Former EastEnders star Jo Joyner has opened up about her fears of not being able to have children due to “stressful” soap filming schedules.
The actress, who now has two children, revealed she believed intense scenes in the soap could have left her unable to start a family.
Jo and hubby Neil Madden have twins Freddie and Edie, seven.
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Speaking to You Magazine Jo said: “I was fending off broodiness at the age of 16.
“Neil and I got together when I was 25 and when we were 28 we started trying for a family. But it didn’t happen.”
Jo, who was known for playing Tanya Branning in the BBC soap, then went on to explain that her and Neil turned to IVF after failing to fall pregnant.
She said: “We tried everything – acupuncture, fertility diets, reflexology, but nothing worked.”
Speaking about her worry of doing intense scenes during her pregnancy Jo, 40, said: “When I was pregnant with the twins I’d be doing scenes where I was shouting and screaming, rowing with whoever was my partner at the time, going at it nonstop because that was my character.
“It was difficult. As an actress you want to give everything to the part, but as a woman I was pregnant.
“I had these two little lives inside me and I was horribly aware that on some level they would be conscious of the screaming.”
The star went on to explain that she chose to leave EastEnders to “get a balance” in her life.
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“Leaving a huge show is always a massive decision, but it had become too much.
“I felt I wasn’t doing a good job in any part of my life and I needed to make some big changes, get balance in my life,” she added.
The actress left the soap in 2013 but recently there have been rumours that she’s making a return to Walford.
Jo’s co-star Jake Wood, who plays Max Branning who was married to Tanya, recently spoke about working with Jo.
He told the Metro: “I think he is operating on his own at the moment. I don’t think he feels he really needs anyone.
“Obviously when I came into the show 11 years ago, I was with Jo Joyner. We had a great partnership. I miss having Jo around but at the moment, I think it’s interesting to see Max on his own.”
Jo has since addressed the rumours of her making a comeback.
Speaking at a press event for her new show Ackley Bridge, she said: “My mum actually sent me the picture of an article saying that yesterday!
“On my family’s WhatsApp group they were asking me was this true, and why hadn’t I told anybody!
“I love soaps and the history that characters have, and these rumours are useful to get people excited about storylines.
“But no, I haven’t been approached by EastEnders – and I’m a bit tied up right now.”