Hollyoaks' Jodi Albert has been sending pulses racing as Debbie Dean for almost two years on the hit Channel 4 soap but the beauty claims her most challenging role is as a supportive girlfriend to Westlife star Kian Egan.
The stunning 20-year-old has been dating the millionaire Irish singer for the last 10 months and admits the last few weeks have been a difficult time for him thanks to the shock departure of band member Bryan McFadden.
Rumours are rife that Bryan's departure he quit to spend more time with his wife, I'm A Celebrity winner Kerry, and daughters Molly, three, and one-year-old Lily Sue spells the end for Westlife. But Jodi says the remaining members are determined to stay together.
She said: 'It's been a tough time for Kian with Bryan leaving but the four boys amaze me. They're going to carry on and they'll pull through.
'The tour is going to be amazing. I've heard all the ideas and think it will be great. And it won't be tough for Kian and when he's up and down the UK it's easier for me to go and see him.
'Things are going really well with Kian. It is serious we have a brilliant relationship but not to the extent of marriage. I'm only 20 and there are a hell of a lot of things want to do with my career before become a wife. There's a hell of a lot I want to do first. But we do have a very good relationship and we're very happy.'
Despite the pressures of being part of such a high-profile relationship, Jodi insists she and Kian try to remain as down to earth as possible.
She said: 'It's weird to hear people refer to us asa celebrity couple. We don't really look at it like that. It's just a normal relationship.
'The only thing that's a little daunting is a lot of people want to know stuff about our relationship. We tend to take it all with a pinch of salt and just don't pay too much attention to it.
'You learn to deal with press stories. We know each other so well that we know the truth before the stories are even printed.'
Jodi always wanted to be an actress and attended the prestigious Sylvia Young Stage School.
She said: 'I went to theatre school when I was 10 begged my mum because really wanted to be on TV. One of my first jobs was playing Cosette in Les Miserables, so I got a major bug for singing.
'I wanted to be able to do it properly so begged my mum for singing lessons. We found an amazing guy called Greg Childs I still go to him.
'I had a few lessons when he told me two managers were looking for a fifth member for a girl band and wanted to know if was interested. I thought he was kidding was only 15.'
Before she knew it, Jodi was in the band Girl Thing, was touring the world and lapping up the adulation of thousands of fans all under the watchful eye of Pop Idol's Mr Nasty, Simon Cowell.
She revealed: 'They took me on straight away and signed me to a record deal with Simon Cowell. I didn't really look back our first single went top 10 in the UK and then we released three singles and an album in Asia and Australia, which is where we spent most of our time.
'I think that's why it didn't really kick off for us in England we spent so much time away. We released our first single here then flew off straight away. We were so successful over there that we concentrated on that. Then by the time we came back here we had split up.
'The hysteria in Asia was crazy there were thousands of people everywhere with great big Girl Thing posters. It was surreal but enjoyed it.'
Jodi's memories of Cowell are nothing like the horror stories told by wannabes he has rejected.
She said: 'Simon was really cool, I like him and have nothing but praise for him. He's always been positive about my career and everything I've done.
'I definitely think the Simon you see on TV is a persona there's an element where he plays up to the camera but another where he's very honest and brutal. He can be a bit harsh sometimes but I don't think it's just for effect. He's very intelligent.'
After the pop bubble burst, Jodi decided she wanted to return to acting and along came the role of Debbie.
Jodi said: 'Debbie's a very extreme, over- exaggerated version of me. She's a bit more mouthy than I am. suppose there's an element of me in her flirtatiousness but I think I'd be a bit more subtle. Hollyoaks suits me it's not so mainstream that I'd be typecast. It's a nice place to be, it's trendy and young people think it's cool.'
Jodi's biggest storyline to date is the upcoming murder trial of her boyfriend Dan Hunter (Andy McNair), who has been accused of killing his brother-in-law Toby Mills (Henry Luxemburg).
Toby was the soap's notorious serial killer who tried to murder Debbie's sister Steph (Carley Stenson). But Steph who once tried to seduce Dan now thinks it was Dan who tried to kill her, leaving Debbie torn between the pair.
Jodi said: 'I really enjoyed the trial story. I hadn't really done anything like that before. The set was built like a real courtroom so it made me feel really nervous and on edge.
'I've done a lot of crying scenes but if I had to do that every day I'd come home wrecked. I've had elements of comedy and serious stuff which is good. don't think I'd like it as much if it was all one or the other.
'But I've been very lucky because Debbie and her family are quite cheeky and tongue-in-cheek, so it hasn't all been depressing.
But while she is happy to remain in Hollyoaks for the time being, Jodi also has big plans for the future.
She said: 'I'd love to get into movies and go off to Hollywood. The sky's the limit. Ideally I'd like to be able to balance music and film. Being able to combine the two would be a dream come true.'
Source: sundaymail.co.uk
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