TV star Jenna Coleman has spent years battling her inner demons to find self-confidence, despite her glittering career.
The actress, 38, admitted she was a ‘wreck of anxiety’ when she first started gaining attention in Emmerdale, Waterloo Road and Doctor Who.
Jenna, who is pregnant with her first child, marvelled at the confidence of the younger actors on the set of her new series The Jetty.
The Victoria star couldn’t believe the calm and confident attitude of the younger generation and compared it to how she was at the beginning of her career.
Jenna said Sun:I see the young girls at The Jetty. They come so relaxed, they are really present, they know their own voice.
TV star Jenna Coleman has spent years battling her inner demons to find self-confidence, despite her glittering career.
Jenna, who is pregnant with her first child, marveled at the confidence of the younger actors on the set of her new series The Jetty (pictured in 2023)
‘At her age I was a wreck of anxiety, thinking that other people’s opinions were obviously much better than my own.
“I would have found it much more difficult to bring my voice to the stage when I was in my twenties. It’s a struggle to feel comfortable, to hold your own without conflict. It’s taken my generation a long time to achieve that.”
Jenna is preparing to welcome her first child with her director boyfriend Jamie Childs, 35.
She made her pregnancy announcement last month at a dinner to celebrate the opening of the new exhibition Imaginary Conversations: An ERDEM Collection Inspired by Duchess Deborah at Chatsworth House.
Jenna looked gorgeous in a green floral dress and held her baby bump as she posed for photos at the historic site.
The happy news comes six months after she left fans speculating about her possible marriage to Jamie after being spotted wearing a thick gold band on her ring finger.
Jenna and Jamie met on the set of the Netflix series The Sandman in 2020 and have since worked together again on Jamie’s debut film, Jackdaw.
In January, Jenna first sparked speculation that she and Jamie had taken their relationship to the next level after she was spotted wearing a ring on her ring finger while out and about with the director in north London.
The actress admitted she was “desperate” when she first started gaining attention in Emmerdale, Waterloo Road and Doctor Who (pictured in Waterloo Road in 2009)
The Victoria star couldn’t believe the calm and confident attitude of the younger generation and compared it to how she was at the beginning of her career (pictured this week).
Jenna said: “I see the young girls at The Jetty. They come in and they’re so relaxed, they’re really present, they know their own voice. ‘I was a wreck of anxiety at their age, thinking everyone’s opinions were obviously so much better than mine.’
She added: “I would have found it much harder to bring my voice on stage when I was in my twenties. It’s a struggle to feel comfortable, to hold your own without conflict. It’s taken my generation a long time to achieve that” (pictured in Emmerdale in 2005).
The couple looked smitten as they walked hand in hand, with Jamie tenderly stroking her hair at several points.
While it wasn’t the first time she was seen wearing the ring, she typically wore it on a different finger, sparking speculation that the change was significant.
The actress previously dated Tom Hughes, who played her husband Prince Albert in ITV’s Victoria.
They met in 2013 on the set of BBC drama series Dancing On The Edge, but went their separate ways in 2020.
At the time it was reported that the couple were “terribly sad” about the end of their relationship, with the actress having moved into her own apartment and reportedly trying to “save a friendship”.
Images obtained by The SuTom is reportedly shown helping Jenna move into a new apartment, which is said to be miles away from the home they previously shared.
A source told the publication that the pair have since met in an attempt to keep things “as friendly and civil as possible.”
The source said: ‘They are trying to salvage a friendship but obviously these are tough times and it’s not easy.
Jenna is preparing to welcome her first child with director boyfriend Jamie Childs, 35 (pictured together last year)
Before Jamie, Jenna was in a relationship with bodyguard and Game Of Thrones star Richard Madden (pictured in 2015).
‘Both Tom and Jenna are terribly sad, but the relationship has continued. There was no third party involved.
‘Jenna’s career is going from strength to strength, she is being offered more and more roles abroad, especially in Los Angeles, and she wants to focus on that while she is still young.’
Their romance was a case of life imitating art for the couple who began dating in 2016 after meeting on set.
The romance between Jenna and Tom almost never happened, as the actress revealed that she turned down the role of the iconic monarch Victoria twice, before finally accepting the part.
The third season of the series hit screens in 2019, but ITV has not announced any plans for a fourth since then.
Speaking to Radio Times, Jenna said of the near miss: ‘I’d just finished nearly four years on Doctor Who and I didn’t want to do another long TV project.
“I wanted to do a lot of different things, but now that I’m doing Victoria, I find it quite addictive.”
Before Tom, Jenna was in a relationship with bodyguard and Game Of Thrones star Richard Madden.
The couple dated on and off for four years after getting back together in 2012.
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