‘I was an EastEnders star and stripped off on-screen – but now I have a normal job’
EastEnders’ Kierston Wareing played the iconic Kirsty Branning on the BBC soap - but 10 years since her exit from Walford the actress has a rather different side hustle
Former EastEnders star Kierston Wareing was a firm-favourite on the BBC soap.
The actress, played the iconic Kirsty Branning- rocking up to Walford on Christmas Day 2012. As the the third wife of lothario Max Branning (Jake Wood), Kirsty cemented her place as the queen of drama.
She quickly became a hit with fans on the soap too and was involved in several big storylines. Fans will recall how she tricked her beau Max that she was pregnant so he wouldn’t leave her.
But in 2014, Kierston quit the soap – leaving fans gutted. However, the actress at the time claimed it wasn’t her decision “it was theirs.” She told TV Extra: “A new producer came on board and he wanted to shake things up.”
After Kierston left EastEnders, she landed a role on rival soap Hollyoaks playing Ashley Davidson. Kierston appeared on the soap in 2015 – but the character was killed off.
The actress already had an established career prior to her EastEnders stint though. She shot to fame in 2009’s British drama Fish Tank – which won a BAFTA for Best Film.
Kierston has also stripped off a few times over the years and taken part in several on-screen romps. In one racy movie The Fall Of The Essex Boys in 2013, her character took part in a wild topless sex scene.
However, now, ten years since her EastEnders appearance and Kierston is still acting but has a rather different side hustle. She sells vintage antiques, clothes and homemade soaps and baby products.
Over on her Instagram page, links take customers to two different pages. But it seems she has nothing up for grabs as of writing.
Kierston also has a diploma for ‘Understanding Antiques’ where she bagged a Distinction. She uploaded a snap of her certificate on Instagram last year. She penned in the caption: “Certificate has arrived didn’t even realise I signed up for a Diploma didn’t expect this grade thank you so much.”
The TV beauty’s last role was in the 2023 British horror movie Punch. The slasher movie follows a group of pals who are terrorised on a night out by a masked killer called Mr. Punch.
The villain is inspired by the iconic historical puppet show Punch and Judy. Kierston played Julia in the movie – which also starred Hollyoaks legend Jamie Lomas.
