List of Coronation Street characters introduced in 2022

Coronation Street is a British soap opera first broadcast on ITV on 9 December 1960. Following is a list of characters introduced in 2022, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the programme's series producer, Iain MacLeod. Frank Bardsley (Simon O'Brien) joined in May as a love interest for Sean Tully (Antony Cotton). Jodie Prenger was cast as Glenda Shuttlworth, the sister of George (Tony Maudsley) and began appearing in August, followed by Dee Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) who debuted in September. Cait Fitton made her debut in November as Lauren Bolton, as part of a racial violence storyline, and Ciarán Griffiths and Andrew Still made their first appearances as characters Damon Hay and Justin Rutherford in December. Several other characters appeared throughout the year.

Teddy Thompkins

Teddy Thompkins
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Grant Burgin
Duration	2022–2023
First appearance	Episode 10,546 26 January 2022 (2022-01-26)
Last appearance	Episode 10,891 2 March 2023 (2023-03-02)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Sons Leo Thompkins

Teddy Thompkins, played by Grant Burgin, first appears when he bumps into his old school friend Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews) in the hospital waiting room. It is revealed that he is the father of Leo Thompkins (Joe Frost), whom Jenny is in a relationship with. Fans recognised Burgin from his many other soap roles, including as a site foreman in Coronation Street in 2017. Teddy's guest appearance on 26 January 2022 is extended when he returns a few months later to confront Jenny in the pub after finding out that she kissed Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce). Teddy tells Leo that she is bad news. Leo tells his dad to back off, but after Leo is murdered by Stephen, it is assumed that Leo took his father's advice and went to Canada alone. Later, Teddy discovers that text messages he received from Leo were not sent from Canada, but from Weatherfield. He becomes suspicious of Stephen's many questions and realises that Stephen is responsible for his son's disappearance. As he is on his way to tell Jenny, he is hit by a van and hospitalised, unable to remember anything. Teddy moves in with Jenny, leaving Stephen uncomfortable that his secret might be exposed.

Burgin departs the series on 23 January 2023, when Teddy eventually remembers what happened. He confronts Stephen, who hits Teddy over the head with a hole puncher, killing him. Stephen puts the body in a roof box and dumps it in a canal. Burgin made a final appearance on 2 March 2023 as a hallucination alongside Leo after Stephen drinks tea he laced with LSD to drug Carla Barlow (Alison King). Teddy's body is found by police officer, Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) in August 2023, after the roof box surfaces. The experience is described to be a "grisly body discovery" for Craig.

Dean Turnbull

Dean Turnbull
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Anthony Crank
Duration	2022–2024
First appearance	Episode 10,576/7 4 March 2022 (2022-03-04)
Last appearance	Episode 11,274/5 24 May 2024 (2024-05-24)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod (2022, 2023, 2024)
In-universe information Occupation Drug Dealer

Dean Turnbull, played by Anthony Crank, is Abi Webster's (Sally Carman) drug dealer who first appears on the show on 4 March 2022. He has stolen a car from Websters Motors; Abi manages to get into the passenger seat while going into labour. Dean pulls over and once Abi leaves the car, he seizes this opportunity to speed off. Dean returns to the show on 21 August 2023 as part of Cassie Plummer's (Claire Sweeney) storyline, in which she is struggling to get her life back on track after years of addiction. He meets up with her to claim the money she owes him, and assaults her; Abi warns him off, and he departs again on 6 September 2023.

It was reported on 13 November 2023 that Crank had been seen filming scenes, and Dean returned on 9 January 2024 to supply Abi with morphine, which she buys for Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) who is suffering from motor neurone disease and wants to take his own life by overdosing before his condition worsens. On 13 May 2024, it was announced that Dean would return again. He first approaches Abi at the garage, asking her for help. She then discovers that sex videos that allegedly include her have appeared on the web; however, this is later proven untrue. "Assuming Dean is responsible, Abi confronts him with a wrench in hand. Dean insists he has no idea what she’s talking about, but a furious Abi doesn’t believe him. As Dean is taken in for questioning, Abi learns that four more videos have been uploaded, but as she studies the footage she realises they are deepfakes. The deepfakes turn out to be the responsibility of Stefan Brent (Paul Opacic).

Alfie Franklin

Alfie Franklin
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Uncredited (2022) Carter and Oakley Razak Townsend (2022-present)
Duration	2022–present
First appearance	Episode 10,580/1 7 March 2022 (2022-03-07)
Classification	Present; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Father Imran Habeeb Mother Abi Webster Stepfather Kevin Webster Stepmother Toyah Battersby Half-brothers Seb Franklin Charlie Franklin Half-sisters Lexi Franklin Grandfathers Hassan Habeeb Grandmothers Saira Habeeb Aunts Rana Habeeb

Alfie Franklin is the son of Abi Webster (Sally Carman) and Imran Habeeb (Charlie De Melo), conceived during a one-night stand. When Abi's husband Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) learns of Abi's pregnancy, she lies and says that the father of her late son Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni), Tez Wyatt (Stephen Lord), is the father. Kevin discovers the lie when he sees Alfie's birth certificate.

