OK

Jessie And Dave 'OK!' Interview. November 2003

Life has never been better for Jessie Wallace. Fresh from winning Most Popular Actress at the National TV Awards last week, the 32-year-old Eastenders actress is also preparing to marry the man of her dreams, 28-year-old PC Dave Morgan.
In their first interview together, the couple reveal that within months of meeting, they were planning to spend the rest of their lives together. Jessie also talks about her weight and hits back at the hurtful story that she kissed Fame Academy�s Kevin Adams after the National TV Awards�

Congratulations on your engagement! Has it been on the cards for a while?
Jessie: We got engaged a couple of months ago in New York. When we got there Dave said he had a surprise for me.
Dave: I said: �Let�s not have a late night because we have a flight to catch in the morning.�
Jessie: I didn�t know what was going on. We drove to LaGuardia and then I found out we were going to Memphis to go to Graceland! I�ve been into Elvis since I was tiny � I�ve even got an Elvis tattoo on my leg. It was Elvis city! It was a really good experience.

How did Dave propose?
Dave: I took her to Graceland as a surprise and I was going to do it there�
Jessie: �but I was too wrapped up in the Elvis experience so he did it when we were in New York. I knew he was going to do it and in the end he asked me in the hotel we were staying in, 60 Thompson in SoHo. We were there during the blackout.

Did you get down in one knee, Dave?
Dave: No� I just asked!
Jessie: He said: �Will you do me the honour?�

Have your families met?
Jessie: Yes they get on really well. Dave�s sister�s lovely � we have wicked nights out together!

Your engagement ring is fantastic � is there a story behind it?
Jessie: I designed it and a friend of mine made it for me, which took a couple of weeks. I really wanted something that was Art Deco. I had an Aquamarine one at first but it was a bit in appropriate so I had this one made instead.

How you met is a bit like the plot of The Bodyguard, isn�t it?
Jessie: I was going through a really traumatic experience and, although I can�t talk about the court case, it was a really hectic time. Then Dave walked in the door and I was like, hello! He looked after me from then and it�s been like that ever since.
Dave: We both just clicked straight away. We got chatting and I felt like I�d known her for ages. I just went in there and started speaking and I made her more relaxed. Obviously Jessie was nervous because of what she was going through, but I had a laugh with her and we just got on really well.
Jessie: It was an instant attraction. The minute Dave walked in I was attracted to him.

Jessie, what�s it like going out with a policeman?
Jessie: It felt quiet strange because I�d never met a nice one before!

Dave, what�s it like going out with soap star?
Dave: At the end of the day it�s Jessie�s job. Admittedly it was quiet strange but she just goes off to do her job the same as I go off and do mine.

What was it like meeting Dave�s friends - were they all a bit start struck?
Dave: At first there were a few of them who�d ask loads of questions, but I�m not that sort of person who goes around talking about it really. I keep myself to myself.

What kind of wedding would you like to have?
Dave: I�d really like something quiet � nothing too big � just close friends and family. Nothing over the top. I think Jessie�s got a church in mind though�
Jessie: We haven�t really discussed it yet. At the moment we�re just really excited about being engaged. It�s a bit scary thinking about that!

How about when you were younger, Jessie, did you ever dream about your fairytale wedding?
Jessie: Yes I did. There�s this church around the corner from me in Old Street in London and it�s got no roof on it � it was bombed during the Blitz. I used to walk past it as a little girl. It�s got these trees growing in it and I had this vision of having a medieval wedding at midnight with fairylights, but they�ve put a roof on the church now so that�s gone out the window!

What are you looking forward to most about married life?
Jessie: I think the companionship and being together all the time, doing things together � you�re never bored because your always doing stuff together. It�s lovely � I do think I�ve found my soulmate, definitely.
Dave: The security, the companionship, the fact you have something to come home to. It�s nice to have someone who'll always be there for you.

Are you both looking forward to having children together?
Jessie: We haven�t thought that far ahead. I�ve got three dogs and I think that�s enough at the moment! And I�ve got four nephews and one niece.
Dave: We haven�t discussed kids yet. It�s gone through my mind a couple of times, but we haven�t really talked about it.

Jessie, how are you enjoying life in Albert Square at the moment?
Jessie: It�s going really well, actually � we�re just shooting some really exciting storylines. I�ve recently just finished filming with Michael Higgs [who plays mob boss Andy Hunter] and it�s just a coincidence that we came back from New York engaged like I�d done in real life. I can�t go into too much detail, but we�re filming the Christmas storyline right now and all I will say is that it�ll be exactly what us, as an audience wants to see.

Is being in Eastenders like being in boarding school because you always have to be on your best behaviour?
Jessie: No, not really. There�s always that discipline in all jobs, but it�s more so in soap because you�re in the public eye, so you can�t make many mistakes. But it�s a joy working there, I love it.

Jack Ryder once said: �If you�re not a Slater it�s see you later.� What do you think he meant by that?
Jessie: I think Jack Ryder was talking out of his, well�

Would you say because you�re one of the most popular characters you get special treatment from the BBC bosses?
Jessie: Not at all � we�re all treated equally. I didn�t even know I was one of the most popular!

