The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
'' in 1998, by order of first appearance.
Maggie Veitch
Maggie Veitch (also known as Warder Veitch), portrayed by Susan Tordoff, was a prison guard who bullied
Deirdre Rachid
Deirdre Anne Barlow (also Hunt, Langton and Rachid) is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Anne Kirkbride. She made her firs ...
(
Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride (21 June 1954 – 19 January 2015) was an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in the ITV (TV network), ITV soap ''Coronation Street'', which she played for 42 years from 1972 to 2014. For this ...
). Her despicable acts were putting Deirdre in an asylum and not informing her of a phone call from her good friend
Mike Baldwin (
Johnny Briggs). Eventually, Deirdre's prison mate
Jackie Dobbs
Jackie Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' played by Margi Clarke. She was introduced in 1998, but written out in 1999 due to the personal problems of the actress who played her. Nine years late ...
(
Margi Clarke
Margi Clarke (born 25 May 1954) is an English actress and radio and television presenter. She had a leading role in the film ''Letter to Brezhnev'' (1985), a low-budget film which had an international release. Later, Clarke played Jackie Dobbs ...
) stood up for Deirdre by punching Veitch in the stomach on her behalf. Since then, Veitch wasn't cruel to Deirdre.
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper (née Harold Patterson) is a fictional character from the long-running
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
''. She made her first appearance on 26 January 1998, and is played by
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh (born 25 February 1970) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role, she won Best Serial Drama Perfor ...
. She is the first
transsexual
Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...
character in a British soap opera and was the first permanent transsexual character in the world of soaps. She is probably best known for her marriage to
Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by David Neilson. He first appeared on-screen on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by t ...
(
David Neilson
David Neilson (born 13 March 1949) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as cafe owner Roy Cropper in the long running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which he has played since 1995.
Early life
Neilson was born in Loughbor ...
). On 11 January 2013, Hesmondhalgh announced she had decided to quit ''Coronation Street'', and she filmed her final scenes on 18 November 2013. Hayley's exit storyline saw her take her own life after being diagnosed with terminal
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
. Her final appearance was aired on 22 January 2014. Hesmondhalgh has insisted that it was not a "right to die" storyline.
Morgan Middleton
Morgan Middleton played by Connor Chatburn,
is the son of Alan McKenna and
Fiona Middleton
Fiona Middleton is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Angela Griffin. The actress secured the role following an audition. She was sceptical that it would lead to much and initially presume ...
. His first appearance was during the episode broadcast on 2 February 1998. When Connor's mother Katrina was pregnant, her mother joked that she looked like
Angela Griffin
Angela Mellissa Griffin (born 19 July 1976) is a British actress and television presenter who has been active on British television since the early 1990s. She is best known for portraying the roles of Fiona Middleton in the ITV soap opera ''Cor ...
who plays Fiona. She contacted ''Coronation Street'' makers with the offer of having her son play Morgan following his birth. They accepted and two weeks after his birth Connor was on set playing the character.
[ In 2019, The character was reintroduced to the series with Corey Weeks taking on the role.
Fiona has a drunken one night stand with Jim McDonald, father of her ex-boyfriend, Steve. Her fling with Jim is revealed on her wedding day as Jim was worried that he was the father of the baby Fiona was expecting. Alan is so angry that he leaves Fiona and refuses to have anything to do with her or the baby, despite medical tests proving that he is Morgan's father. Steve is disgusted with Jim and gets back together with Fiona so he can help her bring Morgan up.
While ]Zoe Tattersall
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 1997, by order of first appearance.
Janice Battersby
Brad Armstrong
Bradley "Brad" Armstrong is the son of Terry Duckworth (Nigel Pivar ...
grieves over the death of her baby daughter, Shannon, she kidnaps Morgan and goes to the canal, intending to jump with him. However, she gives Morgan to a policeman, but panics and falls into the canal. However, Gary Mallett
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 1995, by order of first appearance.
Daniel Osbourne
Daniel Osbourne is the son of Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Denise Osbourne (Denis ...
rescues her. Fiona is furious at Zoe for kidnapping Morgan and decides to press charges, much to the anger of Zoe's then good friend, Ashley Peacock. When Fiona and Steve's relationship breaks down, Morgan and his mother leave Weatherfield.
More than 20 years later, Morgan attends the funeral of his stepfather, John Brooker (Noel White). When Morgan's half-sister, Emma
Emma may refer to:
* Emma (given name)
Film
* Emma (1932 film), ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown
* Emma (1996 theatrical film), ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* Emma (1996 TV film), '' ...
(Alexandra Mardell
Alexandra Mardell (born 27 July 1993) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Emma Brooker in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. For her portrayal of the role, she won the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer, and was nomi ...
