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The West End actress, best known for hosting The Big Breakfast, revealed that she has had "conversations" with the BBC soap's bosses.
She told the Daily Star Sunday: "I'd love a part in a soap and there have been conversations but I'm not allowed to say anything else at the moment. Working on a soap like EastEnders is something I've always wanted to do.
"You need new challenges, and working on a soap would certainly be a great challenge for me.
"It really is one of my ambitions and hopefully it will happen."
Discussing what sort of character she would want to play, Van Outen added: "I wouldn't want to be a villain though as I couldn't handle being hated. I'd love to be a barmaid."
An EastEnders spokeswoman stated last night: "There are no plans to bring in any female cast members at the moment."
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