EastEnders star Melanie Clark Pullen dies aged 46

Former 'EastEnders' actress Melanie Clark Pullen has died.

The 46-year-old star - who was best known for playing Pauline Fowler's (Wendy Richard) niece Mary Flaherty on the long-running soap between 1997 and 1999 - sadly lost her battle with breast cancer on March 29, The Sun reports.

In 2020, Melanie was told she was cancer-free after being diagnosed the year before.

She said at the time: “I got the all-clear. I’m cancer-free, which is great, so now it’s all about recovery.”

However, she tragically found out she had a brain tumour in June 2021.

She said: "I was only given the all-clear from cancer 18 months ago and it’s a cruel blow to think that I will now be starting into some kind of treatment again and that this time it will be long term and a permanent fixture of my life."

As well as the BBC One soap, Melanie starred in 'Catherine Cookson’s A Dinner Full of Herbs', had a role in the film 'Ordinary Love', alongside Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville, and appeared alongside Richard Attenborough and Jenny Agutter in the remake of the classic 'The Railway Children'.

The Irish star is survived by her husband Simon and three children.

Broadcaster Maia Dunphy - the former wife of comedian Johnny Vegas - went to the same drama school as the late actress, Trinity College, Dublin, and is among those to pay tribute to Melanie.

She wrote: "Our funny, beautiful, eccentric, creative Goddess Melanie Clark Pullen is gone. What a force of nature, most importantly, what a Mama.

"Your words and your babies live on. Our love and thoughts are with Simon."

Melanie is survived by her husband Simon Maxwell and their three children.