List of Coronation Street characters (2013)

Coronation Street is a British soap opera first broadcast on Friday 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2013, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by series producer, Phil Collinson or his successor, Stuart Blackburn.^[1] Faye Windass' biological father, Tim Metcalfe, arrived in January, while Steph Britton and Eric Babbage made their debuts in February. In April, former Waterloo Road actress Katie McGlynn joined the cast as Beth Tinker's niece, Sinead. The year's first baby, Jake Windass, arrived in May. He was followed by Lily Platt in August. September saw the introduction of Grace Piper. Kal Nazir, Ritchie de Vries, Andrea Beckett and Maddie Heath made their first appearances in December.

Tim Metcalfe

Timothy Osmond "Tim" Metcalfe, played by Joe Duttine, made his first screen appearance on 21 January 2013.^[2][3] Tim is the biological father of Faye Windass (Ellie Leach).^[4] The character was revealed to be entering the show in August 2012 by series producer, Phil Collinson.^[5] He stated "We know that Faye's mother is dead, but there's a father out there somewhere and he's going to come along and challenge things for Anna."^[5] On 13 January 2013, it was announced that Joe Duttine had been cast in the role of Tim.^[3]

Steph Britton

Stephanie "Steph" Britton, played by Tisha Merry,^[6] made her first screen appearance on 18 February 2013. Steph arrives in Coronation Street alongside Megan Smithson (Amy Dolan) to visit their friend Katy Armstrong (Georgia May Foote). They meet to discuss Steph's upcoming 18th birthday party at The Bistro. During the party, both Steph and Megan flirt with Ryan Connor (Sol Heras). Steph later "makes a play for Ryan", making Katy jealous.^[7]

On 10 August 2013, a reporter from TV Magazine announced that producers were impressed with Merry's portrayal of Steph and signed her up to join the regular cast. She returned at the end of 2013 and the reporter warned viewers that Weatherfield had better "watch out".^[8] Foote later told a reporter from Inside Soap that viewers should expect Steph and Katy to cause "lots of mischief" together.^[9]

It was announced on 6 August 2015 that James Atherton had been filming with Coronation Street as the ex-boyfriend of Steph, Jamie. A storyline was then teased as something to effect both Steph and Luke.^[10] On 1 October, it was announced that Steph would be involved in a new "shocking" storyline. The storyline will see Jamie manipulate Luke by posting intimate pictures of Steph online, a real-life issue called revenge porn.^[11] The storyline will begin when Luke's girlfriend Maria Connor (Samia Ghadie) puts a stop to his and Jamie's racing car scheme and Luke agrees, angering Jamie. He then takes action and posts the pictures online, which leaves a "devastating effect" on Steph, with her "emotional turmoil set to shock viewers". Coronation Street bosses are aiming to reflect that the issue, that was made illegal in early 2015, is still a "ongoing issue in wider society".^[11]

In November 2013, Steph gets a job at the Bistro as a waitress and makes a good impression on Gloria Price (Sue Johnston) and Gail Platt (Helen Worth). In March 2014, Steph's brother Luke (Dean Fagan) arrived on the Street and is now working at the garage with Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall).

Steph becomes good friends with her flatmate Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) and serves as a confidante when she is struggling during her affair with Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne). Steph tries to convince Tina that Peter isn't worth it but she won't listen. She is devastated when Tina is pushed off a balcony and beaten with a metal pipe by Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis), and visits her in hospital. She is distraught when Tina later dies from her injuries.

At the end of 2014, Steph enters a relationship with Andy Carver (Oliver Farnworth), who is pretending to be the son of Michael Rodwell (Les Dennis). She discovers Andy's secret, however, she stands by him and supports him as they both love each other. However, the real Gavin Rodwell (Mark Holgate) soon arrives in Weatherfield and demands a large amount of money from Andy and Steph for him to keep silent. They raise the cash, but problems later appear when Gavin reveals to Michael's fiancée Gail McIntyre (Helen Worth) that Andy has been lying. Gail becomes embroiled in Andy and Steph's deceit and they are later informed that the real Gavin has died in a car accident. When the lies become too much for Steph and realises that Andy is mainly looking out for himself, she ends their relationship. Later on, when she believes that Andy is leaving Weatherfield, Steph frantically tries to contact him but he turns up at her flat and the pair reconcile.

