Jessie Wallace wins damages over Letitia 'snub'

EastEnders star Jessie Wallace has accepted undisclosed libel damages over a claim that she snubbed co-star Letitia Dean out of jealousy.

Jessie, 41, who plays Kat Moon in the BBC soap, complained about an article in an August edition of Reveal magazine.

Her solicitor Roddy Chisholm-Batten told Mr Justice Tugendhat at London's High Court that it wrongly suggested Jessie behaved in a highly unprofessional and childish manner.

It alleged she deliberately snubbed Letitia out of personal jealousy at her popular return to the programme and created an extremely tense and difficult working environment for the cast and crew.

He said the National Magazine Company accepted the allegations were untrue and the two actresses were good friends.

It also accepted there was no rivalry between them and that Jessie was delighted at Letitia's return.

It apologised publicly and unreservedly for any upset and embarrassment caused and agreed to pay damages and discharge the costs Jessie incurred.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.