Alfie is born prematurely and Abi abandons him in the hospital when she panics about what will happen next. Imran hires paralegal Ben Chancellor (Jon-Paul Bell) to follow Abi and take photos that suggest she is using drugs again. As a result, Imran is awarded custody of Alfie and Abi is only allowed supervised visits. In June 2022, Imran dies in a car accident and Abi is awarded custody of Alfie; however, he at first resides with Wendy Crozier (Roberta Kerr), who is assessing Abi's ability to look after Alfie after her history of drug abuse and her abandonment of Alfie at birth. Alfie later lives with Abi, Kevin, and Kevin's son Jack Webster (Kyran Bowles) at 13 Coronation Street.

Ben Chancellor

Ben Chancellor, played by Jon-Paul Bell, is a paralegal who appears between 18 April and 30 May 2022. He is hired by Imran Habeeb (Charlie De Melo) to spy on Abi Webster (Sally Carman) to find evidence of drug abuse so that Imran will be awarded custody of his son, Alfie. He lies in court when he sees Abi giving money to a friend, and claims that she had drugs in her hand. As a result, the court rules that Alfie will be safer living with Imran, with Abi allowed supervised visits. Chancellor's character has been described as a "dodgy paralegal." Leeds Live reported that Chancellor was part of a "dramatic storyline" that was "part of the end of character Imran Habeeb’s time in the soap."

Aaron Sandford

Aaron Sandford
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	James Craven
Duration	2022–2023
First appearance	Episode 10,620/1 23 April 2022 (2022-04-23)
Last appearance	Episode 10,981/2 16 June 2023 (2023-06-16)
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Father Eric Sandford

Aaron Sandford, played by James Craven is the ex-boyfriend of Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) who rapes Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney). He first appears as a member of a diabetic support group and bonds with Summer on her first visit. They begin to see each other outside of the group, but when Summer confides in Aaron about her bulimia, he informs her that he prefers to only see her in the support group, leaving her disheartened. They eventually begin a relationship.

Later, he contacts his ex-girlfriend, Mia Penrose (May Daley), and the pair stay up late into the night talking, which is overheard by his flatmate, Amy. Summer discovers that the pair were talking and is unhappy to learn that Aaron has discussed their personal problems with Mia. Aaron and Summer argue, during which he gets drunk and flirts with Amy. Amy is initially receptive to the sexual advances, but falls unconscious and whilst unable to further consent, Aaron rapes her. Aaron repeatedly denies the rape while Amy takes to social media, revealing his crime. Aaron's father sues her for libel. Eventually, the libel charges are dropped and Aaron departs from Weatherfield with his dad.

Speaking to Radio Times about Aaron's exit, Craven commented: "Yeah, I think I was always hoping that he would admit it or have some sort of admittance. I liked that there wasn’t anything particularly overly dramatic about it, and I think unfortunately that is quite realistic because there are so many of these cases in real life where people don't face justice and people aren't prosecuted for it. So I think whilst that's obviously quite a hard thing to come to terms with for Amy, it is sadly quite realistic. I never wanted him to get away with it but I think it's one of those things that he's now got to live with it, knowing what he's done." He also explained how he felt about leaving the soap: "It’s obviously very sad. It's been a lot of fun and I’ve really, really loved my time there. I met so many great people and I've made so many good friends for life. But I'm excited, I'm really, really excited to get on and go on and do other things."

Frank Bardsley

Frank Bardsley
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Simon O'Brien
First appearance	Episode 10,650 27 May 2022 (2022-05-27)
Last appearance	Episode 10,696 20 July 2022 (2022-07-20)
Classification	Former; guest
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod

Frank Bardsley, played by Simon O'Brien, makes his first appearance on 27 May 2022. O'Brien began filming for Coronation Street in March 2022, with his casting announced two months later. It was confirmed that O'Brien had been contracted as a guest star and would be appearing for a "couple of months". O'Brien, having appeared on the Channel 4 soap Brookside as Damon Grant in the 1980s, said that returning to a soap opera was difficult and a "learning curve" for him since the industry had changed so much. It was confirmed by Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly that Frank would be a love interest for established character Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) and that Frank has hidden depths. His backstory involves a childhood connection to George, "who knows details about his past and is wary of him". Kilkelly wondered if Frank would still be the same person George knew or if he had changed. This connection was later revealed as Frank having bullied George in school. Jenny Connor (Sally Ann Matthews) urged Sean to pursue his relationship with Frank, but Digital Spy's Susannah Alexander hinted that their relationship will not be "plain sailing".

