Jennie Jacques

Jennie Jacques is an English actress who developed myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome after contacting Epstein-Barr virus in 2019. Jacques is best known for playing the role of Judith in the TV series Vikings.

ME/CFS
In 2019, Jennie Jacques was an fitness enthusiastic and competed in many grueling charity races and fitness events, in additional to her career as an accomplished actress, when she caught Epstein-Barr virus, which lead to her developing ME/CFS. Jacques was hospitalized twice with severe Epstein-Barr virus and associated viral hepatitis, which led to her developing M.E. Jacques became housebound with severely ill with M.E. at one point, but has since improved. In 2020, she wrote about using activity pacing with a heart rate monitor to help manage her symptoms.

"Jacques experiences 'post-exertional malaise' — a flare-up of pain, flu-like symptoms and exhaustion — after even minimal activity. It's a telltale symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), the debilitating condition that leaves patients profoundly fatigued and experiencing pain, dizziness, stomach problems and brain fog."

Charity work
Jacques, who has a younger sister who lives with seizures, has a long history of fundraising and advocacy for epilepsy charities. In 2020, she became an ambassador for the ME/CFS charities Open Medicine Foundation and Action for ME.

Talks and interviews

 * 2014, Coventry actress Jennie Jacques returns to TV screens as 1950s cop - Coventry Telegraph
 * 2014, Jennie Jacques exclusive interview - WPC 56 - Female First
 * 2017, Jennie Jacques & Georgina Higgins talk openly - The London Economic
 * 2021, Interview with OMF Ambassador and person with ME/CFS, Jennie Jacques - Open Medicine Foundation
 * 2021, Jennie Jacques on living with ME: 'I am a shadow of my former self physically' - The Times

Articles and blog posts

 * 2020, Purely Pacing - Jennie Jacques

Online presence

 * Twitter
 * Facebook
 * Instagram
 * Website
 * BakeforMECFS / Blog
 * YouTube

Learn more

 * Jennie Jacques - Open Medicine Foundation
 * imdb