EastEnders fans finally met the new Vicki Fowler earlier this year. But for Alice Haig, taking on the role brought nerves, surprises, and serious pressure. She had no idea she was auditioning for one of Walford’s most iconic names. And when she finally found out, everything changed in a moment. Keep scrolling to know more.
Alice Had No Idea
Alice revealed she was completely unaware of the part she was reading for. “I didn’t know I was playing Vicki until the day before I started,” she told Isolation Interviews. “It was a bit of a bonkers moment.” The casting process kept everything under wraps. “In the audition, it’s all code names. You don’t know who you’re playing,” she explained.
When she finally learnt the role, her heart skipped a beat. “At the beginning, I think I was a little bit alarmed,” she said. “I thought, do I have to do certain things? Will I have to sound like the person?” But the team gave her full permission to trust her instincts. “They were like, absolutely not. You do what you do and what you read the part as.”
EastEnders Scarlett’s Message Meant Everything
Rather than trying to recreate what Scarlett Alice Johnson did years ago, Alice built her version from the ground up. “You can’t be somebody else’s energy or have somebody else’s atmosphere,” she said. “You can’t pretend to be someone else.”
She began by examining Vicki’s roots. “I was more interested in looking at who her parents were,” she explained. “Feeding in from what Michelle’s energy was like and what Den was like informed much more about how I was going to play it.”
Scarlett’s performance inspired respect, not imitation. “She’s brilliant and completely different from me,” Alice said honestly. Alice also revealed the kind message Scarlett sent her after the recast was announced. “She sent me a beautiful email wishing me luck and being incredibly kind,” she told a source. “It was a lovely thing to get. She said it’s great fun playing Vicki Fowler, and I couldn’t agree more.” For more EastEnders updates and cast news, follow Soap Opera Daily.