) learns that John was not her biological father, Morgan admits he knew this and as a result is banished from the funeral by an angry Emma. Morgan returns three months later and meets with Emma and asks her if she will be joining him and Fiona in Melbourne for Christmas. Emma tells him that she wants to remain in Weatherfield with her biological father, Steve and her half-sister Amy Barlow for the festive season and will visit Fiona in the New Year.
Log Thwaite
Log Thwaite was the eco-warrior girlfriend of Spider Nugent
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' in 1997, by order of first appearance.
Janice Battersby
Brad Armstrong
Bradley "Brad" Armstrong is the son of Terry Duckworth (Nigel Piv ...
. She returns from South America having tracked Spider down and temporarily moves into Emily Bishop
Emily Bishop (also Nugent and Swain; originally credited as Miss Nugent) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Eileen Derbyshire, the character is the longest-standing female character in t ...
's home at No. 3 Coronation Street with Spider but a jealous Toyah Battersby
Toyah Habeeb (also Battersby) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Georgia Taylor. Toyah and her family were introduced to the serial by executive producer Brian Park in a bid to increase falling ...
drives them apart. Toyah allows Spider to catch Log eating a bacon sandwich she had prepared for Log, angering Spider who thinks that she is betraying her vegan principles.
Jackie Dobbs
Jacqueline "Jackie" Dobbs is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
''. She made her first appearance on 29 March 1998, and was played by Margi Clarke
Margi Clarke (born 25 May 1954) is an English actress and radio and television presenter. She had a leading role in the film ''Letter to Brezhnev'' (1985), a low-budget film which had an international release. Later, Clarke played Jackie Dobbs ...
. Jackie is the mother of Tyrone Dobbs
Tyrone Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Alan Halsall, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 30 November 1998 and is still a cast member over 20 years ...
(Alan Halsall
Alan David Halsall (born 11 August 1982) is an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Tyrone Dobbs in ''Coronation Street'', a role he has played since 1998.
Early life
Halsall was brought up in Walkden, Salford and attended Walk ...
), and was originally introduced as the cellmate of Deirdre Barlow
Deirdre Anne Barlow (also Hunt, Langton and Rachid) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Anne Kirkbride. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 November 1972 ...
(Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride (21 June 1954 – 19 January 2015) was an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in the ITV (TV network), ITV soap ''Coronation Street'', which she played for 42 years from 1972 to 2014. For this ...
). The character left in 1999, but returned again in 2008. Jackie then left again in 2009, before returning for the last time in 2010. She made her final appearance on 18 March 2010.
Greg Kelly
Gregory Paul "Greg" Kelly was played by Stephen Billington
Stephen Billington (born 10 December 1964) is an English actor, best known for playing Greg Kelly in ''Coronation Street'' (for which he won the 1999 British Soap Award for Villain of the Year).
Career
Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Billingto ...
. Greg was the long-lost son of Les Battersby
Leslie Nelson "Les" Battersby (formerly Battersby-Brown) is a fictional character of the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', who appeared from 1997 to 2007, played by Bruce Jones. The character is best known for his outspoken opinions ...
and is best known for his ultimately abusive relationship with Sally Webster
Sally Metcalfe (also Seddon and Webster) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Sally Dynevor. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 27 January 1986, when Kev ...
.
Greg was the result of a holiday romance between Moira Kelly and Les Battersby when he was working on a travelling fairground on the Isle of Wight. Les never kept in touch and it was not until Greg turned up in Weatherfield in April 1998 that Les even knew he had a son. Greg's early years were hard, but when he was around two, his mother started working for Harry Wood whom she subsequently married and he brought Greg up as his own. Moira told Greg about his past when he was 7, but it took Harry's death in September 1997 to spur Greg on to seek his natural father.
Greg previously had played football for Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
when they had been playing at their former ground, Victoria Ground
The Victoria Ground was the home ground of Stoke City from 1878 until 1997, when the club relocated to the Britannia Stadium after 119 years. At the time of its demolition it was the oldest operational ground in the Football League.
History
...
. A cruciate ligament injury however ended his footballing career, and so he followed Harry into the manufacturing and retail fashion business.
With his relationship with his less-than-exemplary biological father expanding, Greg became more involved in the happenings of the Street. He struck up a relationship with Maxine Heavey, the local hairdresser. Always looking for "something better" he had an eye for a business deal and prospective bed partner. Greg convinced Mike Baldwin to take him on as a business partner - he would suss out the deals and Mike would pay him on a commission basis. Mike, seeing this as a win-win proposition agreed. Greg went to work at the factory.
