Thursday, 9 October 2008

Jessie Wallace's charm offensive

The Strictly star’s going all out to win over fans and boost her career

Strictly Come Dancing 2008 line-up unveiled: Jessie Wallace

Jessie Wallace partners Darren Bennett on Strictly Come Dancing

Jessie Wallace jumped at the chance to appear on Strictly Come Dancing because she hasn’t done anything as big as playing Kat Slater in EastEnders since she left the soap nearly three years ago.

Unfortunately she got off on the worst foot possible, with claims of backstage bitching, low votes from the judges and her sister selling a story to the tabloids.

Danielle Mason, 25, told the world that Jessie had stolen boyfriend Tommy O'Neill from her, then dumped him before the show started.

Jessie - who is partnered on the dance floor by Darren Bennett - has now launched a charm offensive to fit in better with the other contestants.

Now’s learnt that although the 36-year-old DID describe Jodie Kidd as looking ‘like a horse’ and Cherie Lunghi as a ‘snob’, she’s now backpedalling furiously.

‘Jessie’s as nice as pie to everyone now, but they don’t trust her,' says our on-set source. 'She went in like a bull in a china shop and came across as being just like Kat.

‘Her nickname on set is Jimmy
Krankie.'

See the full story in Now magazine dated 13 October 2008 - out now!