Ex-Sky Sports star and wife of former Premier League boss reaps rewards from career change

Former Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson Coleman has ditched the TV studio for a shot at Hollywood in what she calls the most demanding role of her career. The 47-year-old, who married ex-Wales boss Chris Coleman in 2015, stars in her first leading role in Secrets.

The film is a psychological thriller which launched on Prime Video on August 19. She portrays single mother Sammy, who gets caught up in a sinister web of family secrets following a savage murder that shakes her local community.

It's a dramatic career shift that few could have foreseen during her tenure as one of Sky Sports' most recognisable faces. Jackson routinely chatted with Premier League superstars and reported on football's most prestigious occasions.

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She even entered the history books in 2009 when she presented Lionel Messi with his maiden Ballon d'Or, the first of an unprecedented eight such titles the Argentinian legend went on to secure.

She recalls the occasion clearly, though confesses she only grasped its historical importance much later when she told The Sun: "I did love my job. I love working in sport. It's not until I look back and think, 'Oh my God, I did that.' I remember feeling like I towered over him, but he was so unassuming, so polite, with no ego at all."

Jackson Coleman ranked among Sky Sports' most prominent presenters during that era, when Sky Sports News commanded massive audiences with its 24-hour sports broadcasting. But her presenting career wasn't limited to sport, reports Wales Online.

In 2010, she helmed primetime adventure show 71 Degrees North alongside Paddy McGuinness on ITV, demonstrating her range as a broadcaster. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Jackson chose to chase her original dream: acting.

She retrained, tackled small independent projects and slowly constructed a fresh career from the ground up – and the path wasn't straightforward.

"Auditions were emotionally draining and the early jobs paid very little," she said. "But I knew I had to keep going. I wanted to make it work. Some of the emotional scenes were tough. I'd use music to help get me into that headspace, but often it was about being in the moment with my co-stars."

The film has already attracted comparisons to Netflix smash Fool Me Once, the Michelle Keegan-fronted Harlan Coben adaptation that became a worldwide phenomenon. Jackson hopes her project will captivate audiences in a similar fashion.

"Our film starts straight away with something big, a murder, and then it builds and builds," she said. "You're constantly asking, 'Is this person good or bad?'"

Her ultimate ambition is to feature in a Coben drama herself, while also collaborating with celebrated British directors like Philip Barantini and Daniel O'Hara. She attributes a fortuitous meeting with former Lionsgate UK boss Nick Manzi for inspiring her to pursue acting with genuine intent.

Following an appearance in Keith Lemon: The Film, Manzi dubbed her "One Take Jackson" and encouraged her to explore dramatic roles. Nevertheless, it wasn't until relocating to China, where her husband Chris Coleman – the former Fulham and Wales manager – was coaching Hebei China Fortune, that she properly started her training.

A short film role during this period secured her a Best Actress nomination at the Romford Film Festival. And while she occasionally contemplates what could have transpired had she begun sooner, Jackson is convinced her life experiences, particularly her years in the high-pressure environment of live sport, have enhanced her abilities as a performer today.

"I think things happen for a reason," said Jackson, who has commented in the past that Coleman's eldest son gets mistaken for her boyfriend. "I've had a great career already, and now I finally get to do what I've always wanted."

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