Jane Payne is a recurring character featured in the Apple TV+ series, Ted Lasso, and the wife of Coach Beard, played by the writer of the show, Phoebe Walsh.
A beautiful woman, she has been in a relationship with Coach Beard for three years ever since he moved to England. She is a very convincing person and considered to be manipulative by the fans and other characters. She seems to enjoy causing Coach Beard to suffer by playing mind games.
History[]
The Chess Master[]
Coach Beard met her at their Friday night chess club and she agreed to be his date to the 10th Annual Benefit for Underprivileged Children. During the event, Jane and Beard are playing chess without a board and flirting along the way. When Cam Cole starts playing music, she wants to dance but Beard wants to continue playing chess. At this point, Jane decides to leave him and goes dancing alone with other guests.
Beard sees Jane play chess with a man at The Crown & Anchor which makes him jealous. Even the pub regulars like Baz, Paul, and Jeremy notices it and make some comments. Beard calls Ted Lasso a selfish person for refusing to bench Roy Kent. His outburst is heard by everyone in the pub and prompts Jane to tell him that she is turned on by his ferocity. She and Beard leave the pub together.
Toxic Relationship[]
One night, Jane and Beard had a fight which made her throw his keys into the river. Beard has to sleep at the office and Ted remarks that their relationship reminds him of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner.
During the Christmas break, Jane and Beard are set to go to a Pagan Christmas ritual at Stonehenge even when they've broken up. Beard's excuse is because they bought the tickets beforehand and they're going as friends.
Jane and Beard get back together again and he announces it to the Diamond Dogs. While everyone seems nonchalant about it, Leslie Higgins voices his concern that their relationship is not a good idea. Beard seems offended that Higgins doesn't approve, but he runs away to call Jane when he finds out that she miss-called him twice. Higgins is worried that Beard and Jane's relationship is not healthy since Jane is very over-domineering. But Ted and Nathan Shelley say that it's none of their business and should leave the matter alone. Beard announces that Jane's roommate kicked her out of the house, so now she is moving into his home. Again, everyone seems to be okay about the news except Higgins.
Jane calls Beard and says that she's going to have coffee together with Finn, an underwear model who used to be in university together with her. It's apparent that she wants to make him jealous and it's working as he is wheezing after the phone call. Rebecca Welton mentions that Jane is a bit intense and lurks in the carpark. Keeley Jones says that Jane followed her to her house once and asked whether Beard was shagging Ted. After the team wins against Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Jane suddenly appears and surprises Beard; she remarks that she enjoys seeing him frightened. She talks about Finn without considering Beard's feelings, but she assures him that she likes him better.
Circle of Hell[]
Beard talks to Mae at the pub after their team lost to Manchester City F.C. and tells her that he and Jane broke up again because she refused to say "I love you" back. Jane tells him via text that she's at a club and sends him a picture of her standing in front of a neon cross, claiming she is atoning her sins, and asks him to join her. During the long night, Jane texts him again and says "I love you." but doesn't get any reply which angers her. She calls him 72 times but Beard doesn't pick up. Finally, Beard arrives in the club, and Jane looks at him, seems to be in love. They dance all night long, getting back together again.
At Rebecca Welton's father funeral, Beard talks to Jane via camera phone - she says she loves funerals. Beard then shows her the funeral process via his camera phone but closes it when Rebecca is giving some eulogy.
Beard mentions that he and Jane are back together again and they both attending the soft opening of Sam Obisanya's Nigerian restaurant, Ola's. They both spending the evening making out in front of everyone, but they just ignored them.
Dream Wedding?[]

Beard and Jane's wedding
Ted decides to move back to Kansas to be with his son, and Beard, being loyal to his friend decides to go too. Unfortunately, his passport was shredded by Jane to prevent him leaving the UK. Beard isn't worried as he has another passport anyway, so he will aboard the plane to US.
But when they are already on board on the plane, Beard has a change of heart. He admits to Ted that he loves Jane so much, and he wants to stay in England to be with her. Ted tells him to follow his heart, and Beard immediately pretends to be sick and gets carried out from the plane.
Beard and Jane gets married at the Stonehenge, and she is apparently pregnant, witnessed by their friends, colleagues, and Richmond team players including the regular patrons from The Crown & Anchor like Baz, Paul, and Jeremy. The only person who isn't attending the wedding is Ted, his best friend.
Notes[]
- Jane is one of the characters who is being panned as very toxic and manipulative, and when she and Beard gotten married in the finale, critics slammed both the storyline and her characterization, claiming that the show is promoting abuse in a relationship.
- The critics also criticized the wedding scene; not knowing whether the wedding itself is a figment of Ted's imagination or an actual wedding, especially with the heavy use of bad CGI.