'Jamie Oliver helped me land my big break as EastEnders’ Lola,'says Danielle Harold

ok.co.uk:

Danielle Harold has opened up about the beginning of her acting career, revealing her appearance on Jamie's Dream School ultimately led to her landing her big break on EastEnders.The actress, 31, left school with just one GCSE after a health condition resulted in her being in and out of hospital throughout her teenage years.

She went on to work for a catering company and continued attending auditions in her spare time as she had a desire to be an actress. “I was so determined,” Danielle told The Sun. “I queued for 11 hours to audition for the part of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and they literally closed the barrier on me, the last kid waiting." Despite experiencing setbacks, Danielle didn't give up and continued to attend auditions while working at the catering company.

Then, two opportunities came along at once - Danielle was offered a promotion at her catering job and a pot on Jamie Oliver's new TV show, Jamie's Dream School.

She chose to appear on the show, which aired in 2011. Jamie's Dream School helped a group of teenagers who all had less than give GCSEs and put them into a school where they would be taught by celebrities, who each specialised in a specific subject.