Sean and Frank meet whilst Sean is working at the Rovers Return Inn and Frank begins flirting with him. Sean is initially reluctant to go on a date with Frank but eventually overcomes his insecurities and they begin a relationship. When it emerges that Frank bullied Sean's housemate, George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) whilst they were at school together, Frank claims to be remorseful for his actions while George is unconvinced. Despite warnings from George, Sean continues to date Frank until he catches him bullying his son, Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne) and immediately breaks up with him.

O'Brien told Inside Soap that throughout his career, he has always wanted to "have a pint in the Rovers" since he felt it is an iconic landmark for the acting industry. Sarah Ellis of the magazine asked him if he was enjoying playing Frank, to which he said that he could not think of a better character to play. He explained that he loves playing light and comedic scenes, which he felt were the "basis of Corrie", but appreciated that below that, Frank is a flawed character, which he enjoyed from an acting perspective. He was also asked if he was worried about a negative reception from viewers. O'Brien admitted that he feared backlash from fans of both George and Sean and joked that he "may have to lay low for a while".

Blake Myers

Blake Myers, portrayed by Adam Little, was a boy who was initially bullied by Max Turner (Paddy Bever). He returns in January 2023 as part of the far-right storyline, after watching the extremist videos that Max has posted whilst he was being groomed by Griff Reynolds and his gang. Blake attends a meeting about the refugee drop-in centre held at Speed Daal and organized by Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon). He intends to stab Maria and livestreams an incendiary speech before the event. Max sees the stream and tries to warn everyone, but is stopped by Maria's husband, Gary Windass (Mikey North). As Blake charges for Maria, Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) stands in his way and is stabbed in the stomach. Alya is taken to hospital and makes a full recovery. Blake departed the soap when he faced justice for the stabbing on 30 January 2023. Little confirmed the character's exit on 3 February 2023: "It's been a blast working with such a friendly cast and crew who have made me so welcome. Thank you to all the viewers who have supported and sent me lovely messages it's really appreciated!"

Glenda Shuttleworth

Glenda Shuttleworth
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Jodie Prenger
Duration	2022–present
First appearance	Episode 10,709 5 August 2022 (2022-08-05)
Classification	Present; regular
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Occupation Cruise ship attendant Barmaid Father Archie Shuttleworth Brothers George Shuttleworth Aunts Nellie

Glenda Shuttleworth, played by Jodie Prenger, made her first appearance on 5 August 2022. Prenger's casting was announced on 20 June 2022 and her character was confirmed to be the sister of established character George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley). Glenda is a former cruise ship singer who becomes a barmaid in the Rovers Return Inn. Glenda is first seen outside the funeral directors before a funeral is about to take place. George is unwell and cannot deliver the service himself, so Glenda arrives in perfect timing. She is also helped by Sean Tully (Antony Cotton). After the service is over, George meets Glenda in the pub and is pleased to see her. He introduces her to Todd (Gareth Pierce) and Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver); Glenda compliments Eileen on the smell of her perfume and buys her a drink.

Laurence Reeves

Laurence Reeves
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Robert Shaw Cameron
Duration	2022–2023
First appearance	Episode 10,709/10 5 August 2022 (2022-08-05)
Last appearance	Episode 10,874/5 10 February 2023 (2023-02-10)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Occupation Dentist

Laurence Reeves, played by Robert Shaw Cameron, was introduced as a love-interest for Sean Tully (Antony Cotton). They met after Laurence attended a funeral for a man named Mr Pugh. After the breakdown of his short-lived relationship with Frank Bardsley (Simon O'Brien), Sean and Laurence got together with the help of his son, Dylan Wilson (Liam Cheyenne) and friends, George (Tony Maudsley) and Glenda Shuttleworth (Jodie Prenger). However, the relationship began to crumble after a couple of months when Sean started to believe that Laurence was hiding something, due to his lack of social media accounts, which led to the speculation between the characters that he was a murderer.

Tully, who had signed a new contract in November 2021, revealed that Sean had a "big 2022" ahead of him: "There are stories that we tried to do, but in the end we couldn't because of the pandemic. So now they will happen over the next year. I have a very big, dramatic storyline that I am hoping we can now pick up and do properly." Laurence left the soap on 10 February 2023, after his relationship with Sean broke down. Cameron revealed that he had previously played another role before Laurence: "I grew up in Leeds and Corrie is just part of life. About 10 years ago I played a copper in Coronation Street, and when I first arrived one of the first people I ran into was Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts). She immediately offered to make a cup of tea, then when I was leaving she asked how it all went. I love Sue, and I love Audrey!"

