Claire Elizabeth Cooper (born 26 October 1980) is a British actress and former gymnast from

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, best known for portraying Jacqui McQueen in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

soap opera ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...

'', a character she played full time from 2006 to 2013 and returned to for one episode in 2023. In 2010, Cooper opened a clothing rental boutique called The Closet in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

with ''Hollyoaks'' co-stars Jennifer Metcalfe and Leah Hackett.

Early life

Cooper was a British champion

gymnast Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

for 10 years. Cooper attended the Guildford School of Acting.

Career

Cooper has appeared in various British television shows, including a two-part episode on '' Waking the Dead'' in 2004. She has also made appearances on ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' and '' Waterloo Road''. Cooper made her on-screen debut as Jacqui McQueen in ''

'' in September 2006. She played the character for several years, including in spin-offs ''

Hollyoaks Later ''Hollyoaks Later'' (originally ''Late Night Hollyoaks'') is a British television spin-off of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. The series allows for more sexual content, edgier storylines and stronger language than ''Hollyoaks''. The sho ...

'' in 2009 and '' Hollyoaks: King of Hearts'' in 2010. She departed from the cast in 2013, but made a cameo appearance in an episode in 2023. In 2016, Cooper played the part of Claire in the second series of '' In the Club''. Cooper co-owns clothing rental boutique The Closet in

with ''Hollyoaks'' co-stars Jennifer Metcalfe and Leah Hackett.

Personal life

Cooper married ''

'' co-star Emmett J. Scanlan in 2015. On 8 May 2020, she announced she was pregnant with their first child. On 18 July, she gave birth to a boy named Ocean. On 12 November 2022, she gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Fiáin.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Cooper won Best Actress at

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV (TV network), ITV. The trophies given to the winners are made from metal a ...

in 2013 and Best Family at ''Inside Soap'' Awards in 2009. She has also received several nominations:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Claire 1980 births Living people 21st-century English actresses British soap opera actresses British Soap Award for Best Actress winners English gymnasts British television actresses Actresses from Wakefield Alumni of the Guildford School of Acting