EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa opens up over anxiety and therapy sessions
"I think everyone should have therapy."
EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has opened up about having therapy sessions and dealing with anxiety.
The former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! winner appeared on EastEnders as Lauren Branning from 2010 to 2018 – and has returned in an explosive storyline.
But speaking to The Sun, Jossa has revealed that the trials of her personal life are just as tough as her character of Lauren Branning’s, and have led her to seeking professional help.
“I think everyone should have therapy. It’s absolutely amazing,” she said.
Continuing, she explained, “I’ve had it since I was 17. You want someone to talk to . . . so I’ve always been really open to it and it’s always been part of my life. I dip in and out of it whenever I need to.”
Jossa also opened up about her anxiety, saying, “Sometimes I’ll be in my bath and think, ‘Isn’t it crazy that I’m in a bath, in a bathroom, in a house, on a street, in a town, in a city, in a country, with water around me then I’m on a planet and then I’m in a galaxy’.
“I worry about whether I said the wrong thing to blah blah this morning. That’s probably not even thought of in their head. You worry about things that probably don’t even exist in the real world.
“And I realise that I’m just a dot on this planet and there’s so much more and that always brings me back down. It just makes me think, ‘This too shall pass, you’re going to be OK’.”
Jossa returned to EastEnders on New Year’s Day permanently after a cameo appearance as Lauren in 2023 as part of Thomas Law’s return as Peter Beale. She also appeared in 2022 for Dot Branning’s funeral.
This time though, she’s back for good, with her return confirmed in September last year.
Ahead of her return, she struck a major deal with the soap that allows the actress to continue to take on lucrative brand deals.
A spokesperson told Digital Spy at the time: “As with all talent, we are working with Jacqueline Jossa to ensure her pre-existing deals do not conflict with the show or BBC guidelines.”
Addressing her return, Jossa said, “I’m really excited. It’s such an amazing time to be back as there is so much buzz around EastEnders at the moment. I’ve been watching and loving it like a fan.
“Walford holds a special place in my heart, so it really does feel like coming home.”
EastEnders airs on Mondays – Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
