Jessie Wallace (born Karen Jane Wallace on 25th September 1971 in Enfield) is an English actress, who in 2010 portrayed Patricia Phoenix in the seventy-five minute television movie The Road to Coronation Street, which dramatised the creation of the show. She received a BAFTA TV nomination for Best Supporting Actress in this role. She is better known for her portrayal of Kat Slater in the BBC soap EastEnders, making her debut in the programme in 2000. Other acting credits include The Bill and Wild at Heart.