Click on a name below to take you to that page
Jenna Louise Coleman
In January 2010, I went to the Theatre Royal in Nottingham to see the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk. It was a brilliant production with a cast that included Nigel Havers, the ventriloquist Paul Zardin and Jenna Louise Coleman who played the gorgeous Princess Apricot.
I waited to meet the cast at the stage door afterwards, and got my programme signed by them all.
Jenna Louise Coleman was born in 1986 in Blackpool. She went to Arnold School, a co-ed Independent school for 2-18 year olds in Blackpool. Jenna Louise was the school's Head Girl in 2004. She has an older brother, Ben.
From the age of 10 she was determined to be an actress, taking full advantage of the school's excellent facilities for drama. She became closely involved with the In Yer Space Theatre Company which was formed in 1998 from past and present pupils at Arnold School. In Yer Space tours small scale productions to pro
Jenna Louise Coleman
Jenna Louise Coleman
professional venues in the north-west of England. Jenna Louise took part in a number of these. She played Thomasina in Crystal Clear and Laura in The Woman who Cooked her Husband. She has also appeared in two plays at Keswick's 'Theatre by the Lake', and performed Lee Hall's monologue Spoonface Steinberg at the Edinburgh Fringe.
After leaving school, Jenna Louise began applying to various drama schools, including RADA and LAMDA, but then a part in a TV series came along. She was forced to make a choice and opted to put drama college on hold and take the part of Jasmine Thomas, niece of the local vicar, in the long-running ITV soap Emmerdale.
Jenna Louise Coleman & Charley Webb in Emmerdale
Jenna Louise Coleman & Jeff Hordley in Emmerdale
Jenna's character had a number of strong storylines, including a lesbian relationship with Debbie Dingle (played by her best friend Charley Webb) and having an abortion after finding herself pregnant by Debbie's father Cain Dingle (played by Jeff Hordley). Jasmine's
Jenna as Jasmine Thomas
relationship with the bent policeman Shane Doyle
Doyle, provided a dramatic storyline in 2008 when she killed Doyle (played by Paul McEwan) after he had tried to rape both her and her friend Debbie. Jenna Louise said about the scene, "It was really violent. I had marks on my body where Paul held me down. He was shoving me about but I told him to go for it. I wanted it to look as realistic as possible. But I was really scared of him in that moment." Jasmine later tgirie
gives herself up to the police and confesses to the murder. She is sent for trial and imprisoned. This gave Jenna Louise the opportunity to move on after appearing in 159 episodes. "It was really sad to leave but I knew that it was time to go. I'd been in it for 4 years and I wanted to try something new."
Jasmine's kiss with Debbie Dingle in
Emmerdale
Jasmine is about to kill Doyle as he threatens to rape Debbie in Emmerdale
Whilst playing the role of Jasmine Thomas, Jenna was nominated in 2006 for 'Best Newcomer' at the 2006 British Soap Awards; 'Most Popular Newcomer' at the Nati
National Television Awards (UK); 'Sexiest Female' at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards and 'Best Dramatic Performance' at the 2009 British Soap Awards for her part in Emmerdale.
Inside Soap 2005
TV Now Awards 2007
TV Now Awards 2009
TV Soap Awards 2009
In October 2009, Jenna Louise made her first appearance as 'hard girl' Lindsey James in the
BBC TV series Waterloo Road. At her previous school she was a model pupil, but after joining Waterloo Road, her behaviour becomes very disruptive, on account of her mother being arrested on suspicion of murdering her father. Jenna
Jenna Louise says, "She becomes the ringleader and it’s almost as if she enjoys it. I think it’s like a
a defence mechanism for her, it makes her feel better when she sees others unhappy."
Lindsey James is a central character during Series 5, with the schoolgirl providing a very dramatic role for Jenna Louise who fou
Jenna Louise Coleman & Tom Chambers
in Waterloo Road
Jenna with Eva Pope in Waterloo Road
Jenna Louise as Lyndsey James
in Waterloo Road
Lyndsey James in court in Waterloo Road
found it strange to be back at school. “I'm 23 so it’s been a whil
Jenna Louise as Lyndsey James
During December 2009 and January 2010, Jenna Louise played Princess Apricot in Nottingham Theatre Royal's lavish pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk with Paul Zardin and Nigel Havers.
Jenna as Princess Apricot
Jenna Louise & Paul Zardin in Jack and the Beanstalk
Stunningly attractive and very articulate when she is being interviewed, Jenna Louise Coleman has begun to appear on 'chat shows', including three times on ITV's Loose Women in 2006 & 2008.
Jenna & Carol McGaffin on Loose Women
Jenna interviewed on This Morning in 2009
while since I left school and you really feel like you're sixteen again."
Away from acting, Jenna is in a long-term relationship with her former co-star Karl Davies after meeting him whilst working on Emmerdale in which he played Robert Sugden. The couple live together in a flat outside Leeds.
Karl Davies
Jenna Louise signed my Jack and the Beanstalk programme
VIDEOS