Samantha Zoe Janus (born 2 November 1972 in Brighton) is an English actress and singer, who is most famous for playing the role of Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders, Mandy Wilkins in Game On, and representing the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991.

Biography

Born in Brighton, Janus's uncle was football legend George Best. Her father left the family when she was three, and after her mother married a doctor the family moved to Edinburgh. She has also lived on the QE2 for a short time.

Aged fifteen she left home as a self-confessed wild child for a life in squats, drinking, smoking and taking drugs. She eventually turned her life around, and attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London.

Janus first came to prominence in 1991, when she won the annual A Song For Europe competition to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished equal tenth and the song, "A Message to Your Heart", peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.

She developed her first love of acting, but was often initially mistaken for fellow actress Sarah Alexander. Janus appeared in episodes of The Bill and Press Gang; in 1993 she appeared in "Demob" alongside Griff Rhys Jones and Martin Clunes; and took to the West End stage, replacing Debbie Gibson as Sandy in "Grease."

In 1994 she landed the part of Mandy in the cult BBC Two sitcom Game On alongside Ben Chaplin. Showing a natural comic touch, she stayed on the show until it finished in 1998. In between series of Game On, she had a part in the BBC One drama Pie in the Sky from 1995 until 1996.

Janus then starred in The Grimleys with Jack Dee and movie Up n Under with Neil Morrissey. In 1998 she starred in the ITV1 series Liverpool 1 alongside her future boyfriend Mark Womack. She then returned to comedy in the ITV sitcom Babes in the Wood. Co-starring another Sylvia Young Theatre School student, Denise van Outen, it was critically panned despite respectable ratings, and Janus left after the first series.

In 1999 she starred as Cinderella in the ITV Christmas pantomime, with Harry Hill, Alexander Armstrong, Frank Skinner, Paul Merton, Ronnie Corbett and many more.
Janus played Jude Atkins in the BBC One drama series Strange

In 2002 she returned to TV screens in the BBC One drama Strange and after that series ended in 2003, she has had roles in the films The Baby Juice Express and Dead Man's Cards.

2005 saw Samantha directing an anti-bullying music video for Liverpool band Just 3, entitled Stand Tall. The video starred Liverpool FC footballer Jamie Carragher and herself. The video was heavily backed by Childline ambassador Esther Rantzen.

A popular choice for photo shoots in men's magazines such as FHM, she came 21st in the FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World 1998 poll and 41st in the same listing in 1999.

In 2006, Janus starred in the BBC One comedy Home Again as Ingrid, and as Miss Adelaide in the West End production of the musical Guys and Dolls at London's Piccadilly Theatre, initially alongside Patrick Swayze and then Miami Vice star Don Johnson. She reprised the role at the Sunderland Empire alongside Alex Ferns in 2007.

On 11 May 2007, it was announced that Janus would be joining EastEnders as Ronnie Mitchell, a cousin of the Mitchell Brothers.

Janus filmed scenes for the new Quantum of Solace movie, however her scenes were cut due to time constraints.

She won the title of 'Best Newcomer' at the 2008 Daily Star Soaper Star Awards and won 'Best Onscreen Partnership' along with Rita Simons at the 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards

Personal life

Janus has done some semi and some naked pictures for various site and covers.

She married Italian Junfan Mantovani in 1997 and moved to Italy, but the relationship broke down and the couple divorced in 1998.

She then starred in Liverpool 1, and quickly began dating co-star Mark Womack. They are not married but have two children while Mark has another son from a previous marriage. Their son Benjamin was born in 2001 (after having him Janus took two years off to enjoy motherhood) and daughter Lily-Rose was born in 2005.

Janus and her husband are best friends with Scott Maslen and his wife Estelle Rubio. Maslen is godfather to Janus's two children and they often go on holiday together with their children, which Janus revealed during an appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in January 2008. She is also best friends with co-star Rita Simons, who plays her sister Roxy Mitchell.

In the autumn of 2007, Maslen joined the cast of EastEnders as the character Jack Branning, the brother of Max Branning, who quickly takes a shine to Ronnie. This was something that both Maslen and Janus were initially uncomfortable with when they read it in the scripts, Maslen commenting in various interviews that having to kiss Janus was like having to kiss his sister.

In April 2008, several future scenes featuring Ronnie had to be scrapped after Samantha Janus broke her shoulder when she tripped and fell down the stairs at her home while rushing to get ready for work.

Since appearing on EastEnders, she has made regular television appearances, including Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, The Paul O'Grady Show, Richard and Judy and Loose Women.

In November 2007, she sang along EastEnders co-stars in the 2007 Children in Need charity appeal.