Eric Babbage

Eric Babbage,^[6] played by Timothy West, made his first screen appearance on 18 February 2013.^[12] The character and West's casting was announced on 18 December 2012.^[12] When asked if he had always been interested in appearing in Coronation Street, West replied "Well I thought 'if Ian McKellen can do it then it's good enough for me!"^[13] The actor went on to reveal that the role of Eric appealed to him, as he could not stay long term and the story had "a definite end to it".^[13]

Marion McMullen from the Coventry Telegraph reported that Eric is a carpet salesman, who will be introduced as Gloria Price's (Sue Johnston) new love interest.^[12] West explained that Eric is a lonely man who works in a boring business. He has some money and wants to spend it by going on a round the world trip, with some company.^[13] Eric met Gloria on holiday and they got on well, but he has started to realise that she might not be all that she seems.^[13] When Eric meets Gloria's family, he finds himself drawn to her granddaughter, Eva (Catherine Tyldesley), because she is unhappy.^[13] West said: "He doesn't want to have a sexual relationship with her at all, he is far too old for one thing. But he does think that they might have some fun together seeing the world. She is funny and intelligent. He sees vulnerability in her that others don't, he doesn't really see the harder side of her."^[13] Eric offers to take Eva around the world, as he feels that it would benefit the both of them.^[13] Eric becomes "something of a father figure" to Eva and she is devastated when he later dies.^[14]

Gloria starts planning a lavish funeral for Eric, assuming that he has left her something in his will. Unfortunately, his solicitor arrives with Eric's wife, Doris, and reveals that not only had they never divorced but she would inherit everything as Eric hadn't changed his will. Doris refused to take over the funeral, threatening a pauper's funeral, so Eva shames Gloria into downgrading the plan slightly so they could pay for it between them. Eva sold a necklace that Eric gave her and Gloria sold her engagement ring so they could give him the send-off they felt he deserved.

Sinead Tinker

Sinead Tinker, played by Katie McGlynn, made her first screen appearance on 19 April 2013.^[15] The character and casting was announced on 22 February 2013.^[16] Sinead is the niece of established character Beth Tinker (Lisa George).^[16] A writer for the serial's official website revealed that Sinead might catch Chesney Brown's (Sam Aston) eye following her arrival.^[16] The writer stated "Will new girl Sinead be his light at the end of the tunnel?"^[16]

Jake Windass

Jake Windass (briefly known as Joe McIntyre) played by twins Layton and Harley,^[17] is the son of Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Izzy Armstrong (Cherylee Houston). He made his first screen appearance on 27 May 2013.^[18] On 23 April 2013, Peter Dyke and Katie Begley from the Daily Star reported that Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan), who was acting as Gary and Izzy's surrogate, would give birth to a boy two months early in The Rovers.^[19] Gary and Izzy decide to name the baby Jake. Their son is forced to stay in hospital because of his small size.^[19]

After suffering a miscarriage, Izzy approaches her sister Katy (Georgia May Foote) to carry a baby for her, as Izzy worries that, because of her disability, the pregnancy will be a struggle for herself and the child. As the plans progress, Katy backs out and Tina McIntyre offers to be their surrogate instead, after Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) offers to pay her for doing so. During the pregnancy, Izzy feels left out, while Gary became infatuated with Tina and tries to kiss her. When Tina eventually tells Izzy what happened, the resulting argument and stress causes Tina goes into labour two months early. She gives birth to a boy with Izzy and her ex-boyfriend Tommy Duckworth (Chris Fountain) by her side. Gary and Izzy decide to name their son, Jake. Jake develops an infection in his intestine and undergoes surgery, which is successful. Tina later announces that she is keeping Jake and decides to rename him Joe, after her father. When Izzy decides to give up the fight for Jake, Tina realises how much she and Gary love him. She then gives Jake back to them.