He soon turned his attentions to Sally Webster, who had just lost her mum. Sally had inherited £55,000 and this was very appealing to Greg. He was more interested in her money than her but set his cap to relieve her of some of it. He ended his relationship with Maxine after relieving her of her intended flat above the Corner shop. Sally left her husband Kevin and their daughters behind to enter into what she thought would be a commitment with a new, exciting man. Realizing that she needed her children with her, Sally and the girls moved into the one bedroom flat above the shop. It was a tight fit and one that Greg took an immediate dislike to but he needed Sally's money if he were to make a go of his new underwear venture so he tried to remember the girls' names (unsuccessfully) and play happy families. Greg did not want to be a parent and left the flat as often as he could. It became clear to all but Sally, that Greg was simply using her.
After stealing all the contacts from Mike's computer at the factory, he took Sally's money and started his own company. Mike, not easily taken, fought back and won the contracts back. By now Greg had opened a "shop" and had Sally as his secretary rather than business partner. He felt the "optics" would be better. The loss of the contracts proved a turning point in their relationship however. Unhappy with the living arrangements, and especially with the girls, Greg's temper simmered just below boiling point for weeks. Then upon discovering that Sally had inadvertently told Gail about the contracts, he exploded and hit her, blaming her for the loss.
Sally, stunned at the turn in the relationship, threatened to leave until Greg convinced her it was a one off and that it would not happen again. Of course Greg had spoken to his solicitor to find out what would happen if they broke up. The solicitor informed him that Greg needed Sally and her fast dwindling capital in order to stay in business. Greg needed to come up with another plan - one that would see him financially secure at the expense of Sally. The three of them were crowding his style as well as his apartment and he needed to be shut of the lot - Sally, Rosie and Sophie. But if he had to persevere, to achieve his goal of financial and personal freedom, he would.
It was a short-lived respite from the violence. After a second beating from Greg, Sally took the kids, and what remained of her bank account and fled to Rita's without looking back. Greg, having not paid his rent, was threatened with eviction from the pokey flat over the shop and his life careened out of control. Becoming more and more dishelved the suits looking less smart and his appearance slipping - he turned once again to Maxine who, after a short fashion, cottoned on to his scheme to finagle a free ride and accommodation until something better came along. She quickly sent him off and with nowhere else to go, he ended up at the Battersbys living with his father and his family.
Blaming Sally for all of his problems, Greg began stalking and threatening her. Sally lived in fear for her safety and that of her two young girls. Greg, drunk and unhinged, broke into Rita's apartment and threatened Sally that he would "make her pay for what she did". She escaped what looked to be her final beating, and fled to the safety of the Street. Greg left the Street, after stealing the last of the money from Janice Battersby's leccie tin, at the end of 1998. Greg made a return in May 1999 and held Sally and her two daughters hostage in their own home in an attempt to force her to help him blackmail Mike after he had proof that Mike had been seeing another woman behind his wife Alma's back. The police were called and in a last-ditch attempt to protect her daughters, she hit Greg over the head with a chair, knocking him out cold, the police then stormed the house and Greg was arrested. He was later charged with false imprisonment.
Edna Miller
Edna Miller first appears in September 1998, as she is interviewed by Jack
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
(Bill Tarmey
Bill Tarmey (born William Piddington; 4 April 1941 – 9 November 2012) was an English actor and singer, best known for playing Jack Duckworth in the soap opera '' Coronation Street''. First appearing in the role in November 1979, he played ...
) and Vera Duckworth
Vera Duckworth (also Burton) is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Liz Dawn. Vera is known for her long-standing marriage ...
(Liz Dawn
Sylvia Ann Ibbetson (''née'' Butterfield; 8 November 1939 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Elizabeth Dawn or Liz Dawn, was an English actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera ''C ...
) for the new job as barmaid in The Rovers Return Inn. Her immediate negativity is a turn-off and she fails to get the job. She reappears on 21 June 2000, when it is revealed that she has been working in packing in ''Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'' and is moved to the factory floor along with Karen Phillips
Karen Anne Phillips (born 4 May 1966), known after marriage as Karen Anne Higgison, was an Australian butterfly and individual medley swimmer of the 1980s, who won the silver medal in the 200-metre butterfly at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los ...
(Suranne Jones
Sarah Anne Akers (née Jones; born 27 August 1978), known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. She rose to prominence as Karen McDonald in ''Coronation Street'' between 2000 to 2004. Upon leaving, she furthered h ...
).
It is not long before Edna gets herself into trouble when she gives journalist Ken Barlow
Ken Barlow is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by William Roache. He was created by Tony Warren as one of ''Coronation Street''s original characters and December 2020 marked Ken's 60th annive ...