Griff Reynolds

Griff Reynolds
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Michael Condron
Duration	2022–2024
First appearance	Episode 10,717/8 15 August 2022 (2022-08-15)
Last appearance	Episode 11,279 30 May 2024 (2024-05-30)
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod (2022, 2024)
In-universe information Occupation Builder

Griff Reynolds, played by Michael Condron, was a far-right extremist, who appears to be a friend of Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock), who is actually an undercover cop, but this is unbeknownst to Griff. He convinces Toyah Habeeb (Georgia Taylor) to come to their demo, and Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) comes along to peaceful protests; however, Griff's behaviour does begin to cross the lines on a few occasions such as assaulting police officer Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) by throwing a bottle. Peter then attends a concert with Griff, of which the band sing racist lyrics, which reveals Griff to be a racist.

It is later revealed that he is part of a far-right gang, who begin to groom Max Turner (Paddy Bever) into becoming a part of his gang which leads him to turn against his family, friends and neighbours whilst also believing everything Griff is saying. Max ends up making racist videos and sharing them on social media, but things get worse when Griff and his mates plant a bomb in a van near the Weatherfield Winter Market. When Max finds this out, he warns everyone. Max is eventually charged with his crimes, as is Griff and he ends up in an STC, whereas Griff is imprisoned. Griff returns, however, to speak to Spider about who is behind the racist gang and whether he would reveal them or not. Months later, after being released from the STC, Max was prepared to get Griff taken down for his crimes.

On 13 May 2024, it was announced that Griff would be returning to Coronation Street. He is set to return to Weatherfield Prison where Roy Cropper (David Neilson) is after being accused of the murder of Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton). Metro described that Roy is "completely oblivious to the man making his way back into the Weatherfield prison" and asked "now Griff is back, does this put Roy in even more trouble?" Griff returned on 24 May and after Reece Bolton (Scott Anson) had told him about Roy being accused of Lauren's murder, he decided to try and kill him in prison, making it look like a suicide. Luckily, he was stopped after Roy was released after Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper) had been arrested for Lauren's murder.

Eliza Woodrow

Eliza Woodrow
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Savannah Kunyo
Duration	2022–2024
First appearance	Episode 10,725/6 24 August 2022 (2022-08-24)
Last appearance	Episode 11,242/3 17 April 2024 (2024-04-17)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Father Dom Everett Mother Bridget Woodrow Half-brothers Ben Everett Grandfathers Stu Carpenter Grandmothers Lucy Woodrow

Eliza Woodrow, played by Savannah Kunyo, is the daughter of Bridget Woodrow (Beth Vyse), and granddaughter of Stu Carpenter (Bill Fellows) and Lucy Woodrow (Lynda Rooke). She made her first appearance on 24 August 2022, when her mother reconnects with her grandfather after he served a 27-year prison sentence for the murder of his lover Charlie Walter. Her storylines have included being placed in Stu's care after his murder conviction is clear and her mother, who was actually responsible, is arrested for the crime alongside her mother who helped her cover it up, her rivalry with Hope Dobbs (Isabella Flanagan), who becomes jealous of her friendship with Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan), and building a relationship with her estranged father, Dom Everett (Darren Morfitt), who ends up fighting her grandfather for her custody.

Eliza was born 19 May 2011, whilst Stu was in prison, which was actually committed by Bridget. However, when Stu was released and wanted to be a part of Eliza's life as well as Bridget's, he told his granddaughter what life in prison was like, which made Bridget break down in tears and confess to what she had done and land her mother in it for her part. As Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) and Dee Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) were trying to help Stu get his name cleared, Bridget and Lucy ended up being arrested, later being given a 15-year sentence and a 20-year sentence respectively. Before Stu was cleared of his conviction, Eliza went into care but later returned to Stu, who lives at 6 Coronation Street with Yasmeen Metcalfe (Shelley King) and Alya when his name was cleared. Fellows, who plays Stu commented on the storyline: "There are load of twists and turns. Obviously people are guessing what's gonna go on, but there is so many permutations. No one wins and there are loads of people who get affected by this, and none of it has a happy ending in the end. It's quite tricky."

In August 2023, Eliza's father, Dom came back into Eliza's life, which caused a custody battle between him and Stu after he called Bridget in prison, who said he wasn't a suitable father. Initially, Eliza ended up moving in with Dom, but in December 2023, Dom moved to Germany to be with his wife and son, Ben. He returned in March 2024 and asked Eliza if she wanted to join him in Germany with her half-brother. Eliza accepted Dom's offer and they departed in 15 March 2024. Fellows commented on the storyline: "Eliza gets upset over wanting to live with Dom and she basically disappears, so Stu wakes up the next morning and she's gone. Stu thinks Dom has come and taken her but it's not true, she's actually freely gone to Dom, it leads to a big confrontation between them and Dom is basically like, if you're not gonna give me that money I'll make sure you suffer."

