Denise Van Outen has revealed she was once told she would never make it in TV.
The blonde started out in music but had her sights set on the small screen, and went on to have huge success with shows like The Big Breakfast, Babes In The Wood, This Morning and The Only Way Is Essex, which she narrates.
However, she said when she first decided to try television she was warned it wouldn’t work out.
She said on Steph’s Packed Lunch: “I used to have a pop stardom at about 18 or 19 years old. I was actually locked into quite a big record deal.
“At the time, I went to my label and I said to them, ‘I don’t think this is working’.”
Denise, 47, went on: “We had so many things lined up like a huge music tour with lots of other well-known bands.
“They told me I would be crazy to leave it, but I wanted to be a TV presenter. They actually said to me, ‘You won’t ever make it in TV’.”
Host Steph McGovern pointed out that the career U-turn had worked out pretty well for Denise.
“Were you scared making that decision?” she asked.
The actress – who has also enjoyed success on stage both in the West End and on Broadway – admitted it was a bit daunting.
But she added: “I was also so sure about what I wanted to do, but when you know, you just go for it – you trust your instincts and it turned out luckily for me to be the right choice.”
Denise started making TV appearances in the mid 90s on shows like Saturday morning series Massive! and police procedural The Bill.
But she got her big break in 1997 when she landed her slot on The Big Breakfast.
The entertainment show was a big success with viewers and Denise stayed on it until 1999, when she left. However, she returned the following year.
Steph’s Packed Lunch airs on weekdays at 12.30pm on Channel 4.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
