THE Cuckoo star Claire Goose has had a colourful life outside of her TV career, including modelling for lads’ mags to battling cancer before settling down with her TV producer husband.
The 49-year-old actress has been playing the role of Jessica alongside ex EastEnders actress Jill Halfpenny in Channel 5’s new gritty thriller The Cuckoo.
TV Career
The proud mother of two has previously starred in Murdoch Mysteries, The Bay, Unforgotten and Death in Paradise.
However, many viewers will remember her most from her early days on Casualty, in 1997, when she played Tina Seabrook.
At the time, Claire was repeatedly voted the sexiest female in the lads’ mags, and she still takes it as a compliment decades later.
In 2015, during an interview with the Mirror, she reminisced: “It’s lovely to look back at those things now.
“I have kept the magazines somewhere, it’ll be something to show the grandchildren one day, I suppose. I’ve no regrets.”
Family life
Claire and her TV producer husband, Craig Woodrow, met on a blind date in 2004 and tied the knot three years later.
Now, the couple share two daughters, Amelia, 15, and Eveline, 12 together.
Craig is best known for his work on BBC’s Doctors and Adolf Hitler documentary Revealed.
Speaking about their first meeting, Claire revealed, “A blind date sounds so quaint now, doesn’t it? These days, we’d have met on Tinder or something.
“Craig is very thoughtful. He’s amazing, much better than me at getting up for the kids and coping on less sleep.
“It’s tricky with small kids to go on romantic breaks, instead, we’ll go for a really lovely meal to a nice restaurant.”
The loved-up couple live in West London and share childcare duties, juggling their daughters around their freelance jobs.
Speaking about her family life, Claire expressed: “It’s nice because we both get a chance to be with the family and work.
“I feel like I’ve managed to combine kids and a career, which is lucky.”
She added: “It’s lovely having two girls. They love baking, and dressing up and playing with make up . I wouldn’t say I’m a strict mum, but I have certain rules.
“I like them to sit at the table and have manners. You don’t want to bring them up spoiled.”
Claire’s life troubles
Claire has made a successful name for herself throughout her acting years, but it wasn’t always easy.
During her twenties, the blonde beauty smoked, partied, and was part of a high-profile couple with her Casualty co-star Jonathan Kerrigan.
Claire disclosed: “If someone offered to transport me back to my 20s, no way would I want to.
“There was a lot more insecurity back then… I worried about trying to navigate my career and about how I was perceived, and about meeting the right person, endless dating and all that.
“I was less healthy too, I’d smoke loads of Marlborough when on the Casualty set in between learning lines. I was much happier in my 30s.”
She also suffered a huge health scare during her younger years after Claire discovered lumps in her breast, but thankfully nothing was diagnosed.
The lumps on her breast turned out to be harmless, but later on in the same year, she discovered a cancerous lump on her back, which had to be removed in an operation by her father, who was a doctor.