A FORMER EastEnders’ star has created a totally new career nine years after leaving the soap.
Once a Slater sister, the actress launched a niche clothing brand inspired by all things vintage.
Carli Norris, who once played Belinda Slater in the BBC hit, now runs an online boutique called Chocodolly.
The dresses are handmade and inspired by gowns worn in 1950s and range from £25 to £75.
They come in a vast option of colours, with bold patterns.
The actress, 51, first appeared in Walford in 2016 as the sister of iconic characters Kat, Lynne and Little Mo.
Carli was the second actress to play Belinda, taking over from Leanne Lakey.
She made her explosive Albert Square entrance in 2016 when she accused Kat [Jessie Wallace] of killing their dad Charlie after he died of a heart attack.
During her short time on the show, Carli was involved in some big storylines as Belinda – including divorce and financial struggles.
She also had brief romances with Grant Mitchell [Ross Kemp] and Masood Ahmed [Nitin Ganatra].
But these days Carli is focused on her online boutique Chocodolly.
She sells vintage fashion as well as homemade ‘Pin Up Pixie’ dolls and hosts a podcast called Meditating in High Heels.
The premise of the podcast is helping listeners to be ‘fabulously spiritual’.
She appears to be a woman of many talents, as she also runs a company with her partner Dom, that offers celebrants and event hosting.
In a Facebook post in 2024, she wrote: “We have launched a new Facebook page which we would like to share with you.
“It’s Called “Red Carpet Hosts” and it’s the place to go for information on our Celebrant and Event Hosting services.
“If you or someone you know is planning a wedding and needs a celebrant or Master of Ceremonies please take a look, or if you are planning an event, a festival, or an award ceremony and need some one to host that please get in touch.”
Carli previously admitted she would be open to a return as Belinda.
She told Inside Soap: “It’d depend on the circumstances, but I had a great time at EastEnders.
“If I was to return to any soap, it’d be that one.
“It was a shame when Belinda left, as she was funny and brought glamour to Walford.
“But the producer at the time wanted to shake up the show to make it more of a reality drama.”
