Biography
Jessie grew up in Enfield, north London. After her parents divorced when she was three, she and her older sister Joanne were raised by their father, James, who now owns a pub in Essex. Like Kat's grandmother Mo, who leads the Slater family in EastEnders (1985), Jessie's late grandmother, also named Jessie, played a significant maternal role in her upbringing. Jessie lost her grandmother seven years ago, and both her parents have since remarried. Her mother, Annette, has a third daughter, Danielle. Jessie left school at 15 and moved between various jobs before spending seven months in Portugal at 21, working in several bars. Upon returning, she decided to train as a professional makeup artist, completing a two-year course at the College of East London and securing a job with the Royal Shakespeare Company. However, on her first day, she realized she preferred being on stage rather than behind the scenes. After that, Jessie began secretly auditioning for acting courses. She received a recall from RADA but was not accepted. Instead, she was admitted to the Poor School's two-year evening course, which allowed students to work during the day. Since her job involved evening shifts, she had to quit and started wig making to earn money during the day. Shortly after finishing the Poor School course, Jessie auditioned for a small role in EastEnders (1985). Although she didn't get that part, producers immediately considered her for the new Slater family and cast her as Kat. She now lives in a flat in Epping, intriguingly numbered 23—the same as Kat's house in Albert Square. Currently, the only male companion in her life is her shih-tzu, Bailey, who shares her new home.
