unrecognisable

A Love Actually actress looks worlds away from her iconic character in this ‘must watch’ thriller fans couldn’t get enough of

A Love Actually actress is completely unrecognisable in a “extraordinary” thriller that left fans on the edge of their seats.

German actress Heike Makatsch is best remembered for her portrayal of Mia, the flirtatious secretary who tempted her boss Harry (Alan Rickman) in the 2003 festive film.

Though the romcom is hugely iconic, its 65% Rotten Tomatoes score pales in comparison to Heike’s perfectly-rated 2024 show, Where’s Wanda?

Currently streaming on Apple TV+, the dark comedy follows desperate parents Dedo (Axel Stein) and Carlotta Klatt (Heike) as they search for their missing daughter Wanda, months after her disappearance.

Frustrated by the police’s inability to find her, the couple take matters into their own hands and begin spying on their neighbours to find answers.

Love Actually fans may take a minute to recognise Heike in the drama as she ditches her dark bob for long blonde hair.

The Apple TV drama quickly won over critics upon its debut, earning a stellar 100% score from seven reviews. Casual viewers were equally impressed, though they awarded it a less generous 68% rating.

One fan shared a glowing review, penning: “I was overwhelmingly pleased. It was genuinely funny, aesthetically gorgeous, stupendously well acted, and decidedly fresh, making a story that I don’t think has ever been told before. 11/10 well worth a watch.”

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A second agreed, praising: “This show is such a delight! I have never seen such an extraordinary mixture of genres that throws you from one corner of laughter to the other corner of crying and then also exciting puzzle-piecing. A must watch for armchair detectives!”

Someone else described it as a “fantastic,” while a fourth raved: “I really enjoyed the unexpected curveballs, dark humour and loveable characters to us unlike other shows. At times I was giggling my head off while other times I was at the edge of my seat.

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“The end makes me hope that there will be a season 2. Don’t leave us hanging please!!”

Fortunately, the German drama has been renewed for a second season, which is set to feature another eight episodes.

Where’s Wanda? is streaming now on Apple TV+

Madeline Duggan starred as EastEnders’ mischievous teenager Lauren Branning for four years, but the 31-year-old actress has come a long way since her days in Albert Square

Madeline Duggan looks worlds away from the chaos-creating character who brought to life one of EastEnders‘ biggest moments.

The actress, who originally played Lauren Branning in the BBC soap, looked completely different from her Walford days as she glammed up for a selfie. Madeline, 31, starred as Max Branning’s eldest daughter from 2006 until 2010, with Jacqueline Jossa then taking on the role.

Lauren famously exposed her dad, Max’s, affair with her daughter-in-law, Stacey’s, in the epic 2007 Christmas special, with her shocked family watching a videotape that revealed the sordid secret. Madeline looks nearly unrecognisable from her time on the soap, after leaving more than 15 years ago.

She is all grown up and she is quick to keep fans up to date with what’s going on in her life. Sitting in a black robe, she showed off her stylish cut after showing off some jet-setting holidays in 2025.

In her latest selfie, she wrote: “Dareee l say… I’m really enjoying the Kylie skin tint & Rhodes blush, but this now means I wanna try the Khy B10k foundation.” She quickly followed that up with another Instagram Story, a ‘well-deserved’ Pina Colada.

After leaving EastEnders, Madeline landed roles in the TV show Rules of Love, before securing a role as the character Amy Chester in the acclaimed BBC crime drama Silent Witness.

A year later, the versatile actress starred in the British film Everyone’s Going to Die, cast as the character Laura in a storyline based on a couple embracing their past and moving on with their lives.

In 2017, she played a waitress in the Channel 4 drama Dates and also had a role in Sky Atlantic’s French detective series The Tunnel: Sabotage and Home Alone.

She also appeared in a number of other films during her eclectic career, including Between Us, Spoilt Eggs, and Maybe I’m Fine in 2019. Madeline has also appeared in two music videos, for the bands Feeder and Shaduno, with acting still high on her priority list. But it’s her role in the iconic Max/Stacey affair-reveal that she is best known for.

Arguably one of the most iconic moments in TV soap history, EastEnders viewers were glued to the screen as Max and Stacey’s sordid affair was finally revealed in front of Max’s wife Tanya and Stacey’s husband, Bradley.

After filming the pair on her video camera on Stacey’s wedding day, angry Lauren burned the footage onto a DVD before playing it to the entire family on Christmas Day.

Madeline revealed in April 2020 that she was working part-time in a doctor’s surgery because “being an out-of-work actress doesn’t pay”.

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