Greg Kelly (Coronation Street)
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For the FOX Network news correspondent, see Greg Kelly
| Coronation Street character | ||||||||||
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| Greg Kelly | ||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Stephen Billington | |||||||||
| Duration | 1998-1999 | |||||||||
| First appearance | 1 April 1998 | |||||||||
| Last appearance | 16 May 1999 | |||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1972 | |||||||||
| Status | Single | |||||||||
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Gregory Paul "Greg" Kelly was a fictional character in British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Stephen Billington. The character was most famous for being the long-lost son of Les Battersby and for entering an ultimately abusive relationship with Sally Webster.
[edit] Storylines
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 (or Warrington, depending on which script you read). Les never kept in touch and it wasn't 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.
Allegedly Greg played football for Stoke City "some time ago when they were in the First Division, playing at the Victoria Ground" - but they've only been in the First Division for the last two seasons, and the last one of those was played at the new Britannia Ground ! A cruciate ligament injury put paid to 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 less interested in her than he was in her money and set his cap to alleviate her of some of it. He severed his relationship with Maxine after relieving her of her intended flat above the Corner shop. Sally left Kevin and the girls behind to enter into what she thought would be a commitment with a new, exciting man. Realizing that she needed the girls with her, Sally took the girls from Kevin and moved them 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 the 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 wouldn't 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 no where 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 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. His current whereabouts are unknown.
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