(William Roache
William Patrick Roache (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since it was first broadcast on 9 December 1960. He is listed in the ''Guinness World Records ...
) a story about the poor working conditions in the factory, which he then publishes in ''The Weatherfield Gazette.'' Factory owner Mike Baldwin ( Johnny Briggs) is livid at the publication and fires Deirdre Barlow
Deirdre Anne Barlow (also Hunt, Langton and Rachid) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Anne Kirkbride. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 20 November 1972 ...
(Anne Kirkbride
Anne Kirkbride (21 June 1954 – 19 January 2015) was an English actress, best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in the ITV (TV network), ITV soap ''Coronation Street'', which she played for 42 years from 1972 to 2014. For this ...
), believing her to be Ken's source. Eventually Edna admits that she is the mole and is fired from the factory.
The Rovers Return landlady Natalie Barnes
Natalie Horrocks (also Brownlow and Barnes) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Denise Welch. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 February 1997. She departed th ...
(Denise Welch
Jacqueline Denise Welch (born 22 May 1958) is an English actress, television personality, writer and broadcaster. Her roles include Natalie Barnes in ''Coronation Street'' (1997–2000), Steph Haydock in '' Waterloo Road'' (2006–2010), and ...
) then hires Edna as a cleaner in the pub in September 2000. She remains working there until her sudden death on 19 September 2001. In the days leading up to her demise, she claims that she can sense death and firmly believes that landlord Duggie Ferguson
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 1999, by order of first appearance.
Ian Bentley
Ian Bentley, played by Jonathan Guy Lewis, first appeared on 29 January 1 ...
( John Bowe) will soon meet his end. In a macabre twist of fate, Duggie finds Edna dead in his bed after a night of drinking in the pub. On 23 September 2001, Edna's funeral takes place and the Weatherfield residents meet her equally miserable sister Iris Merry.
Neil Flynn
Neil Flynn, played by Tim Dantay
Tim Dantay (born 1963) is a British actor who was born in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, ...
, made his first screen appearance on 31 August 1998.
When Neil was sent to prison for assault and GBH, he began sharing a cell with Ronnie Clegg (Dean Williamson). Years later, when Toyah Battersby
Toyah Habeeb (also Battersby) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Georgia Taylor. Toyah and her family were introduced to the serial by executive producer Brian Park in a bid to increase falling ...
(Georgia Taylor
Georgia Taylor (born Claire Jackson; 26 February 1980) is an English actress. Her TV roles include Toyah Battersby in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1997–2003, 2016–present), Ruth Winters in the BBC One medical drama series ' ...
) comes looking for Ronnie in London, Neil pretends to be him. Toyah stays with Neil for a couple of days, but when she realises that he is not Ronnie, she tries to leave. However, Neil stops her and ties her up. He then takes her to some woods, but when he is distracted, Toyah manages to escape and is found by her parents.
The storyline attracted the attention of the Independent Television Commission
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom (except S4C in Wales) between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003.
History
The creation of ITC, by the Broadcasting Act ...
, who believed that the episode featuring Neil's abduction of Toyah should have carried a warning before it was broadcast.
Ronnie Clegg
Ronnie Clegg, played by Dean Wiliamson, appeared on 4 September 1998.
Ronnie Clegg is the biological father of Toyah Battersby
Toyah Habeeb (also Battersby) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Georgia Taylor. Toyah and her family were introduced to the serial by executive producer Brian Park in a bid to increase falling ...
(Georgia Taylor
Georgia Taylor (born Claire Jackson; 26 February 1980) is an English actress. Her TV roles include Toyah Battersby in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1997–2003, 2016–present), Ruth Winters in the BBC One medical drama series ' ...
). Toyah's mother, Janice Janice may refer to:
* Janice (given name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
* ''Janice & Abbey'', a reality TV series
* Processor codename of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance Android smartphone
* Janice, Łódź Voivodes ...
(Vicky Entwistle
Victoria Entwistle (born 15 September 1968) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Janice Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''.
Early life
Entwistle grew up in Accrington; her father owned a newsagent ...
), threw him out in 1984 when Toyah was only two years old, calling him "Ronnie Clegg, useless dreg". He ended up in London, spending time in Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs (or simply Scrubs), is an open space in Old Oak Common located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the borough, ...
and sharing a cell with Neil Flynn
Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Janitor on '' Scrubs'' and Mike Heck in the ABC comedy series '' The Middle''. He has had notable appearances in television series, ...
(Tim Dantay
Tim Dantay (born 1963) is a British actor who was born in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, ...
