No.1 for Interviews - Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace

Jessie has hit the headlines recently for her new size 10 figure with some saying she has taken it too far. Here she tells us about her weight loss and why she won’t give in to cravings

Jessie Wallace has had a tumultuous time in the public eye ever since she hit our screens as the self-professed ‘tart with a heart’ Kat Slater in EastEnders. She was plagued by scandals in the press but has been low key of late. Now she’s stepping out with an ultra-slim body and a new theatre show that sees her going back to the mouthy lovable characters that she is famous for playing. Here she tells No.1 how she went from a size 14 to a 10, how the vicious press stories have affected her and why she won’t let any negativity hold her back in her career.

Tell us a bit about your new show Stepping Out?
It’s set in the 80s in an old dusty church hall in North London and is just about a group of women who come to the church hall once a week to tap dance. All of these different characters merge in a room together once a week and it’s about what they get up to and how they get on. It’s a good down-to-earth comedy – a feel good show. I compare it to Calendar Girls and The Full Monty except we don’t take our clothes off. I’m just honoured to be part of it.

Do you enjoy theatre work more than TV?
I love theatre work – I think every actor does because it’s what you’re trained to do. It’s lovely when you get the warmth from the audience. We’ve got loads of tap dancing routines and I’ve never tap danced before so I’ve had a little bit of trouble picking it up but I know I will. Ken, who teaches us, shouts, “Tits, teeth and tonsils!” He’s always saying that you can hide a multitude of sins: if your feet go wrong just keep doing your hands and smile! Hopefully I’ll be polished by the first night though!

Has any of the training you did for Strictly Come Dancing helped?
It has actually. Even though I got booted off very early and I wasn’t very good compared to everyone else on it, it was absolutely brilliant. Doing Strictly has really helped – I don’t think I’d be able to pick these steps up as quick if I hadn’t done the salsa with Darren. I have to wear a lot of padding for this show as well as I’m meant to be overweight – it should be hilarious.

Yes, you’re looking really slim at the moment – what’s your secret?
I’ve got a trainer and I go to the gym three times a week. I run every day. I‘ve cut out wheat, dairy and alcohol. All the bad stuff! It’s very strict but all of the food I’m eating I love so much. And because I’ve seen such a massive change in my body it’s so rewarding – it’s so worth it!

Are there any foods that you really miss since you began the diet?
Fish and chips! The smell of fish and chips! When I go past a chip shop and see people queuing up I think, ‘I’ll treat myself next week.’ But I’ve been saying that for 15 weeks and still haven’t done it. I just know that I would feel so guilty. I did treat myself one day to a roast dinner. I made everything and it looked so lovely and I so looked forward to sitting down and eating it. But then I just felt so guilty after it! It was just like, ‘Oh why did I do that? I didn’t even enjoy it!’

How does it feel to have so much speculation about your weight in the press?
They’ve gone from one extreme to the other! They say I look really toned and healthy one minute and now they’re saying I’m overdoing it and I’m looking quite man-ish! I can’t win! Also, I saw photos of me taken recently and they have been touched up; they’ve done something to them. They’ve made me look stocky and that isn’t the way I look. I just can’t win. But I don’t care, I’m happy and I’m healthy, that’s the main thing. And my daughter is happy and healthy so that’s all I care about.

So do you eventually learn just to shrug the speculation off?
Yeah, I can’t let it get to me because it just brings me down and I can’t let that happen to me. I’ve worked too hard to let that happen to me!

Much of your life is speculated about and has been for years. Is that something you ever get used to?
You can’t get used to it because at the end of the day I‘m human. The people who write these things wouldn’t like it if it happened to them but that’s what they do for a living and it’s just their job. If they don’t know anything they’ll make it up. The people who are important to me are my family and friends and they know the truth so that’s the most important thing.
But it’s not very nice when you see hideous things printed about you. I’m just glad that Tallulah isn’t old enough to understand that yet, but when she gets to the age where she does it’s not going to be very pleasant. There’s nothing that can really be said though! I’m working hard, just keeping myself to myself and looking forward to this tour.

Did you ever regret getting into acting when there were lots of exposé stories about you in the press?
No, because if someone wants to act then that’s what they’re supposed to do. I knew that I wanted to act and that nothing was going to get in my way. I’m doing what I love and something that I feel like I should be doing because it’s what I want to do.

What would you say if your daughter wanted to get into acting – would you encourage or discourage her?
Whatever she wants to do I’ll encourage her. But ever since she could talk she’s asked me all about her body like, “What’s this?” And I’d tell her, “Well that’s a bone.” So I went out and got her a book on the human body and now she just knows everything! I think she might be a little doctor!

Would you ever consider returning to EastEnders?
I have no plans too. I’m just enjoying what I’m doing. I’m busy and have a few more projects coming up at the end of the year. I’m a mum as well so I‘ve got loads to do.

What are your hopes for the next few years?
I just want to keep working. Once I start I’m a real work-a-holic.

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