EastEnders actress Bunmi Mojekwu had never heard of Medway when she moved here with her family in 2006.
But after living in Strood for five years, she now considers it her home, a safe haven on her days off from playing troubled Mercy in the top BBC programme.
Bunmi, 22, who previously lived in Brixton, south London, said: “I was surprised by all the rich history and beautiful scenery.”
The same year she moved to Medway, she joined the Identity Drama School, where she won best actress of the year.
Bunmi commutes to work every day, adding: “When I come home at the weekend I love the peace and quiet here compared to the hustle and bustle of London.”
Like any normal young person, Bunmi is not a fan of travel expenses and resents paying the toll fee for the Dartford Tunnel.
She likes the fact that she is not often recognised in Medway and appreciates that when locals do realise who she is, they are friendly and polite.
On Saturday she was the centre of attention when she opened the summer fair at Bligh Junior School in Strood.
Bunmi thinks Medway deserves to win the bid for city status to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012.
“Medway is way more than a town. It is such a big place with so much diversity. It extends from Strood all the way to Rainham. Lots of people are moving to Medway, it’s an up and coming place.”
Her character Mercy was part of the first Nigerian family to live on Albert Square and made her debut in the EastEnders’ spin-off E20

Viewers have seen her marry her good friend Arthur “Fatboy” Chubb in a bid to avoid being deported back to Nigeria (picture above by Adam Pensotti for the BBC), but it looks as though there may not be a happy ending as Mercy is leaving EastEnders in July.
Bunmi said: “EastEnders was a great platform for my career. I had such a happy time there and made lots of great friends.”
She is excited to see where her career will take her next: “I feel it’s a good time to move on. I’m a big fan of gritty dramas and I want to take on some more challenging roles.”
She revealed: “I have lots of things in the pipeline and will be filming over the summer.”