Fern Lindon

Fern Lindon
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Gabrielle Glaister
First appearance	Episode 10,727/8 26 August 2022 (2022-08-26)
Last appearance	Episode 10,797/8 16 November 2022 (2022-11-16)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Other names Bernie Winter

Fern Lindon, played by Gabrielle Glaister, is a woman who appeared between 26 August and 16 November 2022, who looked almost identical to Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove). Glaister's casting was announced on 14 August 2022. Glaister had previously played regular character Debs Brownlow, the sister of Natalie Barnes (Denise Welch), between February and November 2000; however, it was announced that she would be playing a different character this time. This character was described to be a "doppelganger" for Bernie.

Hazlegrove, who plays Bernie had suggested the idea of a doppelganger to writer Jonathan Harvey. Hazlegrove said: "I mentioned this idea to Jonathan a while ago. Gabby and I are constantly mistaken for each other with people saying they have seen one of us in something when it was the other one. We have often laughed about it together but then I started thinking it might be fun to have her in the show as Bernie’s secret twin or a doppelganger. I was so chuffed when they told me that they had devised this storyline and that Gabby was on board." The idea for the doppelganger storyline began at the 2022 Soap Awards, when Hazlegrove was mistaken for Glaister. Hazlegrove continued: “The actor was mortified when I pointed out who I was but of course I don’t mind being mistaken for Gabby, it is a huge compliment and secretly I was thinking ‘that’s brilliant, this storyline is going to work so well’." Glaister also commented on her casting: "A very good friend of mine texted me last week to say he caught a bit of Corrie and thought I was very good. I pointed out that I wasn’t on screen yet! When they approached me with the storyline It seemed like fate! What they’ve written is so clever and I’m having a ball working with Jane."

Fern accuses Bernie of stealing her blazer while Bernie was out shopping for Joseph Brown's (William Flanagan) school uniform. Since the pair look similar to each other, Fern offers Bernie money to take her place in a speed awareness course. Bernie later applies for a cleaner job with a cleaning agency, but Fern advises her against it because she believes the company is dodgy, takes advantage of her similar appearance, and attends the job interview posing as Bernie, who the job is offered to, and then does a cleaning job at a jeweler. The next day, she makes sure that Bernie meets up with her alone so she has no alibis, and then when the jeweler manager goes on a lunch break, she ransacked the place. She later then framed Bernie, who was doubted by everyone, including her daughter Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and her partner Chesney Brown (Sam Aston), all except her own partner Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin). Eventually, she manages to prove her innocence when they set up a trap to stop Fern, who turns up in the trap with the jewelry, who was arrested by Craig Tinker (Colson Smith).

Upon Fern's departure, Glaister admitted that she was "struggling". She told TV Times: "I have no idea [what I’m going to do next]. I’m struggling with empty nest syndrome as my son’s gone off to university, so somebody needs to give me a job. I love doing telly and I love soaps. I’ve done Family Affairs and Emmerdale, as well as Corrie and Brookside. But, I haven’t done EastEnders yet – I’d definitely consider it. It sounds dull, but I just love working." Glaister admitted when she was originally approached to play Fern, she wasn't so keen as she had already played Debs Brownlow two decades earlier. She added: "But hey, I’m an actor, and actors play different roles. It was a bit of a gamble. I think it has really worked, and we’ve had a lovely time filming it."

Dee Dee Bailey

Dee Dee Bailey
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Channique Sterling-Brown
Duration	2022–present
First appearance	Episode 10,755 28 September 2022
Classification	Present; regular
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Occupation Lawyer Father Ed Bailey Mother Aggie Bailey Brothers Michael Bailey James Bailey Grandfathers Sarge Bailey Uncles Ronnie Bailey Nieces Glory Bailey

Diana "Dee Dee" Bailey, played by Channique Sterling-Brown, made her first appearance on 28 September 2022. Sterling-Brown's casting details were announced on 4 September, while the character has been mentioned by her on-screen family since their introduction in 2019. The show's producer Iain MacLeod admitted to being a fan of the character before she "physically existed" just by hearing her description from the Bailey family. Dee Dee is a lawyer and MacLeod stated that viewers could expect "a certain amount of chaos. She has got an incredibly big heart. She is incredibly competent at her job, but you'd never guess that to meet her."

MacLeod said Dee Dee would be involved in a major storyline, but she would not be hiding a "dark secret" like most newly introduced characters. He explained "She's so exuberant and just seems so bulletproof and impervious to the travails of modern life that she dusts herself down and gets on with it. I didn't want to discover that she's got some terrible burden." He thought that it was a "refreshing" decision and allowed the character to be "incredibly joyous." He believed the audience would take to her.

At the 2023 British Soap Awards, for her portrayal of Dee Dee, Sterling-Brown won the Best Newcomer accolade.

