List of ''Coronation Street'' characters (2017)

Coronation Street is a British soap opera first broadcast on 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters introduced in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by series producer Kate Oates. The first character that appeared was Ruari McDonald in January, but last appeared two weeks later as a dead body as he was a stillborn. Chloe Tipton first appeared in February as a love interest for Peter Barlow. She left the series in May. She was followed by Trina Robson, a drug dealer, also in February but she departed in March. The final character to join in February was Oliver Battersby, Steve McDonald's and Leanne Battersby's baby. Neil Clifton arrived in March, as a part of Bethany Platt's evil grooming storyline. Sally Webster's troll Leah Buckley arrived in March, where Gina Seddon returned. Pat Phelan's biological daughter Nicola Rubinstein arrived in June, alongside dying Drew Spellman's daughter Summer Spellman, who is given over to Todd Grimshaw and Billy Mayhew. Drew died on the day of Summer's arrival, leaving Summer distraught.

Ruairi McDonald

Ruairi McDonald is the son of Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh). Ruairi is born prematurely at 23 weeks and dies when he is born. Steve and Michelle are further devastated that Ruairi will not be given a birth or death certificate, as he was born before 24 weeks. Michelle and Steve's marriage is strained and Michelle kicks Steve out when she thinks he does not care about his dead son. However, Michelle allows him back after talking to Steve's mother Liz (Beverley Callard), who also lost a premature child, Katie, 25 years before. Steve blames himself for Ruairi's death, thinking it is punishment for getting Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) pregnant six months earlier. Michelle contemplates suicide, unable to cope with life without Ruairi, but is talked out of it by Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill).

In December 2016, it was announced that the show would tackle the subject of late miscarriage and Michelle and Steve would lose their unborn child. Marsh, who lost her own child at a similar stage in her pregnancy, said "I thought long and hard before agreeing to take on the challenge of this storyline. It is obviously a cause very close to my heart having lost my beautiful Archie at 21 weeks and 5 days. I discussed it with my family and friends, all of who were very supportive. In the end I felt it was an important story to tell in order to raise awareness of something which affects thousands of women every year. I have had to go to some very dark places in my mind whilst filming these heartbreaking scenes but my family, friends and colleagues have been incredible." She added that revisiting feelings in character was "challenging".^[1] Producer Kate Oates added “The subject of miscarriage will always be sensitive; but telling this story with Simon and Kym at the centre would always have an extra poignancy" and hoped they "are able to encourage discussion, understanding and compassion for those viewers affected by the loss of a baby. The cast were in safe hands with our amazing and empathetic director Tony Prescott, and it has been humbling to see all the actors involved being so selfless and generous in their performances".^[2]

Chloe Tipton

Chloe Tipton, played by Jo-Anne Knowles, made her first on-screen appearance on 1 February 2017, before departing on 15 May 2017.

Chloe is a glamorous woman who orders a taxi from StreetCars and finds herself being driven by Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne), who has just fallen out with his girlfriend Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor). Chloe witnesses the Peter and Toyah arguing outside the cab office and when they arrive at her hotel, Chloe asks Peter if he is going back to reconcile with Toyah. Chloe is clearly attracted to Peter and asks to join her for a drink in the hotel. They talk in the bar, where she tells him that she is impulsive and he seems interesting to her. Telling her that he has a family conference to go back to, Peter makes his excuses to leave. Chloe asks him to stay with her, but he refuses and she gives him a generous tip, making it clear that she is unhappy to see him go. A week later, Chloe calls into the cab office and specially requests Peter as her driver to collect her from a dinnertime drinks appointment with a friend, telling him that she would pay him for his extra time and that her divorce would shortly be coming through.

Chloe later deliberately bumps into Peter crying, and tells him that her ex-boyfriend has been following her. He takes her home, where there is obvious sexual tension, however Peter leaves, forgetting his mobile phone. He then returns to Chloe's house to return it, where they kiss, however Peter leaves immediately after. It is then revealed that Chloe has downloaded a tracking app on Peter's phone so she can observe his every move. After previously telling her that he is interested in purchasing the local pub The Rovers Return Inn, Chloe unexpectedly arrives and fakes showing an interest in buying the pub, where Peter is unnerved that Toyah may see her. Peter then threatens Chloe in the ginnel, ordering her to leave him and Toyah alone. However, they have been spotted by Peter's father Ken Barlow (William Roache), who takes Chloe inside and she lies to him that she and Peter are having an affair, so Ken informs Toyah of this, leading to her temporarily moving out. The following night, Peter is close to turning back to alcohol after battling alcoholism previously, and declares that Ken is at the heart of all his problems. Later that night, Ken is pushed down the stairs by an unknown assailant, with Peter and other members of his family being listed as suspects.

