Fans had to look twice when they spotted an EastEnders legend in a Harry Potter film.
The film series launched huge careers for Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grin and, as it turns out, a legendary soap star also made a secret cameo appearance in the epic final blockbuster.
In 2011, the fantasy franchise ended with the eighth installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2). At the end of the film, an older-looking Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione saw their children off to their first year at Hogwarts. However, standing behind the famous actors was a favorite of EastEnders.
And one fan soon noticed their cameo. They rushed to an EastEnders Facebook fan page and shared their surprise to see EastEnders’ popular market stall owner Shrimpy, played by Ben Champniss, in the Harry Potter film. “Like Shrimpy is in Harry Potter lol,” one person said alongside a photo of the actor’s cameo in Harry Potter.
Someone else responded, declaring, “I can’t believe this. I’ve seen it so many times, even a few months ago, and I never noticed!” A third wrote, “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.” And yet another chimed in, writing, “I’ve seen the movie so many times and I never noticed it!”
Ben Champniss has played fan-favorite extra Shrimpy in the soap since 2014. He has become one of the few regular EastEnders extras to have remained in the soap throughout.
Shrimpy, famous for her signature mod hairstyle and trilby hats, can usually be seen hanging out in the market square most weeks, along with the likes of Martin Fowler. In April this year, Ben spoke about his future in EastEnders, revealing that he will be staying firmly in Walford for the foreseeable future.
Revealing his ten-year commitment, Ben wrote on social media: “Today marks 10 years since I marched my hat up Turpin Road, down Bridge Street and into the Queen Vic in Walford! Cheers Shrimpy, you changed my life!”
A fan then asked him: “Are you leaving Enders? X”, to which Ben joked: “No way!!”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
