Kara Tointon is unrecognisable in a blonde wig and period corset on Urban Myths

She rose to fame portraying Dawn Swann on long-running soap EastEnders, before going on to scoop the coveted glitterball on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010.

And Kara Tointon has been seen looking worlds away from her usual self as she prepares to hit screens as Kitty Clive in an upcoming episode of Urban Myths.

The 37-year-old actress took to Instagram on Friday to share her selfie, which showed her wearing a blonde wig and corset for her new role.

Further tszujing up her look with a black feather resting in her tresses, the star highlighted her good looks with deep plum lipstick and perfectly preened eyebrows.

Captioning the image, the actress wrote: ‘Laughed at looking at myself for this one. Meet Kitty Clive. Had a great time with this little cameo for Season 4 of Urban Myths. Episode 3 – Hendrix and Handel.’

Biographical Sky Arts comedy drama Urban Myths features a range of stories surrounding well-known public figures that may or may not be true.

Stories have included Bob Dylan showing up on a stranger’s doorstep in London and the late Muhammad Ali taking a man down form a ledge. 

Kara’s episode will focus on housemates Jimi Hendrix, who died in 1970, and opera composer George Frideric Handel, who passed away in 1759.

The two musical geniuses from very different times and lives will be seen grappling with the stresses of the music business.

With Hendrix and his girlfriend Kathy Etchingham having moved into their first real home on London’s Brook Street in 1969, they found themselves in the same building that Handel first called home in the capital some 246 years earlier, in 1743. 

The film will imagine the events leading up to the moment American rocker Hendrix sees Handel’s ghost, an encounter he recounted to his girlfriend.

Away from the screen, Kara revealed in July how the novel coronavirus pandemic has forced her to change her wedding plans and reassess her priorities in life.

The actress has taken a step back from acting since welcoming her son Frey, 23 months, with her chiropractor fiancé Marius Jensen, and in an interview with OK! Magazine, she said she’d love more children.

Kara has admitted the couple, who are working together on storytime app Tell, will have to find time to expand their family, as well as finally tie the knot. 

Kara said she’s inspired by her close relationship with her actress sister Hannah when it comes to her own family plans. 

‘I would really love to have more. Because I am so close to my sister, I want Frey to have that as well,’ she said.

‘So we’ve got to fit that in somewhere! I think this year we have all put into perspective what’s important to us.’ 

Kara previously revealed she and Marius were planning to marry in his native Norway at some point in 2020, but they’ve since been forced to reassess.  

‘It’s going to happen but probably not right now,’ she said of their nuptials.

‘We’re both quite last minute people so don’t overthink these things. So I think it’ll probably be a quick “let’s just do it’ thing. I think it will probably be in Norway, A lot of my friends and family have never been there so it’ll be a little trip for them all.’

Kara and Marius made their first public appearance as a couple at London’s Wimbledon tennis championships in the summer of 2017. 

The pair became parents for the first time in November 2018, when they welcomed son Frey into the world. 

Before finding love with Marius, Kara previously had relationships with her EastEnders co-star Joe Swash and ex Strictly pro Artem Chigvintsev.