Esther Hargrave

Esther Hargrave
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Vanessa Hehir
Duration	2022–2023
First appearance	Episode 10,767/8 12 October 2022 (2022-10-12)
Last appearance	Episode 10,856/7 20 January 2023 (2023-01-20)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Husband Mike Hargrave Stepsons Callum

Esther Hargrave, played by Vanessa Hehir, and her husband, Mike (Tom Lorcan) are a couple that attend Billy Mayhew's (Daniel Brocklebank) church. They first appear on 12 October 2022, when they meet Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby), who is pregnant with Aaron Sandford's (James Craven) baby. Hehir's casting was announced on 4 October 2022. She has been known for her roles in long-running dramas, Waterloo Road and Heartbeat. Hehir departed the soap on 20 January 2023, however her exit was announced the next day. Taking to Instagram, she posted: "And just like that the Corrie adventure is over. I've truly had the most fun working with the best people and have made friends for life. It was worth the 30 years of auditioning since I was 11 to end up working with these phenomenal peeps. What a crazy ride it's been. Love you guys, @harrietanneb @james.t.craven and @tomlorcan who is definitely in my top 5 of TV husbands." Co-stars Harriet Bibby and Jack James Ryan responded: "Absolutely LOVED every minute," and "You killed it! Short but sweet. Big love xxx." respectively.

Summer initially planned to have a termination, but Vanessa reveals that her and Mike would like to adopt her child and pay her to go through with the pregnancy, much to Billy's disgust. He however accepted it was Summer's decision. However, Summer had a miscarriage, but didn't say anything after being paid £10,000. Summer and Aaron decided to use the money to pay for his father, Eric Sandford's (Craig Cheetham) rehab. After Mike and Esther discover this, they offer more money for Summer to be a surrogate for them. The events turn nasty when Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) takes matters into his own hands when he attacked Mike, leaving him unconscious. Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) tried to hold him back, but was unsuccessful. These scenes had Paparazzi photos taken. Todd subsequently contacted Mike and Esther's old church and it was revealed that Mike had an affair with a woman named Ava and they have a son named Callum. Summer confronts Esther on these events, but she says that they both decided to put the events behind them. Mike also revealed that he wanted Callum to be a part of Mike and Esther's life together, but she doesn't know that Callum is his son. Summer threatened to tell Esther the truth if he didn't. As a result, Mike holds her captive. Summer, who is diabetic, passed out as her sugar levels were low and when Esther arrived home, she phoned an ambulance. Esther found out all of Mike's secrets and Summer made a statement to the police regarding what Mike did.

Ollie Deacon

Ollie Deacon
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Carl Blakeley
Duration	2022–2023
First appearance	Episode 10,781/2 28 October 2022 (2022-10-28)
Last appearance	Episode 10,844/5 4 January 2023 (2023-01-04)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod

Ollie Deacon, played by Carl Blakeley, was a member of Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron)'s far-right extremist gang, who groomed Max Turner (Paddy Bever) and Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton). He first appeared on 28 October alongside Reece Bolton (Scott Anson) when Ollie, along with Griff, Reece and Dave Fairchild attended a concert accompanied by Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and Spider Nugent (Martin Hancock); however, the band's lyrics were racist, which Peter took issue with, causing a fight between him and Dave and the latter making violent threats.

On 2 November, Griff introduces Max to the gang, and he meets Lauren for the first time. Over the coming weeks, the gang began to groom him. Ollie was the youngest member of the gang, aside from Max and Lauren and was seemingly the most impressionable. Ollie was responsible for filming a violent attack on Daryan Zahawi outside of Speed Daal where he worked, and posting it on the internet. Ollie departed alongside most of Griff's gang on 4 January 2023.

Over a month after his last appearance, it was confirmed that Blakeley had departed the series on 20 February 2023. Blakeley commented on his casting on Coronation Street by saying, “Joining the Cobbles in August was a dream come true and I’ve had the most amazing experience on the show... You guys made every day fun, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with.”

Reece Bolton

Reece Bolton
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Scott Anson
Duration	2022–2024
First appearance	Episode 10,781/2 28 October 2022 (2022-10-28)
Last appearance	Episode 11,216 18 March 2024 (2024-03-18)
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Father Frankie Bolton Daughters Lauren Bolton Grandsons Frankie Bolton

Reece Bolton, played by Scott Anson, is the father of Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton), and a part of Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron)'s far-right extremist gang, who were grooming Max Turner (Paddy Bever) and his own daughter into making racist videos. Throughout November, the gang constantly protested against Maria Connor's (Samia Longchambon) idea to open a refugee centre. In January 2023, the gang attempted to bomb the community's winter market, but Max now realising what he'd been manipulated into, warned everyone and the gang got sent down. Lauren then departed Weatherfield to live in Devon with her mother.