Lily Platt

Lily Platt is David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Kylie Platt's (Paula Lane) daughter.^[20] She made her first screen appearance on 26 August 2013.^[21] That same month, actress Michelle Keegan, who played Tina McIntyre, accidentally posted copies of a future script, which revealed Lily's father to be David.^[22] Lane said she was enjoying working with the babies who play Lily, calling them "lovely".^[20] She explained "They're still really small so you've got to be really careful with them, because they're so delicate. But they're very well-behaved and one of the babies actually had a close-up shot the other day where she suddenly opened her eyes. I think we've got a natural there."^[20]

Kylie has a one-night stand with David's brother Nick (Ben Price) on Christmas Day 2012. She finds out she is pregnant shortly after and is unsure whether the father is Nick or David. David later discovers Kylie and Nick's fling after overhearing Kylie talk about the affair to Gail and realises that the baby may not be his. Kylie goes into labour at home and is found by Sean Tully (Antony Cotton). David's mother Gail (Helen Worth) arrives and helps Kylie deliver a daughter, who is named Lily. Nick is in hospital in a coma, after being injured in a road accident caused by David, at the time of Lily's birth. After Nick regains consciousness and finds out about the birth and wanting to know whether or not he is the father, he tells David to get a DNA test on Lily. David is relieved when the test results reveal that Lily is his daughter. On the day of Lily's christening, David's responsibility for Nick's accident and the previous hate campaign against him, are revealed and Kylie tells David to stay away from Lily. Kylie then decides to raise Lily by herself with Gail's help. Lily continues to live at Number 8 with her mother, grandmother and half-brother Max (Harry McDermott). In January 2014, Kylie gets drunk and falls asleep whilst cooking, putting Max and Lily's lives at risk. David breaks into the house and turns the oven off. He rows with Kylie for putting the children's lives at risk but comforts her when she breaks down in tears. The couple reconcile and Lily has both her parents in her life again.

Grace Piper

Grace Piper, played by Ella-Grace Gregoire, made her first screen appearance on 13 September 2013.^[23][24] The character and casting was announced on 22 August 2013.^[23] Gregoire successfully auditioned for the role after she was talent spotted at the Scream Theatre School in Blackpool.^[24] Of her casting, Gregoire commented "I couldn't believe it when I got the part. Now I am mixing with all the other actors who I have been watching for years."^[23]

Grace is introduced as a friend of Faye Windass (Ellie Leach). She was described as a "troublesome teenager" by David Sharman from the Blackpool Gazette, while a writer for the Scream Theatre School called her "manipulative" and said she would cause "mayhem".^[23][24] A Coronation Street spokesperson stated that Grace would come across as being lovely at first, but she soon wraps the adults round her finger and starts causing trouble.^[24] Faye's mother, Anna Windass (Debbie Rush), is "instantly wary" of Grace and believes she is up to no good.^[24] The spokesperson added that it is not long before Grace gets Faye into trouble.^[24]

Grace is first seen at Faye Windass' (Ellie Leach) house. Despite coming across as charming and polite, she later tells Faye she will be able to get what she wants by being nice to Anna. When Faye tells her she doesn't like Tim's girlfriend Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor), she steals £5 to make it look like Sally has not paid Anna at the café. She later puts the money back and tells Anna she saw Sally drop the money, forcing Sally to apologise. Grace continues to cause trouble for Sally when she tells Faye to tell her dad that she left them on their own, despite the fact that she was the one who asked Sally to get them some sweets. This results in an argument between Sally and Tim.

Although Grace continues to charm Anna, Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) and Sally begin to suspect that she is a bad influence on Faye. Their fears are confirmed when Grace and Faye throw stones at Mary Taylor's (Patti Clare) motor home. The two girls deny the incident, although Owen assures Mary he knows what is going on. Grace then manipulates Faye into throwing a Halloween party and uses the opportunity to annoy Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) by turning up the music. Nick, who had recently suffered brain damage, ends up shouting and having a breakdown. Grace then convinces Faye to again throw stones at Mary's camper van.

When Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) asks Faye to walk her dog, Grace uses the situation to bully Simon Barlow (Alex Bain). After smashing a pot at the house, she then tells Faye to put Simon into one of Amy Barlow's dresses and films it. She then threatens Amy and Simon not to tell anybody what has happened, although Simon tells his stepmother Leanne Tilsley (Jane Danson). Although Faye and Grace deny any wrongdoing, a video late emerges and both girls are reported to the police. Grace's mother remains uninterested after hearing about what has happened, and blames Faye. At the police station, Faye finally admits Grace was the one who was in control of the situation and she has been threatening her to misbehave. Grace is later seen at the police station with her mother.