After Peter's son Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) finds a voice message on his phone of Peter apologising and sounding frantic on the night that Ken was pushed down the stairs, everybody automatically assumes that he is behind Ken's attack. However, Peter tells Simon, Toyah and the rest of his family that he was visiting Chloe at the time that Ken was attacked, however her obsessive behaviour became violent and he pushed her away in self-defence, but she fell and cut her face, and threatened to lie to the police that he punched her. Peter then visits Chloe and pleads that she tell the police the truth, but instead she informs DS MacKinnon (Sandra Huggett) that Peter assaulted her in her own home as a result of their affair, and that this took place the day before Ken's attack, making him prime suspect in the investigation. Peter is later arrested and charged with assaulting Chloe, and placed further in the frame for Ken's attack, which adds pressure to his relationship with Toyah.

In the week when Peter is due to stand trial for attacking Chloe, he confides in his ex-wife and Toyah's stepsister, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), about how he would never harm a woman and that Chloe is punishing him for something. Leanne subsequently pays Chloe a visit, threatening her to drop the charges, however Toyah later turns up to achieve the same purpose. Chloe is exceptionally rude towards Leanne and Toyah, and initially refuses to drop the charges against Peter, however Toyah and Leanne threaten to tell the police that Chloe attacked Toyah by throwing her to the floor, with Leanne offering to provide Toyah with bruises to reinforce their case. Chloe reluctantly agrees to drop the charges, however she states that Peter could still easily have returned to Weatherfield and pushed Ken down the stairs, which stuns Leanne and Toyah. Peter later receives a phonecall informing him that the charges have been dropped by Chloe, and Leanne provides him with a false alibi for the time when Ken was attacked.

Trina Robson

Trina Robson, played by Kerry Bennet, is a receptionist at Walmsley Croft Solicitors LLP of Weatherfield where Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) went for a job interview. When the client, Ronan Truman (Colin Tierney), arrived Adam was intrigued about him but Trina cited her confidentiality clause and refused to give any details, aside from saying he held wild parties. Adam took Trina for a drink to Nick's Bistro where he attempted to get information about Ronan. Adam took her back to his flat for the night.

In January 2017, Bennett was pictured filming scenes with Robertson (Adam Barlow), the same week her departure scenes as Eva Falco in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks had aired.^[3]

Oliver Battersby

Oliver Benjamin Battersby, played by twins Emmanuel and Jeremiah and another baby, Toby,^[4][5] made his first on-screen appearance on 20 February 2017.^[6] He is the son of Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson).^[7] Leanne has a one-night stand with Steve, who is married to Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh).^[8]

Leanne has a one-night stand with Steve in late June 2016 and falls pregnant. When Steve finds out, he chooses not to be a part of their baby's life in order to protect his relationship with Michelle. Steve tells his mother, Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) about Leanne's baby and is hurt by Steve's decision. Leanne reconciles with her ex-husband, Nick Tilsley (Ben Price), and they agree to raise the baby as his. Leanne goes into labour whilst stuck in a lift with her stepsister, Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor) and gives birth to a boy. Nick's family and Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh) meet him. Leanne tells Nick that she has decided not to put him on the birth certificate, but changes her mind. At a family party organised by Nick's mother, Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth), at The Bistro to celebrate Oliver's birth, Steve announces that he is Oliver's father. Leanne allows Steve to be involved in Oliver's life after Steve decides to involve solicitors. At a meeting with a solicitor, Michelle sends a photo to Nick of Oliver with Liz and Steve taken by Leanne, leaving Nick hurt. Steve arrives at the registry office when Leanne registers Oliver's birth and Steve wants to be named. Nick is upset when he sees Oliver's birth certificate has Steve's name. On Ruairi's due date, Steve takes Oliver to the beach where Steve and Michelle scattered Ruairi's ashes, hurting Michelle as she wanted the day to be about Ruairi. Leanne panics when Oliver fails to wake up and is barely breathing. He is rushed to hospital and Steve worries he may have accidentally overdosed Oliver. Oliver is kept in overnight and Nick is hurt when he sees Leanne so close to Steve.