In June 2023, it was announced that Lauren was returning to the programme and she returned later that month. Alongside Lauren's return, it was also announced on 5 July that Reece would also return. He returns on 14 July when he asks Lauren to go and visit him in prison. Max goes with her and he asks them both to make a false statement to try and get him released from prison, but they both decline his request. In 2024 it was confirmed that Recce would return in the disappearance of his daughter, Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) storyline. Max goes to visit him in prison to see if he knew where she would of went or who might of took her but he did not know, then Max tells him that Roy Cropper (David Neilson) was accused of her disappearance and then Reece sends two people to Roy’s cafe and held him hostage.

Lauren Bolton

Lauren Bolton
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Cait Fitton
Duration	2022–present
First appearance	Episode 10,786 2 November 2022 (2022-11-02)
Classification	Present; regular
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Occupation Café Waitress Father Reece Bolton Sons Frankie Bolton Grandfathers Frankie Bolton

Lauren Bolton, played by Cait Fitton, made her first appearance on 2 November 2022. Lauren is the daughter of Reece Bolton (Scott Anson), a member of a racist gang controlled by Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron). She hangs out with Max Turner (Paddy Bever) due to his involvement with the gang, eventually becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. However, once her father and the gang have been arrested, she and Max break up as she leaves Weatherfield for Devon to live with her mother.

In June 2023, Digital Spy announced that Lauren would be returning to the series, with Fitton reprising her role that same month. Lauren returns to Max after a fallout with her mother, but learns that Max is dating Sabrina Adetiba (Luana Santos). In February 2024, Lauren goes missing. After Sean Tully (Antony Cotton) finds blood in her flat, police officers Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) and Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) start an investigation. Roy Cropper (David Neilson) is later arrested and charged with her murder. In May 2024, it was revealed that Lauren had been attacked by lawyer Joel Deering (Callum Lill), after Roy Cropper (David Neilson) had been accused.

Damon Hay

Damon Hay
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Ciarán Griffiths
Duration	2022–2024
First appearance	Episode 10,940/1 16 December 2022
Last appearance	Episode 11,397/8 27 October 2024
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod (2022) Verity MacLeod (2024)
In-universe information Half-brothers Harvey Gaskell Sons Jacob Hay

Damon Hay, played by Ciarán Griffiths, made his first appearance on 16 December 2022. Damon is the estranged father of Jacob Hay (Jack James Ryan) and half-brother of Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor). Harvey gives a significant amount of money to a desperate Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) to help the bistro, but Nick was unaware it was owned by Damon. Now Damon believes he is a rightful owner, he begins to use the bistro for a drug trade and Damon blackmails Nick into giving his son Jacob a job at the bistro to make him the handler of the drugs; however, Jacob has to get rid of it due to a sniffer dog in the bistro, Damon, angry with Jacob forces him to leave the cobbles for good.

Damon then begins an affair with Nick's sister Sarah Barlow (Tina O'Brien). However, once Sarah's husband Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) finds out, Adam, seeking revenge warns one of Damon's enemies Niall, by telling him that damon is going to grass him up to the police, knowing full well that Niall will go after Damon, Adam warns Damon that people are after him. Damon, scared for his life leaves Weatherfield. Sarah later discovers that she is pregnant and there was a question that he maybe the father. When Sarah received the DNA test results, it turned out to be Damon's baby, but her uncle Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) stepped in and falsified results to say that Adam was the father. This, however, did not convince Adam after he phoned the clinic and at the gender reveal party, Adam revealed in front of everybody that the baby was indeed Damon's.

On 30 October 2023, it was announced that Griffiths would reprise his role as Damon. Griffiths' return was announced the same day as three other characters, Linda Hancock (Jacqueline Leonard), Tommy Orpington (Matt Milburn) and his half-brother Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) and Damon returned in January 2024. Since then, he has had Adam kidnapped and held at gunpoint after he found out Sarah miscarried his baby and believes that Adam is at fault for it, but he backs down and later embarks on a relationship with Sarah, much to the dismay of her family and Adam who was wanting to work things out with Sarah. Adam then visits Damon's half-brother Harvey in prison to see if he can get rid of Damon. He agreed providing he helped him get released from jail, where he was sentenced to after murdering Natasha Blakeman (Rachel Leskovac).

On 24 September 2024, six months after his departure, it was announced that Damon would be returning to Coronation Street. He would first make some voicemail scenes due to air in an episode which will be broadcast on 30 September 2024. Rumours of Damon's return were revealed on 8 August 2024 when Griffiths was spotted filming on the Coronation Street sets in Manchester. This was very unexpected as Griffiths and his family live in Australia. It was announced that Damon was set to appear in jail-based scenes. Sarah is due to receive those voicemail messages, but is going to Turkey to see her daughter, Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) who has been rushed into intensive care with Sepsis. As a result, she asks Adam to check her messages whilst she is away. As he listens in, he hears one from Damon.

