Coulson was born in Edmonton, London. She was a hairdresser for six years, before studying acting at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 1982. She went on to appear in such works as an experimental production of Hamlet, in which she played a 33-weeks-pregnant Ophelia. Her TV debut was in A Bear Behind, a 1989 children's series in which she and a puppet bear called Boz adventured around the country in their horse-drawn caravan and lived on a houseboat. Coulson's big television break came in 1993, when she became a household name after being cast in the part of Carol, the feisty battleaxe of the Jackson family, in the successful BBC serial drama EastEnders. She remained in the role for four years, but a desire to try her hand at other roles prompted her to quit the role in 1997. She returned to the show for six months in 1999 and won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Coulson went on to star in Out of Hours alongside John McArdle, but, after the medical drama failed to get commissioned for a second series, she rejoined EastEnders for a three-month stint to help facilitate the exit of Patsy Palmer, who played her on-screen daughter Bianca Jackson. During this spell, Coulson received the best dramatic performance at the British Soap Awards. Coulson went on to have roles in Clocking Off, Judge John Deed, Paradise Heights, Manchild, The Stretford Wives, Dalziel and Pascoe, Murder Investigation Team, The Last Detective, Urban Gothic and Where the Heart Is among others. She also appeared in a critically acclaimed film, AKA, which was shown at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival in 2003. On stage, Coulson has appeared in Snake at the Hampstead Theatre and has played Ophelia in Hamlet. She also starred in Lucky Heather on BBC Radio 4. In 2006, Coulson played Ann Peterson in the Jimmy McGovern drama The Street. Each episode focused on the stories of the people living in a particular house in the street. Coulson's on-screen husband Brian, a school teacher, was played by Neil Dudgeon. In 2007, Coulson starred in an episode of BBC New Tricks series 4 episode 4 "Nine Lives". Her character name was Caroline Baker. She played the role of Hester Reed in the BBC police dramaThe Inspector Lynley Mysteries: The Chinese Walls, and she also appeared in the series four episode of Doctor Who entitled "Midnight", in June 2008. Along with this, she starred in Three More Sleepless Nights at the National Theatre in 2009. The show ended on 27 August 2009. Despite saying in 2008 she would never return to EastEnders, it was announced on 25 October 2009 Coulson would reprise her role as Carol Jackson in EastEnders in 2010 with her on-screen family Natalie Cassidy, who played Sonia Fowler, Dean Gaffney, who played Robbie Jackson, and the character of Billie Jackson played by Devon Anderson. The Jackson family have now reunited with Patsy Palmer, who rejoined the soap in 2008 in her role of Bianca Jackson. Coulson made her onscreen comeback in February 2010. She has appeared in the ITV drama series The Level and The Bay.
Personal life
Coulson has been married twice. Her first husband was the showbusiness agent Philip Chard and the couple have a daughter. In 1996, the Sunday Mirror ran a story claiming that Chard had uncovered an alleged affair between Coulson and her EastEnders co-star, Michael French, who played David Wicks. Coulson has denied that she and French were romantically involved. In 1998 she commented, "Because our characters had an affair, they tried to make it a real life one and that was nonsense. He was a really good friend and we started on the show at the same time. Apparently two people of the opposite sex can't go out together without it being an affair, which is a shame". Following her split from Chard in 1996, Coulson began dating Harry Harris, the brother of Patsy Palmer, who plays her daughter Bianca in EastEnders.
