Jacqueline Jossa: ‘I Was Crying Down The Phone To Dan Osborne While I Was Filming EastEnders’

Poor Jacqueline Jossa.

The EastEnders actress gained the respect of the soap opera’s fans after she agreed to cut her maternity leave short to return to the show for a brief stint.

Reprising her role of Lauren Branning, Jacqueline’s decision to film added a little believability to the show’s storyline as she returned to try and save her dad, Max [Jake Wood], from being wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of Lucy Beale.

Not that she actually did end up helping him all that much, but swings and roundabouts, eh?

However, the 22-year-old has now admitted that leaving her baby daughter, Ella, for three weeks whilst she worked left her absolutely devastated, revealing that she was crying to her boyfriend, Dan Osborne, because she missed her so much.

N’aww, bless.

Speaking to OK! magazine, Jacqueline explained: “I filmed for three weeks. Because it was to do with Jake’s storyline, I was completely fine with it. He’s taking a year out, so I wanted to see him.

“And it was nice to get a little taster again, because it was a shock and it was really hard being away from Ella even for just three weeks.

“I didn’t cope very well. I had some moments when I was… I’d just call Daniel and cry down the phone. He brought her up to see me a couple of times on set.”

Thankfully Jacqueline had her EastEnders family to lean on during the tough few weeks, as she goes on to share that Jake, who plays her dad, and Lindsey Coulson, who plays her Auntie Carol, helped her through it all.

She added: “Lindsey Coulson was really helping me. She knows all the right things to say.

“And Jake too, because he has two kids and he’s been through it all.”

Well we’re just glad that Jacqueline took one for the team in the name of the BBC soap opera - and we can’t bloomin’ wait to have her back full time.