Justin Rutherford

Justin Rutherford
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Andrew Still
Duration	2022–2023
First appearance	Episode 10,827 21 December 2022
Last appearance	Episode 11,087 17 October 2023
Classification	Former; recurring
Introduced by	Iain MacLeod
In-universe information Sisters Karen Rutherford

Justin Rutherford, played by Andrew Still, made his first appearance on 21 December 2022. After an initial cameo, Still began appearing more as Justin when Justin was involved in a storyline highlighting stalking. Justin exited in 2023 when he went to prison, but Still reprised the role that same year, with the cameo return airing on 17 October, appearing as a hallucination.

Justin is a young Scottish man that Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) meets briefly at Weatherfield General when going for a mammogram and ultrasound. He later develops a romantic obsession with her and wants her to be with him instead of her fiancé Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard). He stalks her and sends messages to her on social media and flowers. He also starts working as a delivery driver in order to see Daisy more and sends her texts, much to her annoyance. Having had enough of Justin harassing her, Daisy lures him to Victoria Gardens and berates him for his attitude towards her, which causes Justin to attack her. Local police officer Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) witnesses this and arrests Justin for assault. Justin is charged for assault but is later released on bail.

On the day of Daisy's wedding, Justin confronts her in The Rovers Return and throws a glass of acid at her, only for her friend Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) to jump between them and is hit in the face and upper body by the acid. Justin flees the pub, but later is seen by Daisy at the car park of Weatherfield General and confronts him for what he did. Justin tries to justify his actions, before Daisy alerts the police, who arrest him for GBH and breaching his bail. At his plea hearing, Justin pleaded not guilty for what had happened to Ryan. At his trial, Justin tried to convince the jury that it was Ryan who had tried to throw the acid at him, only to spill it on himself. However, he was found guilty and would be sentenced at a later date. As Justin left court, he told Daisy that he still loved her and that they would be together again. Justin was later sentenced to ten years in prison for the acid attack.

After being accidentally soaked with water by Gav Adetiba (Noah Olaoye), Ryan has a hallucination and sees Justin instead of Gav. Angry to see the man responsible for his injuries, Ryan lashes out and has to be restrained by Daisy and Max Turner (Paddy Bever) before coming to his senses and apologies to Gav.

Justin's acid attack won "Scene of the Year" and "Best Single Episode" at the 2023 British Soap Awards, whilst Justin's of stalking Daisy was shortlisted for "Best Storyline" that same year. Still was longlisted for "Best Villain" at the 2023 Inside Soap Awards, whilst the acid attack and stalking storyline were shortlisted for "Best Storyline" and the acid attack won "Best Showstopper". Araminta Parker from OK! noted that Coronation Street fans were happy about Justin being convicted of his crimes and that they were "full of praise for Andrew Still's thrilling portrayal of the villain", adding that the actor "soared to fame" quickly due to the "harrowing storyline".

Other characters

Character	Episode date(s)	Actor	Circumstances
Ted Spear	3 January	Duggie Brown	An elderly man that Faye Windass (Ellie Leach) accidentally hits with her car whilst she is learning to drive. Faye and Emma Brooker (Alexandra Mardell), whom she was driving with, check up on Ted and insist he goes to the hospital, but he claims he is fine. The pair later visit him and find out he has died.
Rahul Paswan	21 January	Micky Satiar	A social worker who helps Chesney Brown (Sam Aston) and Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell) get support for their child Joseph Brown (William Flanagan).
Jon Spear	28 January–8 April	Jordan Ford Silver	The grandson of Ted Spear (Duggie Brown), and is first seen talking with Emma Brooker (Alexandra Mardell) at Ted's funeral. Unbeknownst to Jon, Emma and Faye Windass (Ellie Leach) are partly responsible for Ted's death as Faye, who as a learner driver was driving her father's taxi under Emma's supervision, struck Jon with her car. Jon tells Emma how close he was to his grandad, and that he hopes the person responsible for his death does not get away with it, leaving Emma unnerved. Faye eventually tells Jon what happened and Jon is happy to hear that someone was there for his granddad when he died. He and Emma later fall in love and leave for Australia to run a bar on Bancoora Beach together.
Faith	21 January	Liz Simmons	Two friends of Leo Thompkins (Joe Frost) who visit him and his girlfriend, Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews).
Myles		James Lewis
Maisie Wheatley	11–25 April	Lucia Aliu	The daughter of Nicky Wheatley (Kimberly Hart-Simpson).
Henry Thorne	29 April-29 June	Dominic Mafham	The boss of Aggie Bailey (Lorna Laidlaw) who she overhears a phone call in which he admits to rushