EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has announced the birth of her "perfect" baby girl.

The actress, who plays Lauren Branning in the BBC soap, gave birth to her daughter Ella yesterday.

She told fans on Twitter, thanking her mother and boyfriend, Dan Osborne, writing: "Amazing. She's perfect."

Osborne, who appears on reality show The Only Way Is Essex, said: "So so so so happy to tell you all!! Our baby girl Ella arrived yesterday evening."

The soap celebrates its 30th anniversary this week with a live show and live sections in the pre-recorded shows culminating in an episode unmasking the killer of Lucy Beale.

Fans of the show will still see Jossa, who has been central to the plot around the murder, this week as she pre-recorded her scenes in the run-up to giving birth. She was never intended to feature in Thursday's all-live episode.