). After his spell in prison he settled down and married a woman named Paula from whom he kept both his prison record and daughter a secret.
In August 1998 after a row with Janice and her stepfather Les Battersby
Leslie Nelson "Les" Battersby (formerly Battersby-Brown) is a fictional character of the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', who appeared from 1997 to 2007, played by Bruce Jones. The character is best known for his outspoken opinions ...
( Bruce Jones), Toyah runs away from home and decides to travel to London to find Ronnie and goes to his old address not knowing that Ronnie has since moved and his mate from prison Neil Flynn now lives there. Toyah, thinking Neil was her father, stays with him for a couple of days but eventually realises he is not Ronnie and tries to escape. However, Neil stops her and ties her up. He then takes her to some woods, but when he is distracted, Toyah manages to escape and is found by Les and Janice.
Ronnie appeared to live up to Janice's reputation as a selfish and useless father as he showed little concern for his daughter, caring only that his wife Paula didn't find out about his past. He also failed to alert Les and Janice that Toyah might have wound up with a dangerous and violent man before it was too late.
Dobber
Philip "Dobber" Dobson, played by John Donnelly, made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 4 October 1998. Dobber and Toyah Battersby
Toyah Habeeb (also Battersby) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Georgia Taylor. Toyah and her family were introduced to the serial by executive producer Brian Park in a bid to increase falling ...
(Georgia Taylor
Georgia Taylor (born Claire Jackson; 26 February 1980) is an English actress. Her TV roles include Toyah Battersby in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1997–2003, 2016–present), Ruth Winters in the BBC One medical drama series ' ...
) were involved in a notable storyline surrounding the subject of under-age sex. After a holiday romance, Dobber persuaded Toyah into losing her virginity to him in the back of his car. Tony Purnell from the ''Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
'' called Dobber "Mr Wrong", while the '' Daily Record's'' John Millar stated he was "one of the sleaziest characters to ooze across the cobbles of Weatherfield." He added "From the first instant we laid eyes on shifty Philip Dobson, we've known he's no good. But love is blind and so Toyah is prepared to do anything for what she believes is the man of her dreams."
Linda Sykes
Linda Sykes (formerly Baldwin), is played by Jacqueline Pirie
Jacqueline Chadwick (''née'' Pirie, born 10 October 1975) is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''Emmerdale'' (1994–1996) and ''Coronation Street'' (1998–2001), playing Tina Dingle and Linda Sykes ...
.
Linda arrived in 1998 and immediately found work as a machinist
A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who not only operates machine tools, but also has the knowledge of tooling and materials required to create set ups on machine tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling ...
at the ''Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
'' factory. She befriended fellow machinists Janice Battersby
Janice Battersby (also Lee) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997.
On 2 August 2010, it ...
(Vicky Entwistle
Victoria Entwistle (born 15 September 1968) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Janice Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''.
Early life
Entwistle grew up in Accrington; her father owned a newsagent ...
) and Alison Wakefield (Naomi Radcliffe
Naomi Radcliffe (born 1971) is an English actress. She was born in Oldham, Lancashire to Albert Radcliffe—a Canon of Manchester Cathedral—and Petrina, a teacher. She was educated at The Blue Coat School in Oldham and the Royal Welsh College ...
), becoming bridesmaid at Alison's wedding to Kevin Webster
Kevin Webster is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared on-screen during the ...
(Michael Le Vell
Michael Robert Turner (born 15 December 1964), known professionally as Michael Le Vell, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as mechanic Kevin Webster in the long-running ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', a ro ...
) in January 2000. She strongly disapproved of Hayley Cropper
Hayley Cropper (also Hayley Patterson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Julie Hesmondhalgh. The character first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 26 January 1998. Hayley was the ...
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh (born 25 February 1970) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role, she won Best Serial Drama Perfor ...
), as she was disgusted when she learned that Hayley was a transsexual
Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...
, but they later became friends.
Linda had a particularly tough background. Her mother, Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
(Melanie Kilburn
Sarah Melanie Jean Kilburn is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Laura Bryant in the ITV police drama series ''The Bill''. She also played the part of Sandra Conway, wife of CI Derek Conway in earlier episodes of The Bill. He ...
), walked out when Linda was young and she, being the eldest, had to help her father Ray ( Peter Guinness) raise her three younger brothers. When she was 15, her close friend, Karen Phillips
Karen Anne Phillips (born 4 May 1966), known after marriage as Karen Anne Higgison, was an Australian butterfly and individual medley swimmer of the 1980s, who won the silver medal in the 200-metre butterfly at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los ...
(Suranne Jones
Sarah Anne Akers (née Jones; born 27 August 1978), known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. She rose to prominence as Karen McDonald in ''Coronation Street'' between 2000 to 2004. Upon leaving, she furthered h ...
