About
BORN
Coventry
EDUCATION
Allesley Primary School, Coventry, UK
Sligo Grammar School, Sligo, Ireland
Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (degree in Zoology)
CAREER
1989-1992 After graduating second in her year at the prestigious Trinity College, Dublin, Jackie used her zoology degree to embark on a science career. Her first job was in animal breeding and genetics with the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau. She then became editor of five engineering journals at an Oxford publishing company before joining medical PR company MAC as a writer and editor.
1992-1995 After a move to the Channel Islands Jackie decided on a dramatic career change and began as a trainee newspaper reporter at the Jersey Evening Post. In 1995 she was offered a six month contract as a trainee TV reporter at Jersey's Channel TV, the smallest ITV station, where she learned how to bring her reporting talents into the medium of television.
1996-1998 A move back to the mainland led to a short stint at the Gloucestershire Echo newspaper. Jackie was then offered a job at ITV West in Bristol, initially as a general reporter then specialising in crime. She went on to become a regular newsreader for the station and co-presented ITV West crime series Crimestoppers Special and crime documentary Who Killed Louise?
1998 Ready for the big move into network TV, Jackie began a stint as a freelance reporter and presenter, working for Central Television, Five and GMTV.
1998-2008 Jackie got her big break when GMTV offered her a job. She spent over nine years with Europe's biggest breakfast show, initially as a reporter/producer and stand-in correspondent covering bureaux including Belfast, New York and LA. Later she was promoted to roving correspondent, covering major stories like the Kosovo crisis, Soham murders, 2004 Athens Olympics, Asian tsunami and disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Jackie also regularly stood in as a newsreader and GMTV Newshour presenter on the famous sofa.
2008 Jackie felt it was time to move on, so took the major decision to leave GMTV. She's now a freelance reporter and presenter for various broadcasters.
For the latest news about Jackie, click on the Updates page.