Performing is a tough job

EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer on the pitfalls of becoming a child star, the anxiety attacks she suffered playing Bianca, and discovering the good life in California

After more than four years away, Patsy Palmer is bracing herself ahead of her return to Albert Square, because playing Bianca Jackson is the toughest job she’s ever had.

When she’s not in the UK, Patsy lives in Malibu, California, soaking up year-round sunshine. It’s a far cry from the EastEnders set, where the actress spends long days soaking up puddles, grime and her character’s tears.

“People see all the awards and people think it is glamorous, but EastEnders is the hardest work I have ever had,” she revealed.

Patsy, who has played Bianca on and off since making her debut over 30 years ago in 1993, and has become one of the most famous faces in the country, will be back for a short stint this spring.

“Being a performer, it is not for the faint-hearted. Sustaining life as a performer for years, like my whole life since I was six, you need breaks – big breaks. It is a tough job and no wonder so many suffer from anxiety, depression at times, due to that level of responsibility that we have to have. It is a big responsibility.“

Speaking on the How To Own The Room podcast, Patsy, 51, continued, “Looking back now, everything is so much bigger at the time. I was very young and we were thrown into the height of fame, not realising there were 22 million people watching us. When it is only you and the crew and the PH actors, you don’t comprehend that.