Pat Phelan

Patrick James "Pat" Phelan, played by Connor McIntyre, made his on-screen debut on the 2 October 2013. After a three episode stint he returned in December that year and was involved in a storyline where he blackmailed the Windass and Armstrong family after being attacked by Gary Windass (Mikey North). This caused the family to go into debt and Phelan later left the show on 14 April 2014.

Phelan was a client of Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies), and temporarily became his business partner. When he refused to pay Owen for a job, Owen soon discovered that Phelan was bankrupt. Owen then attempted to get the money out of Phelan's wife Valerie, however she refused to pay. Owen and Gary broke into Phelan home, stole his motorbike and locked it away at the building yard. Phelan eventually decided to pay up what he owed and seemingly called it quits.

A few days before Christmas, Phelan turned up at 6 Coronation Street in order to put forward a business proposition to Owen, offering him a flat-conversion contract and wanting Owen to front the project as he was bankrupt. Owen's partner Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) wasn't pleased and didn't want Owen to agree. However, a couple of weeks later Phelan and Owen met up to discuss the deal with Phelan telling Owen that he needed £80,000 upfront for the costs but guaranteed that he would make over £200,000 profit. Owen decided to talk the arrangement over with Anna with Phelan stating that he would give Owen twenty-four hours to think things over. Despite family reservations, their business partnership was agreed.

When Owen realised that Phelan didn't put his share into the account he tried in vain to contact Phelan and believed that Phelan may have conned them. Phelan later turned up at the building yard and revealed that the money was already in the account, much to Owen's embarrassment. Anna then went round to Phelan's house to apologise for having a go at him, but later felt uneasy in his presence and left. During numerous meets with Phelan and Valerie, Anna felt increasingly awkward - especially on one occasion when Phelan had stroked her across the back and kept complimenting her appearance.

Anna decided to settle the score and invited Phelan round to No.6 to tell him to back off. However Phelan, seemingly oblivious to her demands, began to accuse her of trying to come onto him. He appeared to try and make a move on her, but soon left leaving Anna worried. That night she backed out of another meeting with the Phelans at Nick's Bistro, feigning illness. When Gary found out about Phelan's inappropriate advances towards his mother, he approached Phelan at the site after all the workers had left and began questioning him about what went on. Phelan then began goading Gary, accused Anna of being a tart and the pair got into a fight; Gary hit Phelan over the head with a plank of wood and knocked him unconscious. Believing that he had killed Phelan, Gary summoned Owen to the site but they quickly discovered there was no sign of him.

Phelan turned up again a few of days later, proving that he was alive and well. At the building site the following day, he took Gary and Owen into the site office and revealed the CCTV footage which showed Gary attacking him. Phelan assured both Gary and Owen that he had further copies, and then demanded that they either completed the work for a minimum wage gleaning no profit or he would hand the CCTV footage in to the police. Owen complied to Phelan's orders despite Gary's reluctance, as Owen didn't want his grandchild without a father figure if Gary were to be sent down.

Phelan delighted in overworking Owen and Gary, who began to take their frustrations out on their family. Gary, deciding to get a measure of revenge on Phelan and to try and make a bit of money back, stole a shipment of tiles from him. However Phelan found out it was Gary due to his poor attempt to cover his tracks and told Owen that, in exchange for him not going to the police, he had to agree to forfeit the £80,000 he invested in the job. Owen was furious, but felt he had no choice to agree. Phelan then twisted the knife by arranging for Owen to be removed from the council's list of approved builders, effectively blacklisting him which meant he could no longer get any independent work. Anna visited Phelan after realising what strain his actions were causing to her family, and he gave her proposition: to have sex with him and he would let Gary and Owen go from the project. Although disgusted, Anna went along with Phelan's plans out of desperation and met him at the Dunford Hall Hotel where the two slept together. After spending some time with him, a dirty and angry Anna left after Phelan laughed and teased her. The next day he told Owen and Gary to go home, and got Owen to sign a form releasing him from the project. However he refused to pay back Owen's investment, leaving him with a loan he was going to struggle to pay back.

In June 2014, Phelan sent the Windass household a postcard from Dubai in an attempt to rub his glory in further. Around this time Anna admitted to Owen that she had slept with Phelan in order for him to leave the Windass family alone. The revelation drove the couple apart as Owen was disgusted by her actions.

In November 2015 it was announced that Connor McIntyre will be reprising the role^[25] and Phelan will return on-screen in January 2016.^[25]

Kal Nazir

Khalid "Kal" Nazir, played by Jimi Mistry, made his first screen appearance on 8 December 2013.^[26] The character and Mistry's casting was announced on 2 July 2013.^[27] The actor began filming his scenes in September.^[27] Of Mistry's casting, series producer Stuart Blackburn commented "I'm thrilled to welcome Jimi to Coronation Street. With credits that include East Is East, The Guru and Blood Diamond, getting him on board is a real coup. Jimi's character is going to have a swift impact on the lives of many in Weatherfield."^[27]

Khalid, better known as "Kal", is a friend of Gary Windass (Mikey North), who has gone from being an ex-squaddie to a personal trainer.^[27] Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy reported that Kal will "set tongues wagging and pulses racing" when he arrives.^[27] The character has been called "charming" and "roguish".^[27] While his wandering eye may cause some upset with certain male residents.^[27]

On 17 March 2015, it was announced that Mistry would be leaving Coronation Street as part of a dramatic storyline later in the year.^[28] Of his exit, Mistry stated "When I was told about this storyline I felt it was a brilliant way to say goodbye to Kal and I am really looking forward to filming my departure scenes. I have had a fantastic 18 months on Coronation Street but I never saw myself staying around forever, my life is in London and I enjoy playing a variety of roles."^[28] Kal died in a fire at the Victoria Court flats on 28 May 2015, with Mistry describing his final scenes as "fantastic", "I was really pleased when I got the scripts because it's the biggest fire the show has had. It's a very busy week on TV for it as well - it will get some good viewing figures hopefully!"^[29] Mistry also said how he has enjoyed himself in his time on the show, "I've said on record before that the Corrie family is a very special one. Everyone makes you feel welcome. It's a really good feeling and a really good atmosphere. It's just great working there. They've got a really good ship going - really tight and they're producing some great work."^[29] The episode was watched by 8.4 million viewers on the night of its broadcast, the highest rating the show had seen since the mini-bus crash in January 2015 as well as the most-viewed programme of that day.^[30] The Victoria Court fire and the twist that saw Kal and Maddie Heath (Amy James-Kelly) received a nomination on the Inside Soap Awards 2015 longlist,^[31] with the latter receiving a nomination on the shortlist as well.^[32]

It was announced that Kal's death would be the result of a child-parent violence storyline between Leanne and her son Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) as Simon begins attacking Leanne. Producer Stuart Blackburn said: "Simon's been through so much, with losing Kal, it's another male figure in his life who's gone. Simon is going to take it really, really hard."^[33] Blackburn also revealed that Kal's family would not be leaving following his exit and that they would continue appearing.^[34] Sair Khan (who plays Kal's daughter Alya) revealed that Alya would "lose control" and not cope following Kal's death, "I think the grief is too much for Alya, so she doesn't deal with it in the way she expects to. She can't be there for her family in the way that she wants to be there."^[35]

When Gary Windass hears Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) complaining about being unfit, he tells him about his friend Kal, who is a personal trainer. Although Dev rejects the idea, Gary arranges a meeting with Kal anyway. After talking things over, Dev accepts Kal's help. Kal tells Dev that he also has two children and that his wife died. Kal meets Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) in the bistro and offers to help him get into shape after his recent brain injury. Nick angrily rejects Kal's offer, but later asks for his help and Kal agrees to take him on. Kal and Dev discuss the idea of opening a gym and later look at a property on Victoria Street. It also becomes clear that Stella fancies Kal, although Dev expresses an interest in her.

Kal begins to develop feelings for Leanne (Jane Danson), Nick's wife from whom he is separated, who initially turns down his advances as she believes that starting a relationship would hurt Nick, especially in his mental state. Kal's father Sharif (Marc Anwar) notices Kal's feelings for Leanne and quizzes her sister Eva (Catherine Tyldesley), who reveals to him that Leanne is an ex-prostitute. Sharif warns Kal that he should not move on quickly, for the sake of his children, who are still grieving over their deceased mother. Kal denies that he has any feelings for Leanne. Leanne's feelings for Kal grow over time, with them kissing after he steps in as a topless waiter in the Bistro. However, Nick professes to Leanne that he still loves her and later hugs her in the street, which Kal sees. Soon after, in the gym, Nick tells Kal that Leanne has given him another chance, leaving him devastated. However, in the Bistro, Leanne tells Kal that she only said she would give him another chance because she felt it would break his heart if she didn't. Sharif double-books Nick and Steve (Simon Gregson), who is training for a charity fun run, so Nick and Steve decide to train with Kal together. Overcome with jealousy, Kal begins to overwork Nick. Whilst boxing with pads as part of their training, Kal pushes Nick so hard that he loses his temper, shouts at him and inadvertently punches Steve in the face. He later apologises to Nick's mother Gail, who is furious with Kal as being pushed to the limit will make Nick's mental state deteriorate again. Nick asks Leanne to have dinner with him at the Bistro on their night out to test new food. But, worried that Nick will get the wrong idea, Leanne asks Eva to come as well. Nick, still unaware that he fancies Leanne, asks Kal to the dinner as well. After the dinner, Kal goes to Leanne's flat where they kiss. When Tina is found on the street after her attempted murder, Leanne tells Nick that she was alone. But later, Kal mentions to Nick that he was with Leanne and so Nick asks if they are seeing each other. Kal tells him that they are. Nick is livid and later storms round to Leanne and Eva's flat to tell Leanne that she is sacked from the Bistro.

Ritchie de Vries

Ritchie de Vries, played by Robin Askwith, made his first screen appearance on 11 December 2013.^[36] The character and Askwith's casting was announced on 30 September 2013.^[37] The actor began filming his first scenes the day of the casting announcement.^[37] Ritchie is a "veteran rocker" and close friend of Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie). Dennis used to represent Ritchie "at the height of his fame".^[37] When Dennis meets up with Ritchie, he realises how much he loved the music industry and decides to become Ritchie's manager again.^[37] However, it soon becomes clear that the business arrangement means nothing to Ritchie, who starts to treat Dennis as more of a roadie.

Andrea Beckett

Andrea Beckett,^[38] played by Hayley Tamaddon, made her first screen appearance on 23 December 2013.^[39] The character and Tamaddon's casting was announced on 4 October 2013.^[40] Series producer, Stuart Blackburn, commented "I'm absolutely delighted to welcome Hayley to the show. She's a great actress who I know is going to bring plenty of drama to the famous cobbles of Weatherfield."^[40] Andrea is a classmate of Steve McDonald's (Simon Gregson), who decides to go back to school. Andrea and Steve become friends and she will "cause a stir" as Steve's girlfriend Michelle (Kym Marsh) becomes suspicious of their friendship.^[40] Tamaddon said Andrea is a ladette, who enjoys drinking beer and playing darts.^[38] It was later announced that Andrea would be secretly married while she was seeing Lloyd.

On 28 April 2015, it was announced that Tamaddon had been axed from the show, with Andrea leaving in September as part of the upcoming live episode to celebrate ITV's sixtieth anniversary. It was promised that Andrea had the door left open for her, with her not leaving dead.^[41] Speaking of her departure, Tamaddon said: "I came into Corrie for 3 months and have stayed for 2 years! I will be so sad to leave, I have had the best two years of my life here, it really is one big family. Everyone looks out for each other and I've made some incredible friends. I am excited about my exit storyline and the fact that it is part of the live episode. Corrie has given me a great platform to hopefully go on to work on other dramas, but I'd never rule out a return to Weatherfield as I love it so much. I am looking forward to what the future holds but in the meantime there is still plenty more to be done here."^[41] Show producer Stuart Blackburn commented: "Hayley has brought real magic to the Corrie cobbles - funny, energetic, totally professional and a joy to be around. As a friend and colleague alike she'll be sorely missed and I'd simply like to wish her all the very best for the future."^[41] It was announced days later that Craig Charles (who plays Andrea's partner Lloyd Mullaney) would also be leaving alongside Andrea.^[42] It was later announced the live episode which would heavily feature Lloyd and Andrea, as they said goodbye to the Street, would air on 23 September 2015.^[43] Andrea and Lloyd held their leaving party and left the Street in the live episode, but made one further appearance on 25 September when they returned to say a final goodbye with Steve, who was unable to attend the party. Their final appearance on 25 September left fans with confusion as they appeared to exit during the live episode.^[44] The live episode, which saw the leaving party, was watched by 8.1 million viewers on the night of its broadcast, the highest rating the show had seen since the Victoria Court fire in May 2015.^[45] The following episode, which saw Lloyd and Andrea say their final goodbye to Steve, was watched by 6.9 million viewers on the night of its broadcast.^[46]

