Jessie Wallace

Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series The Bill and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2000–2005, 2010–present). For her portrayal of Kat, she has won seventeen awards including Most Popular Newcomer at the National Television Awards and the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer in 2001, Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards in 2003 and the British Soap Award for Best Actress in 2011. She also played Pat Phoenix in the BBC Four television film The Road to Coronation Street, for which she was nominated for the 2011 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Karen Jane Wallace was born on 25 September 1971 in the London Borough of Enfield to James Wallace, a telecommunications engineer, and his wife Annette (née Leach), a secretary. Wallace is of Irish ancestry, by way of Cork and Dublin. Her parents divorced when she was aged three, and she and her sister were raised by their father; however, she would see her mother at weekends. She adopted her stage name after her late grandmother.

After schooling, Wallace trained as a make-up artist at the College of North East London in Tottenham and worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company for two years. She met and became friends with actor Iain Glen, who helped her apply for London drama college The Poor School, from which she graduated in 1999. While undertaking auditions – including for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, she worked as a barmaid at her local pub, The Royal Oak in Loughton, Essex. Her first television appearance was in an episode of the ITV police drama series The Bill in 1999 as P.C. Karen Lace.

Wallace is known for playing Kat Slater in BBC One soap opera EastEnders. She initially played the role between September 2000 and December 2005. In 2007, Wallace said she hadn't ruled out a return to EastEnders. In February 2010, it was announced that Shane Richie was returning to play Alfie Moon, leading to speculation that Wallace would also be returning. On 9 February 2010, the BBC confirmed that Wallace was returning to EastEnders, reprising her role as Kat Slater. Kat and Alfie's return scenes aired in September 2010.

In April 2015, the BBC announced that Wallace and Richie would depart from the show temporarily to appear in a six-part BBC One drama series, Kat & Alfie: Redwater. In the series, Kat and Alfie visited Ireland in the "search for answers to some very big questions". Speaking about the show, Wallace commented: "I have always loved working on EastEnders so when I heard of this new drama to take Kat and Alfie outside of Walford, I couldn't believe our luck. To be exploring the next chapter for Kat as well as working alongside my best mate, Shane, is a dream come true and a huge compliment." However, Wallace and Richie later revealed on This Morning in January 2016 that Kat and Alfie would not be returning to EastEnders after the six-part drama, and the characters departed at the end of that month. In December 2017, it was announced that Wallace would reprise the role of Kat in EastEnders the following year, and she returned to the show permanently in March 2018.

During her break from EastEnders, Wallace made television guest appearances, including once as Kat Slater, in the 2005 French and Saunders Christmas special. In February 2006, Wallace was the guest host of an edition of the Channel 4 programme The Friday Night Project. In 2007, she appeared in the one-off BBC One television dramas A Class Apart opposite Nathaniel Parker, and The Dinner Party with Lee Evans and Alison Steadman. After visiting Hat Trick Productions with her agent, and singing an impromptu version of Marie Lloyd's song "The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery", she was offered the lead role in Miss Marie Lloyd – Queen of The Music Hall for BBC Four.

Wallace made her West End theatre debut, replacing Denise van Outen in the role of Maureen in Rent remixed at the Duke of York's Theatre from 27 December 2007 until 2 February 2008. Wallace played Amy Kriel in the third series of ITV's Wild at Heart and starred in a run of the play Haunted at the Arts Theatre from 24 May.

Wallace competed with partner Darren Bennett in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing which began on 20 September 2008. They were the fourth couple to be eliminated from the competition in week 4.