AN EastEnders favourite looked unrecognisable as they showed off their red raw nose after being struck down by a sickness bug.
Actress Lucy Benjamin, 52, who first stepped foot in Walford in 1998 as Lisa Fowler, was last seen in Albert Square in 2020.
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Last year, Lucy showed off her new look as she transformed for an acting role.
Yet now she has told how both work and festive spirit were in low supply after suffering illness.
Lucy posted a candid selfie to her Instagram page showing her nose red raw from sneezing and blowing her nose.
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Her eyes appeared tired and her mouth was fixed in a sad half smile as she wrote in the caption: "So ill, for so bloody long! S**t Xmas #flu."
Her former co-star Martin Kemp, who played Steve Owen, replied: "I’m with ya!!"
Ex EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook added: "Hope you feel better soon babe x"
Lucy's soap character Lisa was first introduced to the Square in December 1998 as an assistant market stall inspector.
During her time in Walford, she had two major relationships - Phil Mitchell and Mark Fowler.
Lucy was last seen on the soap in January 2020, when she left in dramatic fashion with daughter Louise Mitchell.
They fled to Portugal to save Louise from a life in prison.
Louise, mum to Peggy Taylor, was consumed by her guilt at luring ex and father to her child Keanu to his death and was suffering from a breakdown.