Andrea is mentioned by Steve several times before her first appearance. Noticing that Michelle is getting jealous, Steve tells her Andrea is not attractive. However, when Andrea arrives at the Rovers, Michelle realises Steve has lied and takes an instant dislike to her. Steve's friend Lloyd takes a shining to Andrea. When Steve gives Michelle her Christmas present, he doesn't tell her Andrea helped him to choose it. However, Michelle later overhears Lloyd and Steve discussing it and learns Andrea was with him when he bought it, increasing her jealousy. Andrea tells Lloyd she has a teenage son.

Lloyd decided to ask Andrea out and asks Steve for her phone number. Steve refuses to give it to him, but Andrea overhears them and gives Lloyd the number herself. After getting on well, Lloyd and Andrea begin a relationship. When Steve finds out, he is worried that he will be left out. Andrea is secretly pleased because she thinks this gives her a chance of getting Steve in the future, unaware he only sees her as a friend.

Andrea asks Steve to help him with a project they are doing for their history course. However, whilst sitting on the sofa, Andrea asks Steve to come closer so he can see the laptop screen, but he wrongly believes she is coming on to him and she leaves. Steve later apologises to Andrea and they begin the project again. Whilst working on their project, Steve goes out to get kebabs and, on his return, he finds her asleep. In a state of sleep, Andrea believes Steve is Lloyd and pulls him close to her, causing her to fall on him and cover them both in kebab, as Michelle enters.

Lloyd offers Andrea a meal at the Bistro one evening, but Andrea needs to be at home to welcome her husband Neil (William Travis) who is due to return from working on an oil rig in Nigeria. They agree to go for a meal earlier, with her telling Lloyd that she needs to go to work later. Andrea gets angry when Lloyd tries to persuade her to stay and storms out of the Bistro. Lloyd then leaves her a message apologising for being forceful, but Andrea unplugs the phone as her husband returns. She pretends the phone is broken so that Neil doesn't know about Lloyd. Andrea decides to split from Neil, confiding in Michelle about the problem. Lloyd finds out and, as Andrea dumps Neil and moves into Lloyd's with the bags, she realises he knows he was a bit on the side and he throws her bags out of the door. Steve consoles Andrea and Neil sees them, believing she was cheating with Steve. Neil finds out that Andrea is in a relationship with Lloyd. Neil finds it difficult to accept that Andrea is in a relationship with Lloyd. When Neil gets the wrong end of the stick and believes that Andrea is engaged to Lloyd he goes to the roof of the pub. Andrea tries to get Neil down and puts herself in potential danger. Neil and Andrea after a while return to safety. Neil accepts that Andrea and Lloyd are in a relationship. Neil leaves for work, however tells Andrea and Lloyd that he will not completely severe ties with Andrea due to Jess.

Andrea and Lloyd split and she departs, however returns a few weeks later pregnant, with Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver), Steve and Lloyd's friend, the first to find out. Lloyd is now dating Steve's mother, Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard). However, Lloyd ends things with Liz when Andrea returns and falls out with Steve. Andrea tells Lloyd she has been offered a job in Jersey, first both deciding not to go, they later change their mind. Steve and Lloyd make up when Michelle and Andrea lock them in the cellar. Steve also gets drunk and can't join in their leaving party celebrations. After saying goodbye to Michelle, Liz and Eileen, Lloyd and Andrea leave and let go off balloons as the car drives off. They return a few days later in order to say goodbye to Steve and they then say goodbye yet again before departing this time definitely.

