Jacqueline Jossa has revealed her hopes to return to EastEnders in under five years and says her departure from the soap was not a goodbye forever.
The actress, 27, who played Lauren Branning for eight years before leaving the BBC One show in 2018, told MailOnline she still loves the character with all her heart.
Mum-of-two Jacqueline said she could ‘hobble back in on my walking stick’ in a reference to Lauren’s fall from the Queen Vic roof during the soap’s 2017 Christmas Day episode.
‘I would love to go back’: Jacqueline Jossa has revealed her hopes to return to EastEnders in under five years and says her departure from the soap was not a goodbye forever
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Jacqueline said: ‘I absolutely love EastEnders, love the people, the production and I absolutely love Lauren Branning with all my heart.
‘It doesn’t feel like it was a goodbye forever, definitely not, well not from my end anyway. I would love to go back someday.
‘I could hobble back in on my walking stick one day.’
When asked if she would return in under five years, Lauren said: ‘I think that sounds better than me going back tomorrow, yes.’
Comeback: Jacqueline said she could ‘hobble back in on my walking stick’ in a reference to Lauren’s fall from the Queen Vic roof during the soap’s 2017 Christmas Day episode
Before her big soap comeback Jacqueline has revealed she aspires to perform in the West End and is keen to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer.
Jacqueline impressed with her vocal talents in the I’m A Celeb jungle when she performed Girls Aloud’s Sound Of The Underground during last year’s show.
And now she’s hoping to take on a singing role full time, saying: ‘I have always been interested in singing and have always wanted to make music one day so definitely.
‘I would love to do musicals and the West End is always something that I’ve wanted to do.
Ambition: Jacqueline, who showcased her vocal talents in the I’m A Celeb jungle, has revealed she aspires to perform in the West End and is keen to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer
‘That’s the way to learn and excel’: The Jungle Queen said she learned from Caitlyn Jenner during her time on the show to push herself out of her comfort zone
‘When life is back on track it’s something I want to look into doing, which would be a challenge and something new and fresh for me.
‘After the jungle I learned to push myself out of comfort zone and that’s the way to learn and excel, in the words of Caitlyn Jenner.
‘I do want to get back to acting again but I would love to do a show where I could do a bit of everything first.’
But the Jungle Queen, who’s married to former TOWIE star Dan Osborne, 28, says her weakness is dancing and she dreads Strictly bosses calling on her to do the show.
‘I’ve just not got it in me’: The TV star says she dreads being called up by Strictly bosses as she’s not passionate about dancing unless she’s had a ‘strawberry daiquiri or two’
Jacqueline said: ‘I’m not the best dancer but do you know what I always talk myself down but that’s because I don’t want Strictly to call.
‘It’s not a love, I don’t have a passion for dancing but I could hold a beat.
‘I can be taught and after a strawberry daiquiri or two I’m absolutely fine.
‘I would not do Strictly right now. It’s a massive commitment and you know what, I’ve just not got it in me. The passion isn’t there for me to want to do that.’
Cute: Jacqueline, who’s a mum to daughters Ella, five, and Mia, one, with husband Dan Osborne has been cooking at home during lockdown with an inspired menu for children
Jacqueline, who’s a mum to daughters Ella, five, and Mia, one, has filmed a cook-along video with streaming service Now TV as she hosts a TV Kids TeaV Party to keep her children entertained in lockdown.
The afternoon tea is based on simple recipes inspired by kids TV shows such as Pepper Pig, Peter Rabbit and My Little Pony.
Speaking about the campaign, Jacqueline said: ‘Listen, I am not a chef; I can’t say that I’m a chef.
‘Basically Now TV has created a Kids TeaV Party menu so there are seven dishes to keep the family entertained at home.
‘It was really fun for the kids’: The star said the dishes are easy to make and she has used the recipes over and over with her daughters
‘It’s so easy, they are the easiest dishes you can imagine but they’re inspired by TV shows you will find on the streaming service.
‘The Peter Rabbit recipe that we made was basically hummus in a pot to be honest with you; they looked so fun in little garden pots.
‘The kids were so cute; afterwards they were like ‘it looks like Mr McGregor’s Garden.’
‘It was really fun for the kids and me and we’ve reused the recipes over and over now.’