EastEnders’ Jessie Wallace pictured in high spirits with co-stars in between takes before shock suspension from BBC soap
EASTENDERS' Jessie Wallace was pictured in high spirits with her co-stars in between takes days before her shock suspension from the BBC soap.
It was sensationally revealed last night that the 48-year-old Kat Slater actress is believed to have been temporarily written out of upcoming plots on the show after allegedly boozing on set.
Her abrupt departure comes days after Jessie and her co-stars filmed scenes on a boat on the River Thames for the soap's 35th anniversary episode.
Dressed in classic Kat Slater attire, Jessie laughed and joked between takes with co-star Davood Ghadami, who plays Kush Kazemi.
Jessie was seen holding on to the railings and the lifebuoy baring the ships name as she waited to film her next scenes.
The actress was having a whale of a time filming the boat party - which is set to end in disaster - on January 16, a little over a week before the news of her suspension was revealed.
Bosses held a crisis meeting and decided she would be axed from the show for two months to “sort herself out”.
It comes just weeks after The Sun exclusively revealed Jessie had split with greengrocer boyfriend Paul Keepin after two years.
The pair broke up just before Christmas and a source said at the time: “She is moving on and wants the New Year to be a fresh start when she will focus on work.”
Jessie has been one of the biggest stars in soapland for years, joining the drama for her first stint as Alfie Moon's girlfriend between 2000 and 2005.
But her party lifestyle has landed her in trouble. In the mid-2000s she was exposed for using the drug ketamine.
She was suspended from the show for bad behaviour and threatened with the axe.
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The mum of one was also convicted of drink-driving in 2003 and attended counselling sessions.
And in 2018, she was sent home from the British Soap Awards by bosses amid claims she turned up to the event drunk.
In March that year, worried fans spotted her collapsed drunk in the street in London’s Soho.
Jessie reprised the role of Kat - without Alfie this time - once more in 2018.
She originally trained as a make-up artist and worked as a barmaid before becoming an actress.