60 Seconds: Jodi Albert – October 2006

 

Andrew Williams - Wednesday, October 11, 2006

 

Actress and former girl band singer Jodi Albert is best known for appearing in Hollyoaks and dating Westlife singer Kian Egan. She can currently be seen playing a prostitute in a suburban brothel in Channel 5 comedy Respectable. Jodi is supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer's appeal, which is raising money for cancer research through the sale of gerbera flower pins.

 

Why are you supporting the charity?
When I was 16, my nan was diagnosed with breast cancer and it shattered my world. She got the right treatment and has been in remission for seven years now. It’s important to raise awareness and raise money for research - and people can do that with a new pin they can buy in Tesco. All the money goes to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

 

In your sitcom Respectable, you only wear your underwear. Is that weird?
People imagine the programme is seedier than it actually is. The cheekiest thing about the show is the costumes. It took a long time to get used to them. There was a lot to think about - pulling stockings on, tights underneath, putting your own knickers on plus the French knickers and the basques and bras. People think I’m scantily clad but I felt I was wearing a lot because it was so much work putting on so many layers.

 

Did you enjoy doing Respectable?
I loved it - I’ve never done a pure comedy before and the writing was fantastic. It was one of the best jobs I’ve had. There are rumours we’ll get a second series because the viewing figures have been amazing. I’d love to do more. The comedy was so quick-witted that I felt privileged to be part of it.

 

Do lingerie companies send you free knickers now?
No, they haven’t. I was hoping Agent Provocateur would send me a few little bits, ha ha. I had some nice things to wear but, after spending eight hours a day in them, I couldn’t wait to put my tracksuit on. I’m not good at blagging things. Other people will phone a designer to ask to borrow a dress if they’re going to a premiere but I feel too cheeky doing that.

 

What’s the best freebie you’ve received?
I can’t remember one particular thing but when you go to parties or premieres you’ll often get a gift bag. If you’re a girl, you’ll get lots of different beauty products in there. I love those. Any kind of product or make-up like that I love. My boyfriend goes mad because I spend so much money on crap, so I like freebies like that.

 

You were in a band, Girl Thing, managed by Simon Cowell. Do you still see him?
Yes. My boyfriend’s in Westlife and Simon Cowell is their A&R man so I still bump into him. Most of the time, I agree with the things he says to those X Factor contestants. He doesn’t say things to be nasty - he says it because he’s got years of experience and knows what the business can be like.

 

Were you relieved when Girl Thing split up?
In a way. I’m so grateful now things happened the way they did. I was in this manufactured band at 15, taken out of school, signed to a record label and flown around the world for two years. It was amazing but I hit 17 and thought: ‘I don’t want to live the rest of my life in a manufactured band.’ It finished because the girls didn’t get on - there was no other reason.

 

Was it stressful being in a band with girls who hated each other?
It really was. I was lucky because I got on with everyone but there were a couple of disagreements that were amazingly petty. Some of the girls didn’t realise what a fantastic opportunity they had but it opened a lot of doors for me.

 

Do you listen to Westlife CDs at home?
No, ha ha ha. I listen to them enough at their concerts, so I don’t put them on out of choice.

 

How do their fans treat you?
They’ve been great. I’m guessing but I think they like me because I had my own career - it wasn’t like the only time they saw me, I was prancing about at a party on Kian’s arm. A lot of them know I’m quite independent and they respect that.

 

You were on Channel 4’s California Dreaming reality show. Why did you leave early?
I was quite angry with the producers because they didn’t make it clear why I left. I was told I would go to America for six weeks of acting training. Shortly after I got there, I found out one of my best friends, who I’d known since I was ten, had died in a car accident. I needed to go to her memorial service. It was a tough time. I landed a movie when I was out there but didn’t want to do it. When you lose someone like that, you realise there are more important things in life.

 

I guess that’s put you off doing reality TV.
The thing was it wasn’t supposed to be a reality TV show - it was supposed to be a documentary. They told us we were going to get training, get dialect coaching and go to agents. For any actress to get that experience would be a great opportunity but, as soon as we got out there, things were really quiet. We got one acting lesson in two weeks, one dialect lesson in two weeks and then they started moving cameras into the house...

 

What was the last thing you bought on eBay?
A Balenciaga handbag - I’m such a woman. It wasn’t cheap but it’s lovely and I couldn’t get that colour here.

 

What’s the best thing about being a celebrity couple?
If there’s anything good about being a celebrity couple, it’s that we can jump queues but even then I get embarrassed doing it. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

 

You and Kian have been together a while. Are you planning a big Jordan-esque wedding?
Never. It was great for Jordan but it’s not who I am. I would love a beautiful wedding in the next couple of years. There’d be no big Cinderella carriage for me. I just want something elegant.

 

Credit/Source: www.metro.co.uk