Exclusive: Former Hollyoaks star Sarah Jayne Dunn reveals what her husband thinks about her being on Only Fans

Sarah Jayne Dunn was one of the original cast members of Hollyoaks and played the much loved character Mandy Richardson, on and off for over 25 years. But the actress, 42, was sensationally sacked in 2021 following a row over her Only Fans account and refusal to shut down her profile. 

Speaking exclusively to Natalie Dixon, Sarah explained the decision behind launching the Only fans account and what it’s really like to be on the explicit app. Only Fans is an over 18’s subscription platform that has a reputation for people sharing nude pics however Sarah debunks all the misconceptions about the app.

When the world shut down due the coronavirus in 2020, Sarah Jayne Dunn started looking at different ways to earn money and have “some social security ”that she was in control of.

Sarah explained “There were lots of different avenues that me and my husband talked through. It was something a photographer said to me, [because] I was putting out loads of lingerie and bikini shots on Instagram”. They sparked the idea of putting those images somewhere separate where she could possibly monetize (earn money) it. 

Speaking to the actress made me understand that OF (as she refers to it) isn’t just for risqué pics. In fact the app is used for all different industries such as music, comedy and lifestyle but seems like people just hang on to the sex element of it. Comedian Whitney Cummings and rapper Fat Joe is one of the many celebrities you probably didn't know were on Only Fans.

Joining OF wasn’t a quick overnight decision, it was months of research looking into it, chatting to her husband about setting “boundaries and limitations.” As well as speaking to the team at Only Fans.

Her husband's personal trainer, Jonathan Smith who she married in 2011 and shares a son with, is fully supportive of her decision to join the app. Sarah revealed that as a family it has given them so much more freedom. Jonathan works long hours in the gym so she can do the school runs now that she is her own boss.

The actress had to “explain what it was” to her parents but they are also “so supportive.” As long as “I’m happy" and “that’s how parents should be and that’s how I am with my son.” 

The most surprising thing Sarah revealed was about getting messages on the app. She said  that it’s actually “really respectful, I get worse messages on Instagram. People are paying for a subscription so they will ask if it's ok if I send you a picture and always say I don’t open pictures.” 

After years of modelling and posing for lads mags in the noughties,it seemed like a logical move to the app where Sarah could share the same type of content but own all the copyright images and get paid extra. Not thinking she would lose her Hollyoaks job over it. 

Just a few days after she launched her Only Fans account, Sarah Jayne Dunn was pulled into the office by a female executive and told to close it down. She had already had discussions with Hollyoaks about launching the app but after seeing her huge success, they quickly changed their minds. She was sacked with immediate effect. 

However, losing her job was a blessing in disguise as Sarah is now living her life on her own terms. The influencer is now empowering women and speaking out about sex. 

Sarah’s podcast ‘Hot and Bothered’ is returning for a third series. The actress has been praised for staging her ground by not taking down her Only Fans profile and speaking up for mums and women over 40. 

Women have been conditioned to think that once they hit a certain age we can’t be sexy, say certain things or wear certain clothes, Sarah says: “Your age, your body shape none of that matters like you can go out there and be confident and own it and wear what you want to wear. ”The podcast is about opening up those conversations and she will be inviting a range of guests including a sex expert and relationship expert.

Looking back at her time in Hollyoaks Sarah says: “My favourite time is what we call the golden era mid noughties and I am still friends with Carly Stenson and Ally Bastian. We went to work and had a really good time.

“Then we would go out. I used to say it was like University but with money, really dangerous, but the best time, you don't realise it do you but that old cliché best days of your life are happening. I’d go back to those in a heartbeat.” 

The question everyone wants to know is would she ever return to Hollyoaks as Mandy? “The thing that upset me the most was the lack of care and consideration they had for the audience.  I never got to say bye. I never got to have a last day and that’s really upsetting - so answer to your question NO, definitely definitely done there.”

Natalie Dixon is NationalWorld’s Lifestyle reporter. If you liked this article and want to read more about celebrities, fashion and beauty you can follow Natalie Dixon on X (Twitter) here.