Emmerdale star almost unrecognisable without curly hair as she reveals dramatic hair transformation

EMMERDALE star Louisa Clein looks almost recognisable after a trip to the salon – without her famous curly hair.

The 42-year-old actress, who played manipulator Maya Stepney in the soap, showed off her new look after a remarkable transformation.



Emmerdale star Louisa Clein looked very different with wavy coloured hair

She told fans: “Bit less blonde. A lot less curly. And nowhere to go tonight except home!!!”

The star – who was at the heart of the soap’s most shocking storylines for over a year – added the hashtags “#alldressedupandnowheretogo” and “#letshopeitdoesntrain”.

Louisa thanked her North London hair stylists writing: “Thank you as always to the colour king Bryn Samuel Owain and to Tomasz Dobros for taming the curls…. if only for a short while!”

Fans were impressed, with one writing: “Really suits you darling
?

?
.”

The actress had an explosive run in Emmerdale starting in March 2018, when she started playing Maya as she descended into depravity.

The character split up with Dr Liam Cavanagh before getting into a relationship with Matthew Wolfenden’s oblivious David Metcalfe.

She then groomed David’s innocent son Jacob Gallagher, played by Dancing On Ice’s Joe-Warren Plant, a role which bagged her an Inside Soap Award in 2019.

Louisa later explained that she refused to film some scenes, telling the Soap From the Box podcast:”“Sometimes the writers would write something so simple.

“We would both go, ‘I don’t think that’s necessary, I don’t think we need to show that.’

She added: “I think actually far more effective if we show less or if the words say more as opposed to the action.”

Louisa left in 2019 after Maya’s affair with Jacob was discovered and she was arrested, suspended from her job and left the village.

Louisa later returned in a pre-filmed segment to abandon her baby with her ex David Metcalfe.



The actress, seen here in Loose Women, is well known for her curly hair

As Maya Stepney, she was at the heart of the grooming plot involving Jacob

The character was jailed in front of the village – but not for long as it turned out