Jac Jossa’s fight against odds-jailbird dad, sibling deaths and teen breadwinner
Jacqueline Jossa visibly shook throughout her I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here exit interview on Sunday, making it clear just how much a win meant to her.
Sobbing as she was crowned Queen of the Jungle, the 27-year-old mother-of-two said the show had changed her life and given her courage and confidence after years of being perceived as a "doormat".
But the former EastEnders star is anything but, having supported her family both financially and emotionally since she was a young girl.
Her birth in itself was considered a "miracle" after her mum Selena, 63, lost two baby boys to cot death.
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Seeing how the grief tore her mother apart, when Jacqueline fell pregnant she was terrified – especially when she couldn't feel second daughter Mia moving.
“It makes me more nervous about everything," she previously told The Mirror.
“There’s no reason to think that would ever happen to me as there’s no hereditary link.
“But it’s such an awful thing to go through and I’ve seen how it has affected my mum.
“It’s hard not to worry when you have a baby. It’s a nerve-racking time.”
Her older sister Katrina ran the London Marathon in memory of their brothers last year and a source said the tragedy is largely responsible for Jacqueline's brave attitude.
A source said: “The tragedy of what happened with her brothers was a few years before she was born.
"Her parents Selina and John went through this huge loss and somehow found the strength to try again and Jac was born.
“In many ways she is seen as a miracle child. Of course the family have never forgotten what happened and it makes Jacqueline even more grateful for her own children and also the need to seize the day and appreciate life.
“She has been working hard and earning money for her family since she was 17.”
Born in Bexley, Kent, Jacqueline apparently didn't expect to be a star before landing the role of troubled teen Lauren Branning on EastEnders in 2010.
But she was awarded Best Soap Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards in 2011 and won Best Actress at the Inside Soap Awards in 2013.
Thought to have been earning a six-figure salary, she reportedly used that to support her family after her dad was jailed for fraud in 2012.
John Jossa was sentenced to four years for stealing almost £500,000 of tax payers' money when he was head of finance at Enfield Council in north London.
The court heard how he created false invoices, lied about his wife working at the council so he could make payments to her and stole a total of £491,088.35 between 2006 and 2010.
He also received a £170,000 payout when he was made redundant in 2010 and lost all but £25,000 of cash in dodgy investments.
Jacqueline, then 19, sat in the public gallery and cried as he was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of obtaining money by deception and two counts of fraud.
His defence barrister Avtar Bhatoa had argued that the "genesis of this offending goes back to April 2006" when Mr Jossa's "salary was failing to service his debts."
Sentencing Judge Nicholas Cooke QC told the Old Bailey: "In addition to being fully dishonest, he's a fool.
"Your offending will have real consequences to local residents in terms of reduced services or a decline in payments for those that live in the area."
With no real money coming in, Jacqueline is said to have bought her parent their home in south east London and even lived there at one point with husband Dan Osborne and their daughters Ella, four, and Mia, one.
According to reports, she was also desperate for stability, which is why she became a mum at 23 and married young.
But her world was torn apart in 2017 when she was written out of her beloved soap along with her on-screen sister Lorna Fitzgerald.
In one interview she said: "I cried so much. I have not stopped crying have I Lorna? Tell the truth. I have not stopped crying. I will cry today.
"It wasn't our decision but we kind of knew ages ago. We had a feeling."
Meanwhile, her private life has been plagued with allegations about her husband Dan Osborne's infidelity.
During their six-year relationship he's denied cheating with Love Island stars Gabby Allen and Alexandra Cane and having a threesome with his Big Brother co-stars Natalie Nunn and Chloe Ayling .
Jacqueline has stayed firmly by her husband's side but fans are now hoping her newfound confidence will herald a happier chapter for the star.
"I genuinely hope that Jacqueline Jossa realises her worth as a mother and woman when she comes out. Stunning woman with loads of potential," commented one fan on Twitter .
Another added: "What a queen of the jungle you are Jacqueline Jossa! You’ve been on an incredible journey, truly relatable, a fantastic role model to us women."
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