EastEnders actress Lacey Turner has commented on her departure from BBC One’s Our Girl.

The army drama will return for a second season in 2016, it was announced yesterday.

However, former Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan will replace Turner in the lead role.

Lacey Turner, who has played Stacey Branning in EastEnders since 2004, responded: “I had an amazing time making Our Girl and taking Molly on her journey.”

She added: “Unfortunately I won’t be able to take her through this series as I’m currently busy working on EastEnders, but I know that Tony will write a fantastic series full of action and drama with great characters.”

Our Girl creator Tony Grounds commented on Twitter: “[I] understand people’s sadness at no Molly, I’m sad too but [it] was Lacey’s choice to stay at EE.”

He teased: “[Michelle Keegan] will ace it!”

Starring Turner as medic Molly Dawes alongside Ben Aldridge and Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon, the first season of Our Girl concluded last October on BBC One.

> Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.

> Buy 2013’s feature-length Our Girl special on DVD on Amazon.

Season 2 will be set in a Kenyan refugee camp. It has not yet been confirmed if Ben Aldridge or any other original cast members will return.

Will you still watch Our Girl without Lacey Turner? Let us know below…