I’m safer working on OnlyFans than Hollyoaks… soap bosses reaction to my stalker surprised me, says Sarah Jayne Dunn
SARAH Jayne Dunn has said she’s safer working on OnlyFans than Hollyoaks after an obsessed fan bombarded her with X-rated messages – as she announces a brand new career.
Actress Sarah, 43, has had to turn her attention to a new vocation after failing to secure new acting jobs.
However, she doesn’t miss the ‘control’ she was under while working on Hollyoaks and recounted informing bosses of a crazed fan sending her explicit images on social media.
Sarah was written out of the Channel 4 soap when her account on adult picture-sharing website OnlyFans was discovered.
The Sun revealed in 2021 that execs had given her an ultimatum – delete her account or leave her role as Mandy Richardson.
Nearly four years on, mum-of-one Sarah is still active on the app and pulling in a healthy income.
She even feels safer on OnlyFans than Instagram, after a horror ordeal with a crazed fan who bombarded her with explicit messages and images.
The star told us: “The platform has actually been a much safer space than the likes of Instagram or TikTok or any of the other platforms that I use and that I am active on.
“One of the reasons that I wanted to take some of my content off Instagram and put it onto OnlyFans was because I was getting horrendous messages on Instagram through an account, really disturbing that I went to Hollyoaks with and I contacted the police about.
“But they don’t do anything and they can’t do anything. And that’s terrifying.”
She went on: “I went to Hollyoaks and it was a case of, ‘right, just send us what he sent you’. And then I went to the police and there’s not much they can do, it’s really scary actually.”
Explaining the extra protection on OF, Sarah said: “If I do get anything, a message that makes me feel uncomfortable, or if there’s an image attached to a message, it’s pixelated.
“So I don’t see it unless I choose to open it. On Instagram, that wasn’t the case. You get horrendous messages, pictures that you don’t want to see.”
Reflecting on her exit from Hollyoaks, Sarah said: “The biggest thing that I miss about being there is the camaraderie and being on set with people that I love and have grown up with.
“And that’s the one thing that I do miss, but the politics of it, the control, all of that, no thank you.
“That feels like a real weight has been lifted to not have that in my life anymore.”
Meanwhile, despite wanting to work on rival soap Coronation Street, no soaps have offered Sarah parts.
She’s also auditioned for roles in well-known TV series but has never been able to land the gig.
Dunn explained: “I think all the other soaps made all the cast sign contracts saying they weren’t going to do OnlyFans.
“So I don’t think there was any chance they were going to come after me, with obviously me being active on the platform.
“So no, but I’d love Corrie – it’s great, isn’t it? Because it’s local, I think it has always been the one that if I was to jump ship and go to another soap, it would be for Corrie because one, I’m a Northern girl born and bred.”
I miss working with people. I miss being on set.
Sarah Jayne Dunn
The 43-year-old admitted she’s “lonely” filming content by herself.
She confessed: “I miss working with people. I miss being on set.
“And I’d say the only thing about the job that I do now is that it can feel a bit lonely.
“You know, I’m shooting on my own and unless I’m working with photographers or with another girl, it’s sort of, it is me.
“Just running everything, you know, doing all my admin, uploading all the stuff. And that can be a bit like, oh, I miss that camaraderie of being around other people and that team.”
With Sarah not having an acting agent anymore, she’s turned her attention to pole dancing, which has given her newfound confidence as well as a new career path.
She explained: “I am obsessed with pole, and that again has been one of the things the freedom that I’ve had [from not acting] I’ve been able to find time to do a hobby, which is amazing.
“And I’ve become obsessed with it, so it’s become like my personality now.
“I’m starting pole teaching next month, and I hope to do more with that.
“I don’t know in what capacity that will be exactly yet, but I feel like it’s that in itself, aside from what I’ve been through, it’s been super inspiring.
“It’s given me more confidence than I’ve ever had in my life, and I want to share that.”
Hollyoaks - cast member cull
HOLLYOAKS beauty Chelsee Healey has dropped the biggest hint yet she's been axed from the soap - yet what's happening at the Channel 4 show?
Earlier this year, the Channel 4 soap was forced to address the cull of cast members.
It came after The Sun was first to report Hollyoaks bosses plan to kill off a whopping 20 cast members.
Now Chelsee, who recently took time away from her role as Goldie McQueen to give birth to her second daughter, has now made a cryptic move on X.
The Manchester lass, 36, re-posted a picture of her character crying to her page.
It came after Stephanie Waring, famed for her 28-year-long role as Cindy Cunningham, confirmed that soap bosses had axed her as part of the 20-person strong cast cull.
Another big name set to quit for good is popstar turned soap star Jamelia.
The soap’s resident hunk and TV favourite Owen Warner has also left the show amid the cuts with fans left devastated to say goodbye to his character Romeo Nightingale.
Jamie Lomas has also quit the show and will depart his Warren Fox role soon.
Haiesha Mistry famed for her role as Yasmine Maalik has also left after seven years.