Former EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has opened up about her money struggles after exiting the soap, revealing that she had to sell her house.
Appearing on Sam and Billie Faiers podcast The Sam and Billie Show, Jacqueline spoke about the difficulties she faced after leaving the role of Lauren Branning in 2018.
"You're right about the hustle," Jacqueline said. "I was on EastEnders for eight years where you got a set pay cheque every week.
Related: EastEnders' Jacqueline Jossa says she doesn't need to justify her marriage
"It was a set pay cheque and I didn't have to do anything else. It was my comfort blanket, it was what I knew. Then it just wasn't.
"There's no such thing for me as maternity pay, so when I had kids I had to leave and I had to do magazine covers to make money to feed my kids.
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"Once you're gone, when you're not on the show, you don't have money. Done! You're not paid anything else."
Jacqueline went on to say that she had to sell her house before her stint on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2019 where she was crowned Queen of the Jungle.
"There's been times where I haven't had money," she said. "Before I went in the jungle I was struggling with money. I had to sell my house.
"And then I went in the jungle and had amazing opportunities, so I would never ever ever look at somebody and say, 'They're not hustling enough'. You have to do it."
Jacqueline is married to The Only Way Is Essex star Dan Osborne and the couple are parents to two children Ella and Mia.
Speaking to OK! Magazine last August, the actress ruled out having more children with Dan, saying: "Our family is complete now."
EastEnders airs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays on BBC One.
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