EMMERDALE star Lesley Dunlop has landed a huge new role after quitting the soap.
The actress – who played Brenda Walker in the ITV soap – bowed out last week after 16 years on the show.
Viewers watched as Brenda departed the village alongside stepdaughter Cathy Hope in a shock storyline that saw her win a round the world cruise.
Brenda had split from ex Eric Pollard after discovering he had betrayed her and taken her money after losing his own.
And while the exit seemed like a break, they were in fact her final scenes with The Sun previously confirming that Cathy would return.
In a hint about where she would end up, Brenda said she hoped to meet up with her granddaughter in Canada when the cruise passes by.
However in a strange coincidence actress Lesley has landed a new job – and it’s also on a cruise ship.
The Sun can exclusively reveal that she has joined the cast of Channel Five’s Good Ship Murder.
A source said: “Lesley will be making a guest appearance on the upcoming series and it’s not lost on her that she left Emmerdale on a cruise and her first job away from it is on a cruise.
“She’s going to have a great time filming in the sunshine and on the ship.
“And of course the door has been left open at Emmerdale especially with Chris still there she could always pop up in future.”
Lesley is married to Emmerdale co-star Chris Chittell.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”The Good Ship Murder Channel 5 Trailer ” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6367035336112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]The couple met on the soap and fell in love, tying the knot in 2016.
Brenda will also reunite with several former soap stars on Good Ship with the show being led by former Coronation Street stars Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley.
Channel Five have been approached for comment.
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