EastEnders star Jazzy Phoenix famously appeared in the BBC soap as scheming sex worker Nadine Keller and she has now landed a new role after leaving Walford for good
Former EastEnders actress Jazzy Phoenix is set to tread the boards, having secured a new role in theatre.
Jazzy made her debut on the popular BBC One soap last year, portraying the character of Nadine Keller from September 2023. Her character, a law student and escort, quickly became entangled with grieving widower Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), who found solace in her company after the loss of Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold).
Earlier this year, viewers saw Nadine deceive Jay into thinking she was carrying his child in an attempt to extort money from him. However, her scheme was revealed by Stevie Mitchell (Alan Ford) at The Queen Vic, leading to her swift exit from Walford.
Since leaving the soap, Jazzy has been cast in the stage production of Come What May. She will share the stage with former Strictly Come Dancing contestant AJ Pritchard and his brother Curtis, who appeared on Love Island, reports the Daily Star.
“Welcome to the Moulin Rouge! Meet the dazzling stars of the 2024 UK tour of Come What May! ” announced an Instagram post introducing the new cast members, including a snapshot of Jazzy.
In a recent episode of the Secure The Insecure podcast with Johnny Seifert, Jazzy discussed the pressures of being an actress and her passion for performing.
Despite gaining media attention and a surge in social media followers since appearing on the long-standing soap, Jazzy stated that she doesn’t view herself as a celebrity.
“I’m not famous by any stretch of the word” she remarked, “I have certainly received some attention from this show, some positive and some negative – I was expecting that.”
Jazzy continued: “I made some lovely lovely friends at EastEnders who warned me about what was to come so I wasn’t completely in the dark.”
The actress then shared insights from Patsy Kensit, her former EastEnders colleague, who played Emma Harding on the soap.
“To make sure the relationship I have with myself is in check, make sure that I have a good stable sense of self, and that I have people around me who are not interested in the paper what’s being said or what’s being done.”
“Patsy is an incredible woman in the way she navigates the world around her, which is to be admired. Her advice was to keep my feet on the ground and keep talking – making sure people are in the loop of how I’m doing and feeling.”
“That was the advice of everyone really, ‘make sure you stay in the real world’.” Additionally, Jazzy disclosed that she uses therapy and journaling as methods to maintain her mental health amidst stress and anxiety. She admitted to having a limited interest in social media, choosing instead to focus on her craft.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
