Eastenders star Jacqueline Jossa has been robbed of £20,000 of jewellery and belongings as she and her children slept on their Spanish holiday.
The 31-year-old actress is reported to have woken up to masked thieves rummaging through the house in Marbella before making off with valuables.
The robbers are said to have fled after seeing her. While nobody was harmed, sources say Jossa – known for her role as Lauren Branning in the BBC soap – and her husband Dan Osborne have been left ‘shaken up’ by the encounter.
Among the valuables taken is the engagement ring she was gifted by husband Dan, best known from his time on The Only Way is Essex.
The high-profile robbery comes after another BBC star, former Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, was targeted by robbers who allegedly gassed him and his 81-year-old mother Eileen in their rented Ibiza villa in order to steal from the pair.
A source told The Sun: ‘Jacqueline and Dan are really shaken. She raised the alarm after seeing a torch and was faced with two men in balaclavas.
‘Both men fled after they saw her. It is terrifying to think what could have happened if the kids had woken and seen the men in their bedroom.’
Jacqueline and Dan have been holidaying in Spain with their extended families along with daughters Ella, nine and Mia, five – along with Dan’s son Teddy, 10.
Spanish police are reported to be investigating the raid, while a vehicle belonging to a security firm has been seen outside the villa.
Along with the engagement ring, the thugs are reported to have snatched handbags and wads of cash plucked from their kids’ backpacks. They are said to have kept the robbery from the children to avoid scaring them.
Representatives for Jossa have been contacted for comment.
Jossa and Osborne got married in 2017 – shortly before her exit from the soap was confirmed by Eastenders bosses.
She then returned to the show at the end of 2022 for the funeral of Dot Cotton following the death of actress June Brown earlier that year.
She was made a permanent resident of Albert Square.
During her absence from Eastenders, Jossa was a contestant on 2019’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! alongside the likes of Ronan Kemp, Kate Garraway and Caitlyn Jenner. She went on to win the series.
Jossa is also a high-profile influencer with 3.5 million followers on Instagram – but remains on an Advertising Standards Authority watchlist for not regularly disclosing when her posts are s.
The robbery is the latest in a string of high-profile burglaries and muggings targeting celebrities.
Ex-Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw and his mother were reportedly gassed at their rented Ibiza villa last week, while Italian footballer Cristiano Piccini was mugged for his luxury watch by thugs on a moped elsewhere on the Spanish island.
And I’m A Celeb star Snoochie Shy was mugged for her handbag in Ibiza – sharing the news on Instagram with a post reading: ‘Not me at the police station cause someone stole my bag with all my s*** in it.’
In January, Spanish police raided a gang of ex-military thieves from eastern Europe who had been robbing luxury homes and businesses on the Costa del Sol.
The robbers were alleged to have carried out as many as 71 break-ins, most of them in Marbella. Police recovered 169 pieces of jewellery alongside pricey watches, luxury handbags and designer gear.
They also found a pistol, two shotguns – one real, and one an imitation – as well as masks, gloves, a machete and power tools, Sur reported.