MAKING A QUEEN
How ‘rainbow baby’ Jacqueline Jossa went from shy drama student with secret family heartache to I’m A Celeb Jungle Queen
SHE was a shy, drama-loving girl who "never wanted to be famous", thought she was just "alright" at acting and grew up with secret family heartache.
But now, former EastEnders actress Jacqueline Jossa is celebrating being crowned Queen of the Jungle on I'm A Celebrity, after capturing the hearts of TV viewers across Britain.
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'Jac never wanted to be famous'
Jacqueline, 27, shared a passionate kiss and cuddle with her ex-TOWIE husband Dan Osborne - who has been accused of cheating on her - after being revealed as this year's winner on Sunday.
And for the mum of two - who witnessed her beloved dad being locked up for fraud in her younger years - the victory is something she could have never dreamed of as a kid.
"She never wanted to be famous, she sees herself as someone who loved drama and was alright at it," a source close to Jacqueline and Dan exclusively tells Sun Online.
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Secret family tragedy
Growing up, Jacqueline, from Bexley, London, adored drama and was close to her school pals.
Even to this day, her "closest mates are her group from school and her cousins", says the insider, adding: "They’re the only people who know the true her and she trusts them."
To her proud parents Selina and John Jossa, Jacqueline was also a "rainbow" child - a youngster born after loss - because her two baby brothers tragically died before her birth.
One of the boys suffered cot death, while the other died from an illness caused by lack of oxygen at birth.
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The double tragedy was revealed by Jacqueline's big sister Katrina last year, as she raised money for the Lullaby Trust, a charity that raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
And it would deeply affect Jacqueline when she later had her own children Ella, now four, and one-year-old Mia - with her brothers' deaths making her "more nervous about everything".
"There’s no reason to think that would ever happen to me as there’s no hereditary link," Jacqueline told . "But it’s such an awful thing to go through and I’ve seen how it has affected her [mum Selina], so it is something that I think about."
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From drama student to soap star
During her teen years, Jacqueline trained at D&B Theatre School in Bromley - where she impressed with her on-stage performance - followed by the Royal Academy of Music.
Yet she was still stunned when, in 2010, she was cast as EastEnders character Lauren Branning - a role that would transform her into a household name.
"When she got the EastEnders gig it was life changing," says our source. "She couldn’t quite believe it. She worked hard, was welcomed with open arms by the cast and was part of the family."
Jacqueline, who took her job on set "seriously", won four awards for her portrayal of Lauren, including Sexiest Female twice at the Inside Soap Awards.
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Jailhouse dad
But just two years after she joined the soap, Jacqueline's world came crashing down when her father John, then 58, was jailed for stealing nearly £500,000 of taxpayers' money in 2012.
The actress "wept" as she sat in the courtroom at London's Old Bailey, where former local government finance chief John admitted three offences involving fraudulent transfers.
The judge told him at the time: "This was a very great breach of trust."
John has since been freed from prison, with Jacqueline gushing on Instagram in 2017: "Happy birthday to my daddy! I love you so much you have always been my hero!"
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New love
Away from Albert Square, Jacqueline's own family dreams were coming true.
She fell in love with reality star Dan, 28, after they met at a 2013 TV awards ceremony - with the pair bonding over their shared desire to stay "true to their roots";.
Their relationship moved quickly and, in February 2015, they welcomed daughter Ella.
Jacqueline struggled with body confidence following her little girl's birth, admitting she was feeling a "bit down" as cruel online trolls bombarded her with remarks like "she looks pregnant again".
But the insider tells us: "If she was feeling low in confidence, particularly after Ella, Dan encouraged her to go to the gym with him saying he’d help her if she wanted and that she needed to try and feel like herself again. He's always super supportive and protective of her."
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Dream wedding
Two years later, in June 2017, Jacqueline and Dan tied the knot at a manor house in Cheshire.
In an emotional wedding speech, Dan told his new wife: "You look absolutely beautiful. I couldn’t be more proud of you. You’re my best friend, you’re everything to me."
And our source adds: "For [Jacqueline], having a relationship and family were her end goals.
"And Dan offered her that."
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Career heartbreak
But months after her dream wedding, Jacqueline had a career blow as it was revealed she'd be leaving EastEnders.
"Deep down there’s a little part of her that always felt a bit of imposter syndrome – she didn’t want to do anything other than EastEnders," says the source.
"When they wrote her out of the show she was heartbroken.
"She just wanted to go back, it’s all she’s known in acting.
"The worlds of auditions and red carpets scares her – she’s happiest at home in joggers with no make-up with her family on or on the set of EastEnders around people she trusts."
Jacqueline left the soap in February 2018 - although her character's abrupt departure left fans confused as it wasn't clear where she'd fled to, or who with.
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Rows and cheating claims
And several months later, the actress's personal life also hit a rocky patch when she and Dan split following a series of rows. At the time, she was heavily pregnant with their second daughter Mia.
Although the couple later reunited, they've since been plagued with cheating claims against Dan including a wild threesome - which have overshadowed Jacqueline's jungle win.
Dan has always denied the allegations against him, and his wife has stood by him. The couple are even set to renew their wedding vows once they return to Britain from Australia.
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Last August, Dan entered the Celebrity Big Brother house, with Jacqueline paying a gushing tribute to her husband when he eventually returned home after coming third.
Sharing a sweet picture of Dan kissing baby Mia on Instagram, she wrote: "It's good to have this man back. My girls were so excited to see daddy. He done so well (sic)."
Her biggest challenge yet?
And last month, it emerged Jacqueline was taking on a huge challenge of her own - by competing in I'm A Celebrity, alongside Roman Kemp, Nadine Coyle, Kate Garraway, and other stars.
Millions of viewers watched as she undertook tricky Bushtucker Trials, faced her fear of creepy crawlies, and broke down in tears while reading a letter from Dan.
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It was a gruelling three weeks for Jacqueline - yet she says: "I feel like I have come out as a different person. I've grown in confidence and found who I am as a person."
She adds: "I've always been known as Lauren from EastEnders, or a doormat, or whatever you want to call it, and coming here I have actually proved myself."
And from the enormous smile on her face, it seems the once-shy schoolgirl who never wished to be famous has realised it isn't too bad after all.
Andy Whyment hints at Jacqueline Jossa turmoil as he opens up on her 'tough time' on I'm A Celeb
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