From teen mum to tv star

Holby City star Verona Joseph thought her acting dreams were over when she fell pregnant at 18

Holby City's Verona Joseph, is fascinated by childbirth - and says she would train to be a midwife if she ever gave up acting. She's got personal experience, too, having fallen pregnant at 18.

"I was young. And giving birth to my beautiful son, who's now 11, was the most physically challenging thing I've ever done", she reveals. "But my son Terrell (the name means "thunderer" in Old English) was perfect and is much loved."

Verona had wanted to be an actress since she was nine, spending her childhood singing in the church choir, and putting on shows for friends and family. But she put her acting ambitions on hold for the first three years of her son's life.

"Having a child makes you responsible. I didn't know if I could stick out acting for long enough because I had Terrell to think of."

She moved close to her parents in London, and benefited from their support. As one of seven children, Verona says her family are her rock.

"Parents and family are the centre of my world. My mother was a family mum, raising and supporting us, then going on to raise and support her grandchildren."

In her early 20s, with a network of nursery, family and friends now helping with childcare, Verona's first instinct was to look for a safe career to provide for herself and Terrell. So she looked into becoming a drama teacher. But something told Verona to have one more shot at her dream of acting.

"I knew training to be a teacher was a security blanket. So I asked my family to give me one year to try to get into acting," she recalls.

Verona's first move was to sign up with an extras agency - and her first role was in a party scene for the now defunct soap, Night and Day. She kept being called back as an extra, then three years ago was offered a contract as Holby City's Jess Griffin.

Working in a weekly soap can be demanding - 14 hour days are common. Verona's advice to mums and mums-to-be, is to stay fit. "I find when I'm physically stronger, I'm emotionally stronger." And how has Terrell found his mother's transformation from teen mum, to telly star? "Terrell's adjusted very well.

"We have to watch he doesn't get too hyped up by the publicity surrounding me. But if he does, I tell him I may be on television, but he still has to eat his spaghetti bolognese."