Former 'EastEnders' star and current 'Strictly Come Dancing' contestant Kara Tointon has talked about the dark times she has experienced since leaving the BBC soap.
In an interview with Fabulous magazine, Tointon, who played Dawn Swann in 'EastEnders', said: "I'll be honest. I've felt suicidal. I know that sounds dramatic but it's really tough out there. You're used to being busy and then, all of a sudden, you're not. It's the worst thing ever.
"Acting-wise it's been on its knees. It's a disaster out there. It's been so, so difficult. I've thought about giving up acting for good. Many times.
"When you're working, it feels worth all the hanging around. But during the down times, you're just waiting for the phone to ring - it's awful.
"I find myself staring at the phone, thinking: 'Won't you just ring?!' And it doesn't."
Tointon said in the interview that she knew her time on 'EastEnders' was coming to an end when members of her on-screen family were written out of the show.
"Once your on-screen family starts disappearing, you know you're a goner," she said.
"For the past year, all I'd been doing was ordering a sandwich once a month in the caff so there was nothing left to do.
"It was the best job I'd ever had and I loved it so much, but I knew it was time to go."
Tointon also dismissed speculation that she is romantically involved with her 'Strictly Come Dancing' partner Artem Chigvintsev.
She said: "He's rather gorgeous isn't he? He's a Russian hunk and really lovely. But we're going to be strictly professional. There'll be none of that."