Oliver is central "of an all-encompassing plot" which is "a multi-stranded storyline that involves practically half of Weatherfield".^[9] Danson said acting her on-screen birth "was weirdly exhausting" and Leanne's "birth is very, very different from others we have seen on Corrie, but it is Leanne's first baby and the birth situation is not ideal".^[10] Danson also added that when Oliver is born, "the realisation that Nick is not his dad hits home" and although Nick "will be there for him and be his dad, but they both know that there is this obstacle and it's become very real. Oliver is a child that is not Nick's yet again, like Simon".^[10] Oliver's true paternity will prompt the "decision that Nick's name shouldn't be on the birth certificate as it just doesn't feel right."^[11]

Neil Clifton

Neil Clifton, played by Ben Cartwright is a friend of established character Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper). Neil (who knew that Nathan was grooming young women to be used for sex) took a shine to Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon), Nathan's new "project". Wanting Bethany to himself, Neil paid good money and became impatient after Nathan kept delaying the date in which Neil could be with Bethany. Nathan knew that he had to be careful, as to not attract any attention to his schemes, and so pretended that Neil had a part to play in the business at Supreme Tanning, and that it was his money that paid for all of Bethany's vlogging equipment.

Nathan warned Bethany that she should be kind and polite to him, especially after a number of electronic goods supposedly belonging to Neil were stolen from the flat (Bethany was unaware that they were stolen by Mike, a friend of Nathan's in a ruse to set her and Neil up). Suggesting that Bethany make up the loss to Neil by going to dinner with him, Nathan later watched and did nothing as things escalated later on in the night and Neil took Bethany away from Nathan's party to silently rape her in the bedroom.

Leah Buckley

Leah Buckley, played by Molly McGlynn, is the stepdaughter of Gina Seddon (Connie Hyde), the sister of Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor).

Leah turns up to Sally's talk on LGBTQ rights, who is nervous after being targeted by an internet troll. After Sally decides to resign from the council, her daughters, Rosie (Helen Flanagan) and Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) find the address of the person who placed an obituary for Sally in the paper. When Leah arrives at the address, Rosie and Sophie confront her and she denies being the troll but her stepmother is to blame and will get her to stop. Leah visits the Websters and asks Rosie and Sophie if Sally is okay. After Sophie tells Rosie about Sally's state, Rosie goes to see Leah and is surprised to spot her aunt, Gina, realising she is Leah's stepmother. Leah admits Gina is the troll and explains she is ill. Leah explains she has become bitter as, while she was there for Sally when she was ill, Sally was not there for Gina. When Rosie threatens to report Gina to the police, Leah counters by threatening to go to the papers about Sally neglecting her sister. Rosie tells Sophie who the troll is and they both go to confront Gina. Gina is pleased to see them, but denies trolling Sally and when Leah arrives, she reveals Gina has bipolar disorder. When Gina goes missing, Rosie and Sophie help Leah find her and Gina visits the street, wanting to talk to Sally but Leah bundles her into the car and drives off. Sally and her husband, Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) visit Leah and Gina and invite them to stay and Sally helps find a home for Leah and Gina. Leah makes plans to go to France with a friend and Tim overhears Leah on the phone, saying how Sally can look after Gina and Tim works out that Leah is the troll. Sally and Tim force Leah to leave but she visits Gina, despite Gina telling Leah she loves Leah as much as her own children, Leah leaves.

The return of Gina was announced in March 2017. Producer Kate Oates explained the circumstances of Gina's return, saying that Sally and Tim will face struggles and "in the midst of all this, though, there will be another face from the Webster past making a return. Sal's girls are back already, but someone else may soon be turning up who will extend the family even further."^[12] Leah and Gina will be tracked down by Sally's daughters, Rosie and Sophie.^[13]

Nicola Rubinstein

Nicola Rubinstein, played by Nicola Thorp, made her first on-screen appearance on 12 June 2017. She is the daughter of Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre). She arrived as Seb Franklin's (Harry Visinoni) case worker.^[14]

When Seb is due to be released from young offenders, she meets with Pat to encourage him to take Seb on as an apprentice at the building yard, which he agrees to. Nicola questions why Anna Windass (Debbie Rush), the adoptive mother of Seb's girlfriend, Faye Windass (Ellie Leach), does not like him. Pat accompanies Nicola when she takes Seb to Liverpool for a talk by a former young offender. Nicola overhears Pat talk to a man about her and she demands to know why. Pat says he knew her parents, Annabel and Isaac. Nicola arranges for Pat to meet Isaac and Pat finds a bench dedicated to Nicola's parents, who are dead. Nicola finds documents Pat received about her and she confronts Pat, who admits that he had an affair with her mother and she may be his daughter, but Nicola ridicules Pat's claims. After talking with Pat's wife, Eileen (Sue Cleaver), she soften ups towards Pat and they talk, however she does not want anything to do with him. Seb is sacked by Pat when Seb finds out Pat has been reading articles about Nicola. Seb gets Nicola to meet him, pretending the reason he was sacked is because he thinks Pat is dying. Nicola is furious when she finds out Seb lied. Nicola asks Pat for them to do a DNA test.

