EastEnders actress Lacey Turner has made a ‘frugal’ parenting confession, stating there’s ‘nothing to be ashamed of’.

The star, who plays Stacey Slater, is a mother to two daughters, Dusty and Gipsy, and son Trilby with her husband Matt Kay, whom she wed in 2017.

After welcoming Gipsy in January, Lacey was back on set the following month for EastEnders’ 40th anniversary live episode. Regularly sharing insights into her parenting journey on social media, Lacey believes people shouldn’t feel pressured to ‘save up to be parents’.

Addressing those who overspend on their children, she dismissed the notion of purchasing luxury items. She said: “The world today leads you to believe that the most expensive option is the best option, but that’s not the case,” reports the Manchester Evening News.

EastEnders star Lacey Turner with her family

The actress is married to Matt Kay, whom she wed in 2017, and often shares her family life on social media (Image: Lacey Turner Instagram)
“I want people to know that being frugal is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s a skill. We don’t dress our children in designer clothes, it’s perfectly okay to dress your children in high street clothes. It’s crazy in the world we’re living that people are saving up to be parents.

“Being a parent is one of the most amazing things that can happen those are lucky enough to be parents, it’s natural thing for most people to want to be a parent, so why aren’t we making it normal, easy and open and honest as possible,” she told The Sun. Lacey also revealed that she often turns to her grandmother for advice, adding that parents always ‘want what’s best’ for their children.

She explained: “You want them to have the best nutrients they can have, you want them to watch the programmes they are going to learn from and not a load of rubbish.

Stacey Slater

The actress returned to EastEnders a month after giving birth earlier this year (Image: BBC/Kieron McCarron/Jack Barnes)
“My nan always used to say to me, she’s very old school… she used to say ‘as long as they have a full belly, clean clothes and they’re loved, that’s all that matters’, as long as you’re doing your best, then that’s good enough.”

In a candid chat on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy mum Happy Baby podcast, Lacey shared her preference for working up until birth. “I think it is actually harder being at home! If you are at home I have to bend down and pick all the dolls up off the floor and the Lego.

“[At work] you sit down, your tea is hot, you can go to the toilet on your own, so actually, it is easier. Someone gets you a chair, at home they don’t even look at you, they don’t care. ‘Muuum, muuum.’ So I just thought I will stay there as long as possible,” she laughed.

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