Claire Elizabeth Cooper (born 26 October 1980) is a British actress, best known for portraying Jacqui McQueen in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, a character she played full time from 2006 to 2013 and returned to for one episode in 2023. Cooper co-owns clothing rental boutique The Closet in Liverpool with Hollyoaks co-stars Jennifer Metcalfe and Leah Hackett.

Early life

Cooper was a British champion gymnast 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 and Waterloo Road. Cooper made her on-screen debut as Jacqui McQueen in Hollyoaks in September 2006. She played the character for several years, including in spin-offs Hollyoaks Later 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 Liverpool with Hollyoaks co-stars Jennifer Metcalfe and Leah Hackett.

Personal life

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