Maddie Heath

Madeline Ivy "Maddie" Heath, played by Amy James-Kelly, made her first screen appearance on 25 December 2013.^[47] Maddie was introduced as a love interest for Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent).^[47] Maddie is homeless and she and Sophie meet at a soup kitchen. Sophie's mother, Sally (Sally Dynevor), will "take an instant disliking" to Maddie.^[47] Vincent commented "Maddie shakes things up, she's very much a Kylie Platt or Becky McDonald character but a lot worse. She's very demanding and hard to read – you're intrigued by her. I think she's a good match for Sophie, who stands her ground with her."^[47] David Brown from the Radio Times praised the character, saying "It seems to me that Maddie is fast turning into this season's Becky Granger. Which isn't a bad thing – actress Amy Kelly does have the convincing feel of a Katherine Kelly about her."^[48] On 15 June 2014, it was revealed that Kelly had signed a new contract that would see her stay on the show for another year.^[49] Kelly was originally only meant to stay on the show for a short time, but following Blackburn's promise to keep Maddie on the show as long as he was executive producer, she was offered a longer stay.^[49]

Maddie is first seen at the homeless shelter on Christmas Day. After Sally makes a comment about her having bad manners, she pushes her face into a trifle. When Sally notices her handbag has gone missing, she blames Maddie, although she denies any knowledge of it. Sally is upset when she finds out her watch was left in her stolen handbag, and so Sophie asks Maddie for it back. Maddie asks for fifty pounds in response, but Sophie tricks her and refuses to pay her the money. Furious, Maddie breaks into the Webster's house and steals the watch back. When Sophie confronts her again, Maddie reveals her mother is mentally ill and she has a younger brother, Ben. Maddie later kisses Sophie. Sophie invites Maddie back to her house for dinner on her birthday, but she later leaves after Sally offends her.

Maddie is later offered a job at the local factory, Underworld, when the boss Carla Connor (Alison King) is impressed by Maddie's determination to save Deirdre Barlow's (Anne Kirkbride) missing dog, Eccles. Carla is furious, however, that Maddie and Sophie stole her expensive car in order to do so. In January 2015, Maddie accompanies the Underworld staff to an awards' ceremony, but a group of boy racers drive dangerously in front of the minibus, causing the driver Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) to swerve and the vehicle to flip over dramatically and to balance precariously on the edge of a quarry. Maddie is one of the later people to regain consciousness, and helps free Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh) and Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) from the wreckage. She and Julie Carp (Katy Cavanagh) then re-enter the wreckage to save Sally, Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn) and Kirk Sutherland (Andrew Whyment). They are successful, and Maddie reveals to Julie that her middle name is Ivy in an attempt to take their minds off the traumatic situation. Maddie volunteers to go back into the wreckage again when the staff realise that Carla is still trapped inside, but it is Tracy who risks her life to save the factory boss. Carla is saved, but Tracy nearly dies when the minibus begins to slide off the edge of the quarry, but Tracy leaps out at the last second.

Maddie is thrilled for Sophie's father, Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) when he begins a relationship with Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews). However, when Sophie learns about how Jenny conned her former foster mother Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) when she lived in Weatherfield 21 years previously, she begins acting very cold towards Jenny. Maddie tries her best to understand Sophie's hatred towards Jenny, however she fails to and this puts a strain on their relationship. In May 2015, Maddie tries to help when a fire breaks out at the Victoria Court flats, and rushes back home to reveal the horrific events to Jenny. To her surprise, she witnesses Jenny wearing a wig and packing Kevin's young son Jack's belongings. She soon realises that Jenny is going to abduct Jack, and as she tries to call the police, Jenny violently pushes her to the floor, angrily demanding for Maddie to stay. Maddie knees Jenny in the stomach in order to escape, and rushes back over to the Victoria Court flats to tell Sophie that she was right all along about Jenny. However, as she passes through the police tape, an explosion at the building yard caused by a piece of burning wood from the fire occurs, sending Maddie flying across the street. Paramedics quickly respond, and it takes them a long time to find Maddie's pulse. A couple of days later, Maddie passes away with Sophie, Sally and Kevin by her side, to the secret relief of Jenny.^[50]

Others

References

External links

• Cast and characters at itv.com
• Cast and characters at the Internet Movie Database