Is it true the BBC told you that you had to lose weight?
Jessie: No, it�s not true.

It must have been hard reading about your weight in the papers, though. Some of the things that were said were very cruel�
Jessie: It�s very hurtful when you�re being criticised for the way you look. At the end of the day I�m a real woman � I�m not a model, I�m an actress and I shouldn�t have to look this special way. I get criticised by certain people � I�d like to say one persons name but I wont � it�s very hurtful. I get upset and then shrug it off, but it�s an awful thing. The fact that you have to look a certain way just isn�t fair � but then I�ve won Sexiest Soap Star four times running so I cant be that fat!

Is it true that you�re on a diet with Shane Ritchie?
Jessie: I think it�s been reported recently that I am, but that�s in response to a throwaway line Shane made four months or so ago when we were dieting together. That was then and there still talking about my weight. I want to move on from that and talk about what I�m like on screen not what I look like.

Why do you think the chemistry works so well with Kat and Shane�s character Alfie?
Jessie: I think the character�s work really well together. They both have really in-your-face personalities. Shane is such a laugh to work with � it just works really naturally. He�s a fantastic actor and I�m thrilled that he was voted Most Popular Actor at the National TV Awards.

Was it more fun when Shane joined the cast?
Jessie: Yes � a lot more fun. As soon as he walks on set he�s great, always the same, always making everyone laugh. I think he�s a really good actor as well. Everyone associates him with everything he�s done before, and good on him, he�s done loads of stuff � but look at him now, he�s a fantastic actor.

You mentioned your Sexiest Soap Star awards before. Why do you think you�ve won so many?
Jessie: I think it�s the character � I don�t think it�s me! It�s the costumes as well. If I were playing a hum-drum character I wouldn�t get the awards. It�s defiantly the costumes, the lipstick and the make-up � and Kat�s got this great tongue-in-cheek was about her. I love going into work and slapping on the make-up and the leopard skin and tiger print and then doing my mincing around the studio � I love it!

Are there any similarities between yourself and Kat?
Jessie: We have the same dirty laugh! Otherwise I don�t really think so.

Did you put a lot of your personality into developing her character?
Jessie: I can put the odd little line in, but I don�t think we have a lot in common otherwise.

Did you always want Alfie and Kat to have a happy ending?
Jessie: There�s no such thing as a happy ending in soaps! People say they�re the next Den and Angie. I think that would be great for Kat and Alfie � to see that going on at the Queen Vic again.

What�s it like having Dirty Den back?
Jessie: It�s great. I watch Leslie [Grantham] around the studio and he does have this air about him � you know, people look up to him.

What do you think of Nigel Harman, who plays Dennis?
Jessie: Oh he�s gorgeous! I like the way Nigel says what he thinks. I knew him before. I used to do the wigs on Mamma Mia and he was in that and I had to spray him down with water every night � naked from the waist up � oooh! It was great when he came into the show, and Dennis is a fantastic character. I�m so please Nigel won the Most Popular Newcomer award.

Who are your best mates in the cast?
Jessie: Shane and Laila Morse, who plays Big Mo � she�s great. She�s so funny! I want to meet her brother � I�d love to meet Gary Oldman! Chris Parker, who plays Spencer, is really sweet, and Nigel I�m really good friends with. But I get on with everyone really.

And how about your onscreen sisters? You look like you have a lot of fun together�
Jessie: Yes, I get on with all of them!

What�s been your favourite storyline to date?
Jessie: It�s got to be the one where Zo� found out that Kat was her mother.

If Eastenders finished tomorrow, what would you like to do instead?
Jessie: I�ve always said I�d love to do a good British film, who wouldn�t want to do that? My favourite film, which a cant believe it 16 years old � is Wish You Were Here with Emily Lloyd. Can you believe that was 16 years ago?! Every time I watch it I think I�d love to have played that part! And theatre, I �d love to do some theatre.

Was Eastenders your first serious acting job?
Jessie: I did a tiny part in The Bill about a year before Eastenders � as a policewoman!

How appropriate�
Jessie: And we�ve just done a Slater�s DVD which is set in a police station!

There seems to be a bit of a theme developing here�
Jessie: There is, isn�t there? [Chuckles]

You were voted Most Popular Actress at the National TV Awards. What is it about Kat that everyone loves so much?
Jessie: It�s hard for me to say because I don�t know what people see � all I can say is that there are so many sides to the character. Recently we�ve filmed these scenes where she�s all loved-up with Alfie and then she has this little run in with someone where she shrieks: �Whatcu lookin� at?!� You know � one of those! And it�s great because she�s so loved-up and then you think; please let her show the old Kat. That�s what I love about her character � she can fly off the handle at any minute.

A Sunday newspaper reported that you snogged Fame Academy�s dance coach Kevin Adams after the awards. Is that true?
Jessie: No, it�s absolute rubbish, and both Dave and I were very upset by that story.

Finally, do you like going on holiday abroad were people don�t recognise you?
Jessie: Yes we want to go somewhere over Christmas.
Dave: Yeah, somewhere hot and remote. Just the two of us!

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