I’m shamed for doing OnlyFans but my son has a lovely lifestyle I want to maintain – he should see his mum working hard
AXED Hollyoaks star Sarah Jayne Dunn caused a stir when she first joined adult site OnlyFans in 2021.
After more than two decades on the Channel 4 series, Sarah left the acting gig behind when she was given an ultimatum by bosses – stop sharing racy snaps or leave.
The mum has always defended the controversial side hustle and slammed bosses for their “blatant hypocrisy” as she claimed her online content was no different from the lads’ magazine and calendar shoots she was asked to do while on the soap.
Now, speaking to TV and radio presenter Zoe Hardman and marketing whizz Georgia Dayton on their parenting podcast, Made By Mammas, Sarah has revealed why she’s still at it and has no plans to stop.
Sarah explained that her son, Stanley, started to realise his mum was well-known a few years ago, and even asked her if she’s famous.
“Little questions will come up,” Sarah said, as she explained that he doesn’t always get why people stop to ask for selfies in the street.
But since leaving the soap, explaining her work as an “accidental influencer” to her son has become more tricky.
Sarah said: “I’ve got this history of being on screen and being part of a big established show, but I think a lot about this, how do I explain to him what I do now?”
Despite it not being her choice to eventually leave her role in Hollyoaks, the mum confessed it was the best thing that could’ve happened to her.
“I had no choice but to make what happened successful for me because essentially I’m the breadwinner out of myself and my husband and I can’t not work,” she said.
Sarah, who played Mandy Richardson from 1996 to 2021, said she still enjoys working and wanted to set a good example for her son, as well as maintain the comfortable lifestyle the family has become accustomed to.
“We have a lovely lifestyle and I want to maintain that,” she said, “and I also want Stan to see that mum and dad work hard, and also that it’s not a chore, we do something we enjoy and that we choose to do.”
For the former actress, being seen as a “strong” woman by her son is important too.
“I think it’s so important in general, but in this time we’re living in I want him to understand that it’s ok for a woman to be the breadwinner, to be capable, to be independent,” she said.
Not only that, but Sarah said she hopes her son will grow up “to be the kind of man to call out other men who are being misogynistic.”
“I think we need more of that as women,” she said.
When it comes to her new career, Sarah said she has no plans to hold anything back from her son when he is old enough to understand it all.
As for her OnlyFans, it came at the perfect time as she felt “so worthless” on set at Hollyoaks after Covid.
“People I think have this image if you’re on TV, they think ‘well you must be successful and you must be loaded’ but they don’t know the ins and outs of the industry,” she explained.
It’s like I’ve found my purpose.”
So when push finally came to shove, Sarah put her foot down and left the show for good.
“[OnlyFans] has been the best thing I’ve ever done in terms of the freedom it’s given me,” she admitted.
And it’s not just the freedom to post whatever she likes online – Sarah said now she doesn’t have to worry about sharing her own opinion without getting it “vetted” by Hollyoaks bosses.
“It was like breathing out for the first time,” she said of not having to question herself or ask permission before speaking in interviews or posting online.
And the freedoms don’t end there, as her own boss Sarah now has complete control of her own schedule.
“It’s given my freedom in terms of time, money… there’s been so much to it,” she said.
But the best part of it all is being able to inspire and empower other women.
“It’s like I’ve found my purpose,” Sarah said.
What is OnlyFans?
OnlyFans is a subscription content service based in London.
As of 2023, it is thought to have more than 220million registered users and over three million content creators.
Sex workers charge monthly fees for access to pictures, videos and more.
While popular for porn, the site isn’t exclusively designed with that in mind – anyone who wants to build up a fan base and charge them for it can set one up.
Celebs like Katie Price and Kerry Katona are popular personalities on the platform.
“Whether you’re uploading tutorials, tips, behind-the-scenes footage or just endless selfies, a lot of your followers would be willing to pay for them,” the company states.
For every subscription that’s sold to a viewer, performers get 80 per cent of the cash while OnlyFans gets the rest.
It isn’t limited to adult content, as it has become popular with physical fitness experts and musicians.
FACING ONLINE TROLLS
Previously, Sarah spoke to Fabulous as part of the YouTube series Shamed, which explores the effects of trolling on six famous women, where she admitted the reaction to her OnlyFans work has been mostly positive.
“One of the comments that came up the most was ‘she’s a mother.’ I think a lot of this plays into what we’ve been conditioned to feel about being a woman.
“I tick a few boxes now: I’m a woman, I’m a mother and I’m over 40. I cannot be sexy because I’m a mother and I’m over 40. How dare I?
“How dare I expose my body? How dare I do that and be okay with it? How dare my family accept that? How dare my husband be alright with it.
“It’s what we’ve been told that we can’t do. The fact I am standing up and doing it and I am enjoying it and I am successful with it, I think it just annoys people,” she said.
And despite some of the X-rated content on the site, Sarah insisted she would never venture into that sort of content.
Despite how happy she is with her choices now, Sarah admitted she does have one major regret.
“Trolls told me that I’ll regret it but I’m over two years down the line with OnlyFans now and I have zero regrets.
“Actually, that’s wrong, I do have one regret: I wish I’d started it sooner,” she said.