She suffered severe injuries to her right arm, which was trapped behind her back and jammed through the sun roof.

Instagram/@yazminoukhellou

Emergency services were called to the scene but, Jake, just 33 at the time, tragically lost his life.

After he passed away, Yazmin decided to take a break from TOWIE.

However, TOWIE is far from the first time Yazmin got behind the camera as she once had a fleeting role on EastEnders five years prior in 2012.

In one scene, the likes of Tyler Moon (played by Tony Discipline) can be seen flirting with Yazmin's character in the infamous Queen Vic pub.

As her chats her up, Whitney Dean, played by Shona McGarty, watches over them.

BBC

According to OK! Magazine, the clip has since resurfaced on TikTok with one person commenting: "Omg lol."

"No way!" exclaimed another, while a third chimed in: "Omg only just watched this episode and didn't realise."

Not the crossover anyone was expecting.

In other EastEnders news, Shona previously announced her departure from the show last year and opened up about why she decided to leave the beloved soap after starring on since 2008.

She told The Sun: "I have decided to spread my wings and will be leaving EastEnders.

"I have loved my years in the show. I have been trusted with some incredible storylines and have made amazing friendships which will endure."

BBC

The actor went on to assure fans that it wasn't an easy decision to depart from the show, telling Inside Soap: "It wasn’t an easy decision because I've made so many friends. I’ve seen people come and go, and meanwhile, Whitney has been one of the longest-standing characters.

"I've had so much fun and done so many storylines, some of which have been sensitive, and I've been honoured to be trusted with such heavy stuff year after year.

"So I'm going to be sad to say goodbye to my friends and family, but it was the right decision for me as I want to do other things. After 15 years, I’ve had a pretty good run!"

We wish you the best of luck in your next chapter, Shona!