A LITTLE over two years ago, many thought that Sarah Jayne Dunn was making the biggest mistake of her acting career.
After more than two decades on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, furious soap bosses gave her an ultimatum: leave the adult subscription site OnlyFans, where she has been flogging raunchy shots, or face the sack.
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Many thought Sarah Jayne Dunn had made a huge mistake just over two years ago, but now she’s loving her life more than ever Credit: David Cummings – Commissioned by The Sun
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Sarah was booted from popular soap Hollyoaks after refusing to close her OnlyFans account Credit: Channel 4
Sarah, 42, refused to close her account and now says it was “the best decision of her life” – revealing that other soap stars have been messaging asking for guidance on how to follow in her footsteps.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Sarah — who played Mandy Richardson from 1996 to 2021 — said: “A lot of people have come to me for advice on how to do what I did.
“A lot of people are curious and a lot of people want to know what it is and how it works.”
But the mother-of-one has revealed that hard-nosed soap bosses have since changed the actors’ contracts to ban them from launching their own lucrative OnlyFans accounts.
READ MORE SARAH JAYNE DUNN
Sarah said: “I know this has happened with all the soaps [actors] they all had to sign a new copy of the contract, saying that they wouldn’t do it, that they couldn’t do it.
I never doubted my decision after I made it – quite the opposite in fact
“Everyone would have left if they hadn’t.
“I think people are curious, but people can’t take that step.
“There were a lot of creators who also approached me, like Kerry Katon and [Love Islander] Megan Barton-Hanson when I joined the platform to say: ‘Well done and well done for standing your ground’.
“I never doubted my decision after I made it – quite the opposite in fact.
“I have a fire in my belly.”
Sarah’s departure from Hollyoaks in 2021 is partly due to a mystery co-star who has lodged an official complaint.
Hollyoaks’ Sarah Jayne Dunn shows off her incredible pole dancing skills in a sports bra and shorts
She said: “There is apparently one person who has complained.
“I think I know who it is now, I doubt it for sure.
‘I can’t please everyone’
“It was like any workplace – you get along with most people, but there will be a couple you don’t get along with.
“You can’t please everyone and you won’t agree with everyone.
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Sarah says she spoke with husband Jonathan about the limits she would place on the adult subscription serviceCredit: Instagram
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She compares the raunchy content to men’s magazines from the nineties Credit: Maxim Magazine
“I think a lot of it comes down to their own insecurities and jealousy.”
Hollyoaks bosses have argued that the indecent content on OnlyFans, which requires users to be 18 or over, is not in keeping with the soap’s young audience.
But Sarah has been posting photos in her underwear, similar to the ones she posed for in men’s magazines in the 1990s.
And until 2011, Hollyoaks cashed in on its sexy cast by releasing annual Hollyoaks Babes and Hunks calendars.
Sarah insists she would never indulge in X-rated content and has the full support of her husband of six years, Jonathan Smith.
She said: “I’m not doing anything different from what I was doing before.
“When I first joined OnlyFans, me and my husband talked about what my limits and boundaries were.
“I know where I am and I’m happy with the content I’m doing.
“I always compare it to boys’ magazines from the nineties and twenties — Maxim and FHM.
“I feel really comfortable with it and I don’t feel the need to push that limit any further.
“What I see is that when I get new followers who expect more provocative content, I’m very honest with people and say ‘I don’t do that.’
“It’s actually really respectful — unlike other platforms.”
It was a gamble when I first did it, for sure – I didn’t know if it would work
Sarah Jayne Dunn
In addition to the sexy videos, Sarah stars in the new OFTV (OnlyFans TV) series In Real Life, alongside younger sister Kate Moss, Lottie Moss and Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona.
Of her episode, Sarah said: “People know me as a character through my acting work, so taking part in the UK’s first series of In Real Life was a great opportunity to let people get to know me on a more personal level.
“It dispels the misconceptions people have who don’t understand OnlyFans and shows how the platform has helped me take back control of my content in a safe environment.”
At the turn of the millennium, Hollyoaks was attracting more than four million viewers per episode.
But it struggled to retain its once-loyal fan base and moved from Channel 4 to E4 last year.
It is also being shown on YouTube in an attempt to target the soap’s younger demographic.
Although money was Sarah’s biggest motivation for leaving Hollyoaks, she refuses to reveal how much she earns from OnlyFans.
But it’s not hard to imagine her teetering on the road to becoming a millionaire after it was revealed she earned £700,000 in the year after being sacked from her £120,000 acting job.
Sarah said: “I’m not talking about numbers because I never have, but it has exceeded all expectations.
“I think my second month on the platform was better than my year on Hollyoaks.”
Sarah claims that OnlyFans has improved all aspects of her life.
She said: “It was the best decision I ever made.
“I’ve been working since I was 14 and mostly everything was controlled: my schedule, my salary, the time I could go on vacation.
“So to be able to take control and have that freedom and freedom of speech and freedom of finance — I’ve never had that before and it’s life-changing.
“It was a gamble when I first did it, for sure – I didn’t know if it would work.
“Every part of my life is better.”
‘I feel safe’
Simply sending a “Good morning” message to your subscribed fans can result in a sudden influx of cash.
She explained: “He gave me financial freedom and on my terms. I am the one who determines the costs, the subscription.
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Sarah says OnlyFans has given her financial freedom and she likes that she does everything on her own terms Credit: Instagram
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Sarah teases as she performs an athletic pole dance Credit: Instagram
“I also send messages that are locked and contain a fee.
“Everything is under my control.
“Sometimes people just send me tips because they like a picture, OnlyFans is a beautiful world of people.
“People will send you advice for nothing.
“Just because they like you.
“Just because you texted them ‘good morning’.
“I do live streams where I talk to all my followers and you get advice while I enjoy a glass of wine. it is great
“I connect with my fans and feel safe.”
Insisting she has no plans to leave OnlyFans to return to acting anytime soon, Sarah said: “Leaving has been a whirlwind, I didn’t expect things to go the way they did but it’s turned out really positive.
“I had a ton of support.
“I think what I was on wasn’t just because of the show – it was because of Covid and the quarantine.
“I was really trying to find my place and a place where I was happy, and I knew I wasn’t happy.
“Since I got on the platform and had the life I have now, freedom and time with my family and the ability to go on vacation when I want and to work according to my schedule — that changed me and my outlook on life.
“I have my own voice and I am not filtered in any way nor can I say something because it does not agree with what the channel thinks.
“It’s nice to be able to say, ‘It’s actually me and this is what I think’ — and if I want to say ‘is**’, I can.”
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She shared herself posing in her underwear on the page Credits: Sarah Jayne Dunn
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Sarah poses in a kinky bra and panties Credit: Sarah Jayne Dunn
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