Jacqueline Jossa speaks out about Dan Osborne split rumours, selling £1.6m family pad & says she ‘laughs’ at trolls
The EastEnders star explains how a traumatic burglary last summer was the catalyst for changing her whole attitude to life
JACQUELINE Jossa opens up on her marriage to Dan Osborne, her fitness journey and what we can expect from EastEnders’ 40th-anniversary show.
It’s quite strange to see Jacqueline Jossa grinning from ear to ear, given the reason she is so happy.
The EastEnders star is explaining how a traumatic burglary last summer was the catalyst for changing her whole attitude and making her reassess what is important in her life – her family.
It also helped her decide that she’d had enough of explaining what is going on in her marriage to husband of nearly eight years, Dan Osborne, 33.
They’ve been together for more than a decade and have been dogged by split rumours since before they got married.
Recently, the whispers were over news the couple were selling their forever home in Essex, with the former TOWIE star buying a separate property in his name.
But the pair insist they’re still together and are just reassessing their assets.
“People seem to think they know more about my life than I do,” she sighs.
“They were saying: ‘Jacqueline didn’t spend Christmas with Daniel.’ But all I have to do is post pictures of us together with Christmas hats on. We lie in bed next to each other, laughing and reading stuff online about us.
“The speculation is ridiculous, but at the same time, I know it comes with the job, so I do understand it. I read things about Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan and go: ‘Really? Is that true?’ But I’m sure they are happy. It’s not my business what other people think or want to read.
“But apart from me being back on EastEnders, I haven’t put myself out there in that space. I haven’t done any reality shows recently and neither has Dan.
“I’m constantly working, and so is he [Dan runs an online competition website and a tattoo studio]. We just crack on with our day jobs and looking after our kids. He is a fantastic dad. I’m done going on to social media trying to explain it.”
Jacqueline, 32, who plays Lauren Branning on the BBC soap, was left shaken last August when masked thieves broke into the Marbella villa she and Dan were staying in with their two daughters, Ella, nine, and Mia, six, as well as Dan’s son Teddy, 11, from a previous relationship.
The masked raiders, who entered the villa while the family slept, waking them by shining torches in their bedrooms, made off with £20,000 worth of possessions, including her diamond engagement ring.
“That has made me look at social media very differently,” she explains.
“I know this sounds really stupid, but it’s changed me for the better. It put things into perspective. [The burglary] could have been so much worse and, obviously, I’m just really grateful that we were safe, especially the kids.”
This new attitude is not the only thing that has changed about Jacqueline. She is visibly glowing as we speak today, and is clearly in a good place, both mentally and physically, after overhauling her lifestyle.
But unlike some celebrities, she hasn’t taken Ozempic or gone on a crazy diet. Instead, she puts her weight loss down to adopting a healthier regime over the past few years.
‘I feel 100% better – it’s been a mindset change’
“I feel 100% better. It’s not been a quick fix. I kept falling back into bad habits, but it’s been a mindset change.
“I had stopped going to the gym. Part of that was being a mum and those early years of having kids. But now they’re at school and their routines have changed.
“I also think it’s really important for me to be a good role model for my children. I want them to see how important it is to work and make your own money, as well as looking after yourself.
“When I wasn’t working, it just became a habit to meet my friends for lunch and it turned into a bigger thing.
“And then I would pick at the kids’ leftovers. I wouldn’t class it as a meal, but then you realise if you put it all on one plate, it is quite a lot. And then I would have my own dinner on top of that. I don’t do that any more. I just give the leftovers to the dog now!
“And I’m going to the gym a lot, too. The exercise is more for my brain, as I feel a lot better for going, even if I just do a walk or a swim. That’s better than nothing.”
It is obvious this life overhaul has been instrumental in how happy she is these days. That and her return to our TV screens as Lauren.
“I feel like I’m the best version of myself today,” she agrees.
“There are so many different things that have fallen into place. I don’t really care what people think now, which is nice, because I used to.
“Maybe that comes with age or maybe it comes with being busy with work and just knowing your truth, or maybe it’s been going on so long that you get used to it. I don’t know. It could be all three.
“At the moment, I do feel really happy. I feel very lucky to be back where I belong on EastEnders. It was my dream job 15 years ago, and today, it still is. I love everybody there.”
Jacqueline, who grew up in south-east London, was a huge EastEnders fan before joining the show as Lauren in 2010.
During her first stint on Albert Square, she was involved in some of the soap’s biggest story lines, including revealing her dad Max’s affair with pal Stacey on Christmas Day, before leaving the show with her on-screen sister Abi, played by Lorna Fitzgerald, in 2018.
