Jacqueline Jossa Tells Fans to Vote Steve McFadden at NTAs Despite Own Nomination
Jacqueline Jossa urges fans to vote for Steve McFadden at the NTAs, despite her own ‘EastEnders’ nomination.
Jacqueline Jossa has surprised fans by asking them not to vote for her at the upcoming National Television Awards. The EastEnders star, who returned last year as Lauren Branning, is shortlisted for Serial Drama Performance but urged supporters on Instagram to back her co-star 
Steve McFadden instead.
“Thank you to everyone who has messaged or shared, the kind words are lovely… I’m over the moon to be short-listed,” she wrote. “I truly feel it’s Steve’s year and I’d hate for EastEnders fans to split the vote and then he doesn’t win!”
McFadden’s character Phil Mitchell has been at the center of powerful mental health and dementia storylines this year, drawing critical acclaim. Jossa, meanwhile, has had a dramatic arc of her own, with Lauren battling addiction during pregnancy, coping with her son Jimmy’s visual impairment, and facing the disappearance of her children. Despite that, Jossa insists she’s happy with a nomination and wants “everything EastEnders” to succeed.