Coronation Street has brought in several real-life family members onto the cobbles over the years – but some viewers may not have realised
Two stars of Coronation Street share more than just their talent for captivating audiences. Over the years, the ITV soap has seen several real-life family members tread the cobbles. Real-life siblings, cousins, and even parents and their children have all shared screen time.
Cousins Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach have made their names on the soap, while the late Rick Neelan (Greg Wood) was actually the real-life brother of footballer Tommy Orpington (Matt Milburn). But they’re not the only ones with familial ties both on and off the show. Fans have recently been surprised by a mother and son duo that appeared on the soap years ago.
Back in 1985, Sue Jenkins joined the cast of the ITV soap as Gloria Todd. She became a regular face on the show as a barmaid at the iconic Rovers Return, reports the Daily Star. Sue also worked alongside Julie Goodyear who famously played landlady Bet Lynch.
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In addition to her Corrie role, Sue portrayed Jackie Corkhill in Brookside for nine years between 1992 and 2001. She also had a stint in five episodes of Emmerdale in 2008 as Bonnie Drinkwater. But it turns out she has a very famous son who also made an appearance on Corrie. In real life, Sue’s son is Richard Fleeshman – who played Craig Harris.
Richard joined the cast of Coronation Street back in 2002 with his TV family, the Harrises, who were hiding due to the witness protection programme. His character Craig had some significant moments.
He transformed into a goth, much to his father’s dismay, and became Rosie Webster’s (portrayed by Helen Flanagan) first love interest. The drama escalated when Katy Harris, Craig’s sister, murdered their father following a heated argument about her clandestine relationship with Martin Platt.
Their mother, Angela Harris, attempted to protect Katy, but overwhelmed by guilt, Katy took her own life. In the aftermath, Craig planned to flee to Berlin with Rosie, but ultimately departed alone, bidding farewell to the cobbles for good in 2006.
The revelation of Sue and Richard’s time on Corrie left fans on social media stunned. On X, previously known as Twitter, one viewer posted about Sue’s stint on Corrie. Another fan responded: “That’s Richard fleeshmans mum!!” Another person commented: “Wow, all this time watching and I never knew that, I can see her son in that photo now.” A third joined the conversation, stating: “Her real life son played Craig Harris, son of Psycho Tommy!”
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
