Ex-Hollyoaks actress Claire Cooper is leading the cast for a second season of The Hardacres
Mary Hardacre star Claire Cooper is married to a famous television star, and the actors have both featured in Hollyoaks.
The Hardacres is returning for a second series on Channel 5, which will continue the story of the Yorkshire family.
Adapted from the novel series by CL Skelton, the first series of the programme aired in 2024, and became an instant hit with viewers.
The plot followed the Hardacre family as they established themselves as herring merchants before being catapulted into high society in a heart-warming rags-to-riches story.
The second series will continue their journey as The Hardacres find their feet after rising from poverty, while also navigating the shifting world in 1895.
A synopsis for the show teases: “Mary and Sam embrace wealth and opportunity, but their children begin forging identities that challenge expectations.”
Former Hollyoaks star Claire has reprised her role as Mary Hardacre for the exciting second season of the period drama.
Away from the show, Claire, 45, is famed for playing feisty Jacqui McQueen on the Channel 4 soap between 2006 and 2013, before making a brief comeback in 2023.
Claire has also starred in a long list of other popular television shows, including Coronation Street, Waterloo Road, Snatch, Knightfall, and Suspects.
However, Hollyoaks is where she met her husband, Emmett J. Scanlan, in 2010. The pair married five years later, in New York on New Year’s Eve 2015.
They have two young children together, Ocean and Fiáin, and Emmett has another daughter, Kayla, from a previous relationship.
Emmett originally appeared in Hollyoaks as Brendan Brady from 2010 to 2013. Since leaving the Chester-based soap, Emmett has also carved out a very successful acting career with roles in Kin, Mobland, A Working Man, Unforgotten, The Fall, Peaky Blinders, Gangs of London, and Fool Me Once.
Earlier this year, Claire paid tribute to her husband in a sweet Instagram post, calling him “magic”.
The actress shared a series of photos on Instagram, including a stunning selfie alongside Emmett, who is seen putting his arm around his wife’s shoulder as they strike a pose.
Claire wrote: “Happy birthday to my twin flame, my constant, my chaos, my whirlwind @scandalous_13. May this be a year that feels good in your body, steady in your mind, and full in your heart.”
She added: “Rich in the realest ways … in peace, in laughter, in love, in family, in growth, and in becoming more of who you already are. May your art stay feral, your vision stay sharp and untamed, and your talent keep blowing the doors clean off.
“You are light. You are magic. You are fire. We love you dearly and sorely. And 47 looks soooooo hot on you… (love heart) #happybirthday.”
The couple was met with compliments, with actress Roma Downey commenting: “Happy birthday @scandalous_13”, while another person penned: “Gorgeous couple, happiest of birthdays.”
A third chimed in: “You 2 are a match made in heaven, such beautiful words”, while another stated: “Happy birthday, you’re like a good wine.”
The Hardcres returns on Thursday at 9pm on Channel 5
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