{"id":134483,"date":"2025-09-13T12:09:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/134483\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T12:09:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T12:09:09","slug":"eastenders-star-jac-jossa-on-huge-life-change-i-dont-have-to-prove-myself-to-anyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/134483\/","title":{"rendered":"EastEnders star Jac Jossa on huge life change – ‘I don’t have to prove myself to anyone’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soap queen Jacqueline Jossa tells us she is living her best life after turning 30, as she admits she has stopped ‘living for other people’ and finally ‘loves herself’ now\"JacShe’s not had an easy time of it, but Jac Jossa admits she’s the happiest she’s ever been right now(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)<\/p>\n

If anyone knows about the perils of the daily \u201cmum juggle\u201d, it\u2019s Jacqueline Jossa<\/a>. The EastEnders<\/a> actress has two daughters, Ella, nine, and Mia, six, with her husband, ex-TOWIE star Dan Osbourne<\/a>, and says that without her trusted network of close friends and family, she\u2019d seriously struggle to keep all the plates spinning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really takes a village to raise a family and I have a village around me,\u201d says Jac, 32. \u201cMy husband is incredible. He also works and is very busy, so when we\u2019re juggling, we\u2019re usually juggling together. Luckily my mum is incredible too, and so is Dan\u2019s dad, so we have a lot of help and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Amanda Holden looks sculpted in figure-hugging Karen Millen midi she hails \u2018super flattering\u2019<\/a>\"JacJac and husband Dan have had a rocky year – but are in a good place as she dubs him ‘incredible'(Image: Instagram)<\/p>\n

The mum-of-two\u2019s harmonious homelife comes after a period of turmoil which saw her sell her \u00a32 million Essex home amid rumours she and Dan, 33, had split<\/a>. But in April the couple put on a united front while on what was described as a \u201cmake or break\u201d holiday in Mexico<\/a>, before going on to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary at London\u2019s Pan Pacific hotel in June.<\/p>\n

Now, life seems to be back on an even keel. \u201cMy kids have moved school a couple of times and for the kids, that\u2019s so scary,\u201d admits Jac. \u201cI\u2019ve also been so nervous. But Mia wants to join three new groups at school and it\u2019s great for them to get involved in different clubs and make new friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jac says Ella and Mia have very distinct personalities, with her youngest already following in her sports-mad father\u2019s footsteps. \u201cMia has been asking me for ages about joining football sessions,\u201d smiles Jac. \u201cObviously her dad loves it and so does Teddy [Dan\u2019s 11-year-old son from a previous relationship].\u201d<\/p>\n

While Ella is also sporty and has Dan\u2019s \u201cquick and dry\u201d sense of humour, Jac says Mia has inherited her \u201csass\u201d and is \u201creally into the dramatic side of things\u201d. So would the actress be happy if she followed in her footsteps and ended up on a top TV show?<\/p>\n

\"JacThe former I’m A Celeb victor says she feels turning 30 has changed her outlook(Image: ITV\/REX\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n

\u201cI want my kids to do whatever they want to do,\u201d she explains. \u201cI started to act when I was 17 and I\u2019ve had a really incredible time doing this job. I also know the business, so if they wanted to go into it, I would help them and protect them every step of the way. At the same time, if one of them wants to be a dentist, we\u2019ll support that too!\u201d<\/p>\n

As to who is the strictest parent, Jac says she\u2019s probably less likely to give in to the kids\u2019 demands than Dan. \u201cWhen it comes to who is good cop, and who is bad cop, it really depends on the situation,\u201d she admits. \u201cWe are usually on this same page, which I think is good, although that said, they do probably go to their daddy afterwards as he\u2019s more likely to say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last month the family enjoyed a sun-soaked holiday in Spain, giving Jac a rare period of respite before heading back to work on EastEnders, where she plays alcoholic mum, Lauren Branning. The star made a sensational return to the Square in 2024 following a six year break, and has recently been emboiled in some of the soap\u2019s most explosive storylines \u2013 including taking in her delinquent brother, Oscar, and giving birth to visually-impaired son, Jimmy.<\/p>\n

But despite her high profile, the former I\u2019m A Celebrity winner <\/a>says her daughters are unfazed by their mum\u2019s celebrity status. \u201cI still don\u2019t think our kids know anything \u2013 and they don\u2019t know any different,\u201d she explains. \u201cEverything goes over their heads in a really beautiful way.<\/p>\n

\"JacquelineThe EastEnders star makes sure her children appreciate the family holidays and know how lucky they are(Image: Instagram\/Jacqueline Jossa )<\/p>\n

\u201cBut of course it\u2019s lovely to go away on family holidays and we always make sure they know how lucky we are and that we appreciate what we have. They\u2019ve just started getting pocket money and that really helps at home. They\u2019ve been making their beds and doing a few jobs, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite having kids at a young age \u2013 Ella came along when Jac was just 22 \u2013 the star says she wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. \u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s a perfect time to have kids,\u201d she reasons. \u201cI was 21 when I found out I was pregnant and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s a right or wrong time.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Dan were young parents, but we didn\u2019t struggle. Again, the \u2018village\u2019 helped. That has always been the case for me \u2013 I\u2019ve always had amazing friends and family around me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, when you\u2019re as well-known as Jacqueline, casually making new friends at the school gates surely can\u2019t be a breeze? \u201cI think I find it as easy and as difficult as anyone else,\u201d she laughs. \u201cJust because I play a character on the telly doesn\u2019t mean that I\u2019m the first one to say hello \u2013 sometimes I can be thinking of things to say next, or wondering what to bring up.<\/p>\n

\"JacquelineWorking out has become a ‘fun part of life’, says the actress(Image: Instagram\/Jacqueline Jossa)<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I have a couple of mum friends from the school gates, so if I\u2019m ever running late I can drop a quick text or call them and know that the kids will be taken care of and I can just go and pick them up from their house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Jac revealed she had lost weight <\/a>after cutting out snacking and nibbling on the kids\u2019 leftovers. And while she tells OK! she has \u2018fallen off the wagon\u201d in recent weeks, she is enjoying exercise as much as ever. \u201cThe gym has become an actual fun part of my life, which I thought it would never ever do,\u201d says Jac. \u201cI love it now.\u201d<\/p>\n

But burning calories is less to do with how she looks and more about feeling her best. \u201cIt\u2019s not totally about vanity for me,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn previous times where I have tried to lose weight and yo-yo-ed a bit, it has been about vanity and doing it for the wrong reasons. Now, it\u2019s about staying happy and healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JacThe EastEnders star’s kids are mostly unaware of her celeb status, she says(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC\/Jack Barnes\/Kieron McCarron)<\/p>\n

The star has made no secret of the fact she has struggled with body image issues, once telling OK! that she \u201cwas obsessed with reading forums and negative things\u201d about her looks. Today, she gives the trolls a wide berth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I have a really good balance on social media,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m the best version of myself. I\u2019m confident and I just want that for my kids as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also good at living in the present now \u2013 and I haven\u2019t always been. I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s because I\u2019m older, but it\u2019s like I hit 30 and just stopped living for other people. I love myself now \u2013 and I don\u2019t have to prove myself to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacqueline Jossa teams up with McDonald\u2019s Fun Football and McCaf\u00e9\u00ae to help parents connect on the sidelines while kids enjoy free football sessions. The nationwide programme is open to all children aged 5\u201311, with sign-ups now live at mcdonaldsfunfootball.co.uk\/funfootball<\/a>.<\/p>\n

* Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, YouTube<\/a> and Threads<\/a>.<\/p>\n