Jessica Plummer: where is the actor who played Chantelle Atkins in EastEnders now?

She was married to Gray Atkins

eastenders chantelle atkins

by Brooke Pollock |
Updated on

Chantelle Atkins (played by Jessica Plummer) probably had one of the most traumatic storylines during her time in the Square, which, let’s be fair, is hard - it’s literally EastEnders.

After suffering both physical and mental abuse at the hands of her evil husband Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith), her story came to a horrific end.

EastEnders star Jessica gave viewers an unbelievable performance, so let’s dive into what the soap star is doing after her departure from Walford.

Who is Jessica Plummer?

Jessica's career actually began in music when she was scouted by RCA Records to be in the girl group Neon Jungle.

neon jungle and jessica plummer
jessica plummer (right) alongside her neon jungle bandmates ©Getty Images

Their debut single peaked in the top 20 and their album entered the charts at number eight. They were active from 2013, and during that time they even supported Jessie J on tour. Unfortunately they disbanded in 2016.

Jessica also starred in a couple of episodes of Wizards vs Aliens in 2013, but her move into acting didn’t take off until 2017 when she appeared in the film How to Talk to Girls at Parties, which starred Nicole Kidman and Matt Lucas.

Who was Jessica Plummer in EastEnders?

Jessica played Chantelle - the daughter of Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) and Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths), and the wife of Gray.

eastenders spoilers karen taylor and mitch baker chantelle and gray atkins
chantelle alongside her parents karen and mitch ©BBC

What happened to Chantelle Atkins?

On the outside Chantelle and Gray's marriage appeared to be perfect but it soon became clear that it was the complete opposite.

After months of abuse from her husband, which included being forced to hold her breath underwater in the bath for two minutes, Chantelle decides to seek a divorce.

But after a final confrontation, Gray pushed Chantelle and she fell onto the open dishwasher and was impaled by a knife which killed her.

Did Gray Atkins get caught for killing Chantelle?

Eventually, yes.

eastenders chantelle and gray atkins
gray was abusive to chantelle ©BBC

Not only did he kill his wife, but he also murdered Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White) and Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami). He was arrested after admitting in rage to his second wife Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) that he killed Chantelle. He was overheard after Chelsea rang 999. He later confessed to all the murders and was imprisoned for his crimes.

Is Jessica Plummer returning to EastEnders?

Considering that Chantelle is dead, unless she does a Kathy Beale (Gillan Taylforth) or a Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons), we’re not sure that we’ll see her again.

eastenders chantelle and gray
gray killed chantelle ©BBC

Jessica has said that she would be up for returning. She told OK! magazine, “I love EastEnders and if they called tomorrow and said 'come back' I wouldn’t be able to turn it down.”

What is Jessica Plummer doing now?

Since her departure from Walford, she competed on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2020 and was in the film The Girl Before in 2021, which earned her a Television BAFTA nomination.

eastenders jessica plummer im a celeb
jessica appeared on I'm A Celeb in 2020 ©ITV

In 2022, it was announced that she would star in a new film called Tell That to the Winter Sea which also featured Camelot actor Tamsin Egerton.

How old is Jessica Plummer?

Jessica is 30 and was born on 16 September 1992.

Is Jessica Plummer married?

No, she isn’t, and she is reportedly single after parting ways with former EastEnders actor Ben Hardy who played Peter Beale between 2013 and 2015).

Does Jessica Plummer have social media?

She does indeed. Her Instagram is @jessicakate_plummer.

WATCH: Vicky Pattison: ‘I have very few celebrity friends’ | Celebrity Phone Unlocked

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - read why you should trust us