Jason Watkins is back on our screens in 5’s new thriller, The Game, in which he plays a retired police officer who is haunted by a disturbing case he never solved: a serial killer who taunted his town and stalked his victims before mercilessly killing them.
The 62-year-old is a familiar face on our screens thanks to his long-standing film and TV career, and is best known for his roles in McDonald and Dodds, The Crown, and the Nativity films.
Away from the cameras, Jason is married to jewellery and fashion designer Clara Francis. But did you know that his ex-wife is also a famous name? Keep reading to find out more.
Jason Watkins’ famous wife
Before his relationship with Clara, Jason was married to fellow actress Caroline Harding.
The 63-year-old has appeared in a number of drama series and soaps over the years, including episodes of Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and Happy Valley.
She also played a recurring role in Doctors in 2014, and portrayed Sal in the Netflix sitcom, Hard Cell.
Jason and Caroline share two grown-up sons together, Freddie and Pip. Caroline has been married to Coronation Street star Chris Gascoyne since 2002.
Opening up about his relationship with his wife Clara, Jason revealed that the couple first met backstage at a production of Timon of Athens in 1991 and despite having feelings for one another, Jason went on to marry Caroline.
© James Gourley/Shutterstock“Clara and I were just friends at the time, but we had feelings for each other,” the actor told The Guardian in 2024.
“She was my dresser at the Young Vic when I was in Timon of Athens. But I also had feelings for Caroline [Harding], whom I later went on to marry and have a family with. We have two, now grown-up boys: we split up when they were young.”
© ITVJason welcomed three children, Maude, Bessie and Gilbert, with his wife Clara. In 2011, their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Maude, tragically died of sepsis. The couple are now patrons of Child Bereavement UK.
Jason’s relationship with his ex-wife
Jason and Caroline are on good terms, with the actor describing the relationship between the pair and their new partners as a “happy extended family”.
“Clara, Caroline and Chris, her new husband, and their daughter Belle, are close. We are a happy extended family, which in itself, is an amazing gift.”
Jason’s actor son Freddie
Freddie, one of Jason’s sons from his first marriage, has followed in his parents’ footsteps into the acting industry.
The young actor has appeared in episodes of Sex Education, Poldark, DCI Banks and The Five.
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