[1] She was known for her role as Caroline Sterling in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers.

Coward was born and raised in Eltham, south-east London and attended the girls' grammar school in the area before reading English and Drama at Bristol University and then studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

[1] She also appeared in the TV productions Inspector Morse, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Rumpole of the Bailey.

[4] She underwent a mastectomy; however, a lump was found in her neck afterwards and she was further diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016.

[1][5] During her last weeks, Coward launched a campaign named SM:)E ("smile") to encourage people to be friendly and kind to each other.