# Claire Cooper

Claire Elizabeth Cooper (born 26 October 1980) is a British actress and former gymnast from Wakefield, England, best known for portraying Jacqui McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, 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 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

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Red Dwarf | 50s woman /(uncredited) | Series 8: Episode 5 |
| 2004 | Waking The Dead | Audrey Clayton | Series 4: Episodes 1 and 2 |
| 2006 | Waterloo Road | Zoe Ramsden | Series 1: Episode 3 |
| 2006 | Coronation Street | Anya Spader | Series 47: Episode 161 |
| 2006–2013, 2023 | Hollyoaks | Jacqui McQueen | Series regular, 533 episodes |
| 2007 | Most Haunted | Herself | Episode - Most Haunted Live at Halloween: Tatton Park |
| 2008 | All Star Family Fortunes | Herself | Episode – Hollyoaks vs Emmerdale |
| 2008 | This Morning | Herself | Series 20: Episode 4900 |
| 2008 | Big Brother's Big Mouth | Herself | Series 10: Episode 2 |
| 2008 | The Hollyoaks Music Show | Jacqui McQueen | Series 13: Episode 60 |
| 2008 | Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack | Celebrity HiJacker /Herself | Series 1: Episodes 22 and 23 |
| 2009 | Hollyoaks Later | Jacqui McQueen | Series 2: Episodes 1–5 |
| 2009 | Strictly Come Dancing | Herself | Round 6 |
| 2009 | Ready, Steady, Cook | Herself | Series 20: Episode 9 |
| 2010 | Derren Brown Investigates | Herself | Episode - The Man Who Contacts The Dead |
| 2010 | Hollyoaks: King of Hearts | Jacqui McQueen | Late night special one-off episode |
| 2011 | Hollyoaks Best Bits 2011 | Herself | Television film |
| 2014 | From There to Here | Matilda | Two episodes |
| 2014 | Scott & Bailey | Jenny Redhead | Series 4: Episode 5 |
| 2015 | A.D. The Bible Continues | Herodias | Six episodes |
| 2016 | In the Club | Claire | Series 2 |
| 2016 | Six Wives with Lucy Worsley | Anne Boleyn | Two episodes |
| 2017 | 12 Monkeys | Eliza | One episode |
| 2017 | Love, Lies & Records | Sarah | One episode |
| 2019 | Knightfall | Sister Anne | Series 2 |
| 2020 | Strike Back | Amy McAllister | Series 8: Episode 6 |
| 2022 | The Peripheral | Dominika Zubov | Co-Starring |
| 2023 | The Continental: From the World of John Wick | Mrs. Davenport | Upcoming Miniseries |
| 2024 | The Hardacres | Mary Hardacre | Main lead 6 episodes |

## 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:
| Year | Award | Category | Role / Character | Result |
| 2007 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2008 | TV Now Awards | Favourite Soap Couple | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2009 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2010 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2011 | National Television Awards | Best Serial Drama Performance | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2011 | All About Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2011 | British Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Shortlisted |
| 2011 | British Soap Awards | Best Dramatical Performance | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2011 | TV Choice Awards | Best Soap Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2011 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Shortlisted |
| 2011 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Dramatical Performance | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2011 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Wedding | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2011 | RTS North West Awards | Best Performance in a Continuing Drama | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2012 | National Television Awards | Outstanding Serial Drama Performance | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Longlisted |
| 2012 | All About Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2012 | Digital Spy Awards | Best Female Soap Actor | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2013 | British Soap Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Won |
| 2013 | British Soap Awards | Best Dramatic Performance | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Nominated |
| 2013 | TV Choice Awards | Best Actress | Hollyoaks / Jacqui McQueen | Shortlisted |