Thompson played the role of child abuser Stella Crawford in the BBC One soap opera "EastEnders". She came into the show as Phil Mitchell's lawyer and they gradually developed a romantic link. Stella later became jealous of Phil's relationship with his son Ben and began to emotionally and physically abuse him, becoming one of soap's most-hated villains. Thompson left "EastEnders" on 20 July 2007, after the exposure of Stella's evil ways on her wedding day led to the character's suicide. She won the "inside soap Best bitch award" for her portrayal of Stella. In 2009, Thompson appeared in the BBC One comedy series "Big Top". During 2012, Thompson appeared in "Love Life" and "Lightfields", both of which were aired on ITV. In the same year she also appeared in a Keaton Henson's music video for a song called "You Don't Know How Lucky You Are". Her most recent television credits include "Detectorists", "Professor Branestawm", "A Gert Lush Christmas", "Jericho" and "Coronation Street" (2018).