“I’d always keep up with what was going on when I wasn’t in it, but I would obviously get FOMO when it came to Christmas and the big story lines,” she says.
‘I’d get FOMO when it came to the big story lines’
“I knew the 40th anniversary was coming up and I really wanted to be back and be involved in it. I could feel the energy around it.”
Jacqueline went back to the show in October 2023, as part of Cindy Beale’s return.
“I remember when Chris [Clenshaw, executive producer] called to ask me to be in the one-off France episode two years ago.
“He said that Cindy Beale was coming back from the dead, and I was like: ‘Sorry, what?!’ I love Michelle [Collins, who plays Cindy] so much.
“She is the sweetest, kindest soul – and she has the best skin! She is such a good actress. There is no ego about her, and she really cares what the audience thinks of her character.
“She knows Cindy is meant to p**s everyone off, so she throws herself into being an absolute bitch at times, and she is the perfect villain.
“I had a pinch-me moment during the Christmas episode when I was at the Beales’ Christmas dinner, and Michelle looked so iconic as Cindy wearing her fur coat with her sharp blonde hair.
“I watch the show as a viewer too, so when I was reading my scripts, I could feel the story lines elevating. I was genuinely excited to see what happened and the fallout after the Christmas episode [when Lauren exposed the affair Cindy was having].
“It was exciting, as it was such a nod to all those years ago when Lauren exposed Max and Stacey. She always does things in such a big, dramatic way.”
Jacqueline is set to be central to the 40th birthday celebrations, which culminate in discovering who attacked Cindy and left her for dead, during a special live episode to be broadcast on February 19.
‘Pinch-me moment during the Christmas episode’
She’s been hard at work rehearsing so there won’t be any mishaps on the night, as there was during the 30th anniversary live show when Jo Joyner, who reprised her role as Tanya Branning, mistakenly referred to Ian Beale by the name of the actor, Adam (Woodyatt).
“I’m allowed to say I’m in the live episode,” Jacqueline reveals.
“I’m really excited. Who doesn’t want to be in a live episode of EastEnders?
“Well, there are probably a few people who wouldn’t want that actually, with the nerves and stuff, but I’m really pleased to be involved.
“Things can go wrong in live theatre all the time, and you just move on. We’re all professionals and we know that mistakes happen and that’s kind of all part of it. That’s the reason you go live – so you can feel that energy.”
It’s not just Michelle who’s back for the anniversary – Ross Kemp (Grant Mitchell) and Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) are, too.
I’m really excited. Who doesn’t want to be in a live episode of EastEnders?
Jacqueline Jossa
“Oh my gosh. Yes, it’s unbelievable that Grant is back,” she says.
“No spoilers, as I actually don’t know, but I would love to see Lauren’s dad Max [Jake Wood] back at some point.
“There are a couple of people I’d bring back from the dead too, like Lauren’s sister Abi, as well as Steven Beale, because I just feel like there’d be so much drama with his mum Cindy.
“He’s evil, she’s a little bit evil. I just wish he hadn’t died, as there was so much room for drama that could run and run.
“I know Lauren isn’t real, but I love her so much and I know her so well. I’ll put a costume on and go: ‘No, this is too Jacqueline, it’s not Lauren.’
“She needs to be in her tights and black boots. If Lauren and Peter ever get married, what would she wear? I can’t envision her in a wedding dress. Would she have the boots on?
“I’m surprised I’ve never done a soap wedding, but part of me thinks I never will, because I just think Lauren is a tragic character. I just don’t know if she’ll ever have her happy ending.”
She says she especially loves being back in EastEnders at the moment, as some of the soap’s biggest icons are also on Albert Square.
“I get to see people like Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie just walking about in my everyday job. It is still very much a pinch-me moment for me.
“I get to work with Steve McFadden, who is a living legend. When I have a scene with him, I practise for three weeks.
“He is the nicest human, so the pressure is not from him – I put it on myself, because he’s Phil Mitchell! I want to do a really good job. I think he’s one of the best actors in the show.
He’s the epitome of EastEnders, as are people like Adam and Jessie.
‘Steve McFadden AKA Phil Mitchell is one of the best actors in the show’
“Genuinely, all I want to do is be them when I’m older. I want the younger cast to look up to me the way I look up to them. They have such a great work ethic and they throw themselves into everything.
“I live and breathe EastEnders and I’m proud to be a part of it. I think it’s a massive part of British culture, whether you watch it or not.
“We’ve known characters like Ian Beale for 40 years. We know their lives and what they’ve been through, and that’s what is so iconic about the show.
“I just hope there will still be EastEnders and we will still be talking about it in another 40 years!”
- Watch EastEnders, Monday-Thursday, 7.30pm, BBC1, and from 6am on iPlayer.
