Jacqueline Jossa found it "really hard" returning to ‘EastEnders’.
The 22-year-old actress – who has seven-month-old daughter Ella with fiance Dan Osborne – agreed to cut short her maternity leave to briefly reprise her role as Lauren Branning as part of Jake Wood’s exit storyline, but found it tough being away from her little girl.
She said: "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."
Jacqueline was thankful for the support of Jake, who plays her on-screen father Max Branning, and Lindsey Coulson, who plays her aunt Carol.
She told OK! magazine: "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."
Jacqueline Jossa found EastEnders return ‘really hard’