Nicola Thorp, a former receptionist who made a stand against female dress-codes at work, casting as Nicola Rubenstein was announced in June 2017. A source explained that "Nicola is Seb Franklin's case worker. Phelan knew her mum but wasn't aware they had a child together", but "he recognises Nicola's surname, does the maths and realises the truth. The crux of the story is how she will react, because Nicola was in the dark too."^[15] Nicola's arrival "will make Phelan take a good hard look at himself", however, it's "not certain anything can put Phelan on the straight and narrow."^[15] Nicola's "head is understandably all over the place" with the revelation that Phelan is her father and that Phelan's wife, Eileen, "can see how much building a relationship with Nicola means to her husband."^[16]

Summer Spellman

Summer Spellman, played by Matilda Freeman, made her first on-screen appearance on 16 June 2017.^[17] She is the adoptive daughter of Drew Spellman (Tom Goodwin) and the goddaughter of Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank). Following a terminally ill Drew's death, Summer is placed in the care of Billy and his boyfriend, Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley).^[18]

Drew turns up unexpectedly to visit Billy and meets Todd. Todd learns that Drew is Billy's ex-boyfriend and Billy is Summer's godfather, Drew's daughter. Todd suspects Drew wants Billy back but he reveals he is terminally ill and wants Billy to bring up Summer as her other father, Charlie, disappeared, unable to cope. Todd is not keen and Billy breaks the news to Drew that he cannot look after Summer but Billy persuades Todd to think about it. Summer visits Billy with Drew and Billy agrees that Summer can live with him and Todd, but Todd is annoyed the decision was made without him. Summer spends time getting to know Billy and Todd and tells them she knows Drew wants them to look after her. Summer is heartbroken when Drew dies of heart failure and her grandmother, Geraldine Spellman, takes Summer to live with her. Billy and Todd turn up unwelcome at Drew's funeral and Billy encourages Summer to carry on with her eulogy. Summer turns up at Todd and Adam Barlow's (Sam Robertson) new law firm, wanting to take legal action against Drew's doctor, believing they let him die. Todd talks to Summer about what Drew wanted for her. Summer visits Todd again about the case and Billy finds them. Todd apologises to Summer for misleading her about their being a case for Drew and Summer tells Billy and Todd about life with her grandparents, which prompts Billy and Todd's decision to do something. Drew and Billy visit Summer's grandparents and Geraldine opposes the idea of Summer living with them and Summer overhears Geraldine being offensive over their sexuality and Drew. Summer's grandfather, Angus Spellman (Roland Oliver), shows them Drew's will that was updated shortly before his death, stating his wishes for Billy to be her guardian and Summer chooses to move in with Billy and Todd. Todd's employer and friend, Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), brings her daughter, Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney), to meet Summer. Summer and Amy do not interact and in Billy and Todd's absence, they argue when Amy attempts to look through a box and Summer is glad she hit Amy. Summer is annoyed when Billy and Todd look in the box, finding photos of Summer with Drew, and they decide to put them up. Summer tells Billy and Todd that she and Drew built robots and Summer, Todd and Billy build their own robot.

Producer Kate Oates announced in May 2017 that the show had cast the role of Summer, calling the actress "amazing". She added that it "should be an interesting sight" seeing Todd as a father and says having "two guys bringing up Summer [...] will be a very different dynamic."^[19] Brocklebank said that "the dynamic" of Billy and Todd's relationship "will change", although Brocklebank hopes that caring for Summer will bring Billy and Todd "closer together."^[20] Brocklebank added that despite Billy and Todd did not have "time to prepare for parenthood", he hopes that their characters "are spontaneous enough to be able to cope with the things that it throws at them."^[20]

Moira Pollock

Moira Pollock, played by The Archers actress Louiza Patikas, made her first on-screen appearance on 12 July 2017. The character and casting was announced on 30 June 2017, however her role in the soap opera remained a secret until her on-screen arrival. Of her casting, Patikas stated: "I'm cock-a-hoop to be working on Coronation Street. It's a fantastic show which I've always loved for its superb writing and iconic characters".^[21]

Moira is a receptionist at the medical centre. She instructs new employee Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) to not speak to Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) and act in a professional manner. She also instructs Liz to put her statue, that Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) gave to her, away.

Others

References

External links

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