), moved in after she became estranged from her parents and they later went on to work as machinists in a factory called ''Wheelers''.
Shortly after her arrival, Linda's boss Mike Baldwin ( Johnny Briggs) and his ex-wife Alma
Alma or ALMA may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film
* ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922
* ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017
* ''Alma'' (play), a 1996 drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma ...
(Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie (born Shirley Anne Broadbent; 14 September 1935) is an English actress. She appeared in two of the ''Carry On'' films before being cast as Alma Halliwell in ITV soap opera, '' Coronation Street'', which she played on and off for ...
) separated, following the revelation of Mike's affair with a former prostitute named Julia. Linda comforted her boss, who was 33 years her senior, and they soon started sleeping together. They began an affair which culminated when Mike proposed marriage and she accepted, knowing that he was a millionaire entrepreneur. As they planned to marry, Mike got in touch with his son Mark Redman
Mark Allen Redman (born January 5, 1974) is an American former professional baseball left-handed starting pitcher.
Early career
A 1992 graduate of Escondido High School in California, he played baseball and football before attending The Master's ...
( Paul Fox) and invited him to the wedding. Linda took a shine to Mike's son, who was not much younger than her, and she soon began an affair with him. However, as the wedding day approached, Linda decided to end the affair with Mark so that her wedding could go ahead. Mark, however, was infatuated with his father's fiancée and was devastated by her brush-off, so much so, that he halted the wedding by not coming initially and dragging Linda out of the church to speak to her. Linda's bridesmaid, Geena Gregory
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 2000, by order of first appearance.
Amy Goskirk
Amy Goskirk is an ex-girlfriend of Dev Alahan's (Jimmi Harkishin) who follows him to Weat ...
(Jennifer James
Jennifer James is an English actress. She played the role of Geena Gregory in '' Coronation Street''.
References
External links
*Geena Gregory
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
English television actresses
{{en ...
), stalled the ceremony with a worried Mike standing at the altar alone while Mark proposed to Linda. She turned him down and returned to the church, telling Mike that he'd need to get a new best man as Mark had scarpered. Mark drowned his sorrows while Mike and Linda got married on 10 September 2000. However, Mark arrived at the wedding reception to tell his father that he and Linda had been having an affair. The bride admitted to Mike that, in a moment of weakness, she'd had a brief fling with Mark when he first arrived but it was over and she loved him more than anything else. Taking his new wife's side over his son's, an angry Mike disowned a devastated Mark and left for his honeymoon with Linda.
After returning, Linda did almost everything in her power to make her marriage successful and keep Mike happy, so that he would not throw her out for her infidelity. However, it soon became apparent that he still had a soft spot for his ex-wife Alma. This became more apparent when both Mike and Alma and other residents of the street were held hostage on 12 October 2000 at the supermarket Freshco's by two young thugs. The police eventually burst in and one of the young thugs was shot. However, when Linda arrived at the scene, she not only found her husband with his ex-wife, but also recognised that the thug who had been shot was her younger brother Dean Sykes (Ciarán Griffiths
Ciarán Joseph Griffiths (; born 3 March 1983) is an English actor. His role in television include Gary Best in ''The Bill'' and Micky Maguire in '' Shameless''.
Biography
Griffiths was born in Manchester to a Welsh father and Irish mother, an ...
). Accompanied by Mike in the ambulance, a devastated Linda held her brother's hand as he died. After that she swore revenge on Emma Watts
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 2000, by order of first appearance.
Amy Goskirk
Amy Goskirk is an ex-girlfriend of Dev Alahan's (Jimmi Harkishin) who follows him to Wea ...
(Angela Lonsdale
Angela Lonsdale ( Smith; 13 October 1967) is an English actress.
Biography
Born to a policeman father, Lonsdale trained at Brewery Youth Theatre at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. She took part in a large number of amateur productions, includ ...
), the police officer who shot him.
It was then that Mike was introduced to Linda's family at Dean's funeral. Linda was very cold and distant to all her family members, treating them as if she was now above them, and she was especially hard towards her mother Eve. However, after the funeral Linda managed to patch things up with her mother and Eve returned to the street with her, where she met and fell in love with Fred Elliott
Fred Elliott is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' played by John Savident. He made his first appearance during the episode airing on 26 August 1994. Savident quit the role in 2005 and Fred died on-scree ...
(John Savident
John Savident (born 21 January 1938) is a retired British actor, known for his numerous television roles, including his portrayal of Fred Elliott in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'' from 1994-2006. He is also known for his performance as ...
).
In February 2001, Mike confesses to her that his ex-wife Susan Barlow (Joanna Foster
Joanna Foster is a British actress active in theatre and television since 1978. On stage she created roles in the world premieres of Andrew Davies's ''Diary of A Desperate Woman'' (1979), Anthony Burgess's '' The Eve of Saint Venus'' (1979), and ...
) had his son Adam Barlow
Adam Barlow is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by actor Sam Robertson. He made his first appearance on-screen on 14 January 2001. Adam was played by Iain De Caestecker from the character's fir ...
twelve years earlier and didn't tell him about his existence, Linda was unimpressed.
Linda's marriage continued to go downhill as Mike learned that Alma was terminally ill
Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced he ...
with cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...
. This led to him caring for her and going on trips around the country with her, resulting in Linda embarking on an affair with a man named Harvey, one of Mike's clients, in May 2001. After being caught in the act by Mike in June 2001, Linda finally snapped and went round to Alma's to have it out with her. However, during their heated argument Alma collapsed and after calling an ambulance, Alma was diagnosed with kidney failure and carried upstairs to her bedroom by paramedics where she died in peace on 17 June 2001 with Mike, her best friend Audrey Roberts
Audrey Roberts (also Potter) is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Sue Nicholls. Audrey made her first appearance on 16 April 1979 and appeared on a recurring basis for three years until April 1982. ...
(Sue Nicholls
Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls (born 23 November 1943) is an English actress, known for her roles on British television in ''Crossroads'' (1964–1968), ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin'' (1976–1979) and, ''Rentaghost'' (1981–1984), a ...
) and Audrey's daughter Gail Platt
Gail Rodwell (also Potter, Tilsley, Platt, Hillman and McIntyre) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Helen Worth. The character first appeared on-screen on 29 July 1974. Gail is the daughter ...
(Helen Worth
Helen Worth (born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth; 7 January 1951) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Gail Platt in the ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', a role that she has played since 1974. In 2014, she rec ...
) by her side.
Linda was racked with guilt over the entire incident, and Mike soon made it clear that he could never trust her again. He announced that he wanted a divorce, but Linda was not prepared to go without a fight. After enduring months of heated arguments, Mike finally set his wife up by bringing his son Mark back to the street. As Linda prepared to rekindle their old romance, Mike walked in on them and triumphantly announced that their marriage was over.
They stayed together for an extra only for appearances sake as her mother was preparing to tie the knot with Fred. However, as the wedding took place on 5 September 2001, Mike made it clear to Linda that she would be gone by the end of the ceremony. He called a taxi for her and, along with Mark, dragged her from her hotel room to the taxi and sent her packing. She was never seen again.
After her departure, there was much debate over whether Mike had killed Linda and disposed of her body or not. Her car was found near the canal, and both her mother Eve and her brother Jimmy vowed to find her. However, Eve later discovered from her ex-husband Ray that Linda is alive and well and living in Dublin with a rich fiancé.
Tyrone Dobbs
Tyrone Sylvester Dobbs is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...
''. He is played by Alan Halsall
Alan David Halsall (born 11 August 1982) is an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Tyrone Dobbs in ''Coronation Street'', a role he has played since 1998.
Early life
Halsall was brought up in Walkden, Salford and attended Walk ...
, and made his first appearance on 30 November 1998. He has been in the soap for 23 years. Tyrone has been married to Molly Compton
Molly Dobbs (also Compton) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Vicky Binns, she debuted on 5 September 2005. Introduced as the daughter of a local baker, she is the love interest and l ...
(Vicky Binns
Victoria Jane Binns (born 27 August 1982) is an English actress, known for her two roles in the two veteran ITV soap operas ''Emmerdale'' and ''Coronation Street'' respectively. She had a lead role in ''Von Trapped'' opposite Caroline Quentin a ...
), who died in the tram crash, and has had relationships with Fiz Brown
Fiona 'Fiz' Dobbs (also Brown and Stape) is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Jennie McAlpine, the character first ap ...
(Jennie McAlpine
Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine (born 12 February 1984) is an English television actress, comedian and businesswoman. She is known for her role as Fiz Brown in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street''. She also took part in the seventeenth series of ...
) and Maria Connor
Maria Connor (also Sutherland) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Samia Longchambon. The character made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 May 2000. During her time ...
(Samia Ghadie
Samia Maxine Longchambon (''née'' Ghadie, previously Smith; born 13 July 1982) is an English actress. She has played the role of Maria Connor in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since 2000.
Early life
Samia Ghadie was born in Eccles ...
). In 2011, a love interest for Tyrone was introduced, in the form of Kirsty Soames
Kirsty Soames is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Natalie Gumede. She made her first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 September 2011.
On 21 February 2013, Gumede anno ...
(Natalie Gumede
Natalie Gumede (born 20 March 1984) is an English actress. She is known for playing Kirsty Soames in the ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', from 2011 to 2013. She previously played China in BBC Three comedy show ''Ideal''. She has also appe ...
). Kirsty began physically abusing and controlling Tyrone throughout the course of 2012, and in 2013, Kirsty was arrested and sentenced for her treatment of Tyrone.
Billy and Becky Mallett
William "Billy" Mallett and Rebecca Joyce "Becky" Mallett are the twins born to Gary (Ian Mercer
Ian Cameron Mercer (born 10 July 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Gary Mallett in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 1995 to 2000, having previously appeared in 1987 as Pete Jackson. His other television credits in ...
) and Judy Mallett
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' in 1995, by order of first appearance.
Daniel Osbourne
Daniel Osbourne is the son of Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Denise Osbourne (De ...
(Gaynor Faye
Gaynor Kay Mellor (born 26 August 1971), better known as Gaynor Faye, is an English actress and writer, best known for playing Judy Mallett in ''Coronation Street'' from 1995 until 1999 and Megan Macey in ''Emmerdale'' from 2012 until 2019.
...
) on Christmas Day 1998. Aged just nine months, the twins lose their mother when Judy dies from an embolism in September 1999 and Gary has to bring them up alone. A year later, Gary decides to move away and the family leave Weatherfield for Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
in October 2000.
Alison Webster
Alison Webster (also Wakefield), played by Naomi Radcliffe
Naomi Radcliffe (born 1971) is an English actress. She was born in Oldham, Lancashire to Albert Radcliffe—a Canon of Manchester Cathedral—and Petrina, a teacher. She was educated at The Blue Coat School in Oldham and the Royal Welsh College ...
, is the second wife of Kevin Webster
Kevin Webster is a Character (arts), fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared on-screen during the ...
(Michael Le Vell
Michael Robert Turner (born 15 December 1964), known professionally as Michael Le Vell, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as mechanic Kevin Webster in the long-running ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', a ro ...
). She is a friend of Linda Sykes
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'' in 1998, by order of first appearance.
Maggie Veitch
Maggie Veitch (also known as Warder Veitch), portrayed by Susan Tordoff, was a priso ...
(Jacqueline Pirie
Jacqueline Chadwick (''née'' Pirie, born 10 October 1975) is a Scottish actress. She is best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''Emmerdale'' (1994–1996) and ''Coronation Street'' (1998–2001), playing Tina Dingle and Linda Sykes ...
) and works with her as a machinist at ''Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
''.
She dates Kevin for a while and they eventually move in together, causing trouble with Kevin's ex-wife Sally
Sally may refer to:
People
*Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name
Military
*Sortie (siege warfare), Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port
*Sally, ...
(Sally Dynevor
Sally Jane Dynevor (née Whittaker; born 30 May 1963) is a British actress, she is best known for her role as Sally Metcalfe
Sally Metcalfe (also Seddon and Webster) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation St ...
) when their daughters, Rosie (Emma Collinge) and Sophie
Sophie is a version of the female given name Sophia, meaning "wise".
People with the name Born in the Middle Ages
* Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson
* Sophie of Thuringia, Duchess o ...
(Emma Woodward) seem to prefer being with Alison. Eventually Kevin, Sally and Alison sort things out and Alison introduces Kevin to her parents and they tell him that Alison is responsible for the accident that caused the death of her younger sister, Cheryl. Kevin, raising two daughters himself, makes it clear that he believes that Alison, a child herself at the time, is not responsible for her parents' neglect. Unsurprisingly, her parents do not react well.
They eventually marry and look forward to the birth of their first child but when she learns that her newborn son, Jake, died from a Group B streptococcal infection
Group B streptococcal infection, also known as Group B streptococcal disease or just Group B strep, is the infection caused by the bacterium ''Streptococcus agalactiae'' (''S. agalactiae'') (also known as group B streptococcus or GBS). GBS infecti ...
that he probably caught from her during delivery, she has a breakdown. Sadly, a combination of grief and the guilt that she feels about her sister's death lead her to snatch newborn Bethany Platt
Bethany Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She was born on-screen during the episode broadcast on 4 June 2000. She was played by Mia Cookson in 2000 and by twins Amy and Emily Walton from 2000 ...
(Mia Cookson). When found together, Kevin persuades her to give Bethany to him and then she commits suicide by throwing herself under a passing lorry.
References
{{Coronation Street characters, year, state=expanded
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
*, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford.
Origi ...