Charlotte in Sunderland: Meet the Crosby clan, including boyfriend Jake Ankers

The 32-year-old reveals all about her relationship, her pregnancy and helping her mum through breast cancer treatment.

Here’s what you need to know about Charlotte Crosby, her boyfriend Jake Ankers, her parents and much more…

Charlotte Crosby

Famous for her stints on Geordie Shore and winning Celebrity Big Brother, Charlotte Crosby is the star of Charlotte in Sunderland - and the bubbly, loud and glam centre of the family!

Charlotte started out on reality TV at just 19 - but this series will show a new aspect of her personality, she says.

“I do strongly believe that people are going to see a really different side to my life - and, I think, me as a person,” Charlotte says.

Charlotte, who has 8.4 million followers on Instagram and 1.2 million followers on TikTok, has also presented MTV’s Just Tattoo of Us and appeared on series six of Australia’s I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

The mum-of-one grew up in Sunderland, where she lives and also runs a fashion business.

Boyfriend Jake Ankers

Charlotte in Sunderland is Jake’s first TV appearance - and Charlotte says she’s excited for her fans to get to know him.

“My partner Jake hasn't been seen by really anyone,” Charlotte says. “And he's a pretty private person, so that's gonna be a really big main character that everyone's gonna get to know.

“Filming with Jake was very new, because he's never been on TV.

“But it was a really great experience, it was a better experience [than] I've had in the past with previous partners.

“He was dead nervous, but I hope he enjoyed it.”

Charlotte says she was attracted to Jake because he’s driven and ambitious - but he doesn’t care about social media. He wants to know the real me, rather than the public image, she says.

Charlotte saw him on Instagram and they had friends in common, so she slid into his DMs. At first, Jake thought he was being trolled, she recalls.

Before Jake moved in with Charlotte, she took him on a tour of her hometown, the house she grew up in and the school she went to. They went on to have a baby together, called Alba.

“We have a very, very good balance,” Charlotte says. “But the main thing is, we’ve got each other’s back.”

Charlotte Crosby’s parents Letitia and Gary

Fans of Charlotte will be familiar with parents Letitia and Gary, who are regular staples on other reality shows and social media. And Charlotte’s luxury home - known as Crosby Manor - is just up the road from her parents’ house.

Charlotte even runs her fashion business with her mum. Throughout the series, we see Charlotte and her mum support each other through pregnancy and cancer worries. Charlotte even credits her parents with supporting her during her traumatic ectopic pregnancy in 2016.

“The two people who got me through that were mum and dad,” she says.

There is conflict, though, like when Charlotte and her mum argue about the importance of remaining positive while dealing with the cancer news.

But ultimately, Charlotte says she is “best friends” with her mum. “She’s a pillar of strength,” Charlotte says.

Best pal Lauren

In the series, we also meet Charlotte’s good pal Lauren. The pair have known each other since they were 12 years old - and Charlotte calls Lauren her oldest and closest friend.

Charlotte turned to her friend Lauren on many occasions, including when she needed help with a fashion event and when dealing with the news of her mum’s cancer diagnosis.

Watch Charlotte in Sunderland on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.