Jacquie Beltrao was born Jacqueline Leavy on 21 April 1965 in Dublin, Ireland, and spent her childhood in Coventry, England. Her parents’ names have not been publicly disclosed. From a young age, Beltrao was inspired by Olympic gymnasts such as Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci to join the Marsden Gymnastic Club following the 1972 Munich Games. She went on to become the British Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion in 1983 and 1984, and made history as the first British rhythmic gymnast to qualify for the Olympics.

She studied sports science at Birmingham University and represented Great Britain in rhythmic gymnastics at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, placing 31st in the All-Around. After retiring from competitive gymnastics, she transitioned into broadcasting.

She joined Sky News in 1992, initially working as a publicist before evolving into the sports reporter and presenter role that would define her career. Over the years, she became one of the longest-serving television breakfast presenters at Sky News. As of 2025, Beltrao presents the weekend sports updates on Sky News Breakfast.

Beltrao made a public announcement on 31 December 2013 stating she had been diagnosed with breast cancer on Christmas Eve. On 26 June 2020, Beltrao announced on social media that her breast cancer had returned and took time away from presenting. She has since continued working at Sky News while undergoing treatment, and has become a powerful public advocate for secondary breast cancer awareness.

She lives with her husband Eduardo Beltrao and three children, Amelia, Tiago, and Jorge, in South West London.