While every aspiring actor dreams of Hollywood stardom, an A-list career doesn't always show up. For actors hovering somewhere between the big time and the dole queue, there is the comforting world of the British soap opera, where stars are guaranteed regular work and a spot in the nation's living room three times a week. If long-running series such as EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale have been a launchpad for many an acting career, it's also provided a safe haven for those looking to side-step from a different career or reinvigorate their public profile. Scroll down for video . Gracing the cobbles: After first achieving fame with Girls Aloud, Sarah Harding has turned her hand to acting, signing up to appear in four episodes of Coronation Street . Walford-bound: Denise Van Outen is the latest big name to sign for EastEnders. The former Chicago star has admitted that she's turned down the offer twice before . This week saw some big-name announcements in the land of soap, with former Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding announcing that she's putting her pop career on hold to star in at least four episodes of Coronation Street. A Street insider told the Mirror: 'We're delighted to land Sarah - her character has real potential. 'She will prove a real trouble-making fly-in-the-ointment - especially for Tracy Barlow. At the other end of the soap map, Denise Van Outen will soon be seen charging through Albert Square; the actress is to play Max Branning's new love interest, Carin Smart, in the long-running series. Mum-of-one Denise admitted that she'd previously turned down offers from the soap, firstly because of other work commitments and then because she was a new mum and didn't want the often gruelling schedule that comes with a soap contract. Sarah and Denise aren't the only names to sign on the dotted line for soaps at an interesting stage in their careers. Two days ago, celebrated stage actress and 70s child star Bonnie Langford announced that she will also take a new role in EastEnders, playing the role of Carmel Kazemi. We know lots about the stars who've carved out successful careers after leaving soap operas; Kylie, Anna Friel, Guy Pearce, Sarah Lancashire, Joanna Lumley and even Jude Law... but there's also a growing list of faces who you might not have expected to see mucking out the stables in Emmerdale or pulling a pint behind the Queen Vic. Let us explain. A  healthy career (left, pictured in The Football Factory) wasn't helped by comments Dyer made about the September 11th terror attacks and some dubious remarks in a lad's mag. When Eastenders came knocking in 2013, he promptly signed up and hasn't looked back (pictured right with co-star Barbara Windsor) DANNY DYER . London actor Dyer was seen as a big-name signing when he agreed to play Mick Carter, a new landlord at the Queen Vic in EastEnders. After starring in films such as Human Traffic and The Football Factory, the actor had seen his career soar and was even cast by leading English playwright Harold Pinter in two of his plays and then took a starring role in an adaptation of another, The Homecoming, in 2008. His famously loose tongue saw Dyer's popularity plummet somewhat though after he made controversial comments about the 9/11 terror attacks and offered some dubious advice in lad's mag Zoo. The star turned down the offer of EastEnders in 2009 but after finally accepting in 2013 hasn't looked back. The cockney rebel even bagged  the Serial Drama Performance award at the National Television Awards earlier this year. More Met Bar than the Yorkshire Moors...but Patsy Kensit made a huge success of her stint in Emmerdale, playing superbitch Sadie King . PATSY KENSIT . The Yorkshire moors might have been the last place that you'd expect to find Patsy Kensit but in 2004, the actress announced that she'd been tempted north by the role of soap villain Sadie King. Despite a glamourous life that had seen marriages to rock stars Dan Donovan, Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher and a set of celebrity friends, Patsy was anything but afraid of heading to the countryside to get her acting career back on track. She later said of the role: 'The one great thing about being an actress is I love playing different characters and I was really blessed with Sadie King.' 'She was this total bitch and the writing was incredible. I worked with a brilliant cast and I learnt so much from them. I loved it.' Actress Michelle Collins left EastEnders in 1998 after a decade of playing Cindy Beale...only to make the leap to rival soap Coronation Street after a period of stage and screen work in 2011 . MICHELLE COLLINS . For ten years, Michelle Collins caused chaos in Albert Square as evil Cindy Beale. When she was written out in 1998, a series of high profile drama roles followed including Two Thousand Acres of Sky, The Sleeper and Daylight Robbery. The lure of soapland proved too strong though and by 2011, Michelle had ditched less reliable stage and screen work in favour of a regular spot on rival soap Coronation Street. Playing the landlady of the Rovers Return, Michelle stayed until 2014 when she left amid rumours that she was unhappy with the lack of screen time that her character was being afforded. The Carry On films ensured Barbara Windsor was a household name but her career was reborn when she was cast alongside Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp in Eastenders in 1994 . BARBARA WINDSOR . In possibly the most perfect piece of casting ever performed in soapland, EastEnders snapped up national treasure Barbara Windsor just as her star was fading. The actress, made famous for her saucy antics in the Carry On films, had seen bigger theatrical roles all up but dry up by the time EastEnders tapped on her agent's door. Peggy Mitchell was born and Barbara was the perfect foil to rugged eggheads Grant and Phil Mitchell. The actress stayed in the role for sixteen years, signing in 1994 and leaving in 2010. Now elevated to soap royalty, she's contracted to appear in one episode a year. EastEnders put Barbara back in the spotlight and other roles followed; next year she is set to reprise the role of Dormouse in Tim Burton's sequel to his 2010 Alice in Wonderland film. A love affair with the soaps: Daniella Westbrook, who has admitted to having a tough year and was even spotted working in a friend's pub, will soon return to the set of Channel 4's Hollyoaks . DANIELLA WESTBROOK . After much publicised struggles with sobriety, Danniella Westbrook is heading back to her soap roots, after recently informing fans that she plans to return to Hollyoaks. The star confirmed her return as former jailbird Trudy Ryan on the Channel 4 show, bringing to an end a difficult 12-month period during which she lost her family home and returned to rehab. Daniella, who was cast as Peggy Mitchell's daughter Sam in EastEnders when she was just 16, famously battled a cocaine addiction which forced her septum, the bridge under the nose, to collapse. In recent years, the actress has appeared on reality television and even had a stint in Los Angeles but will be relieved to back in the bosom of British soap.
Sarah Harding and Denise Van Outen are the latest big-name signings to agree to contracts with British soap operas .
They join a long line of stars who've looked to soaps to boost their careers .
Barbara Windsor, Patsy Kensit and Danny Dyer all saw their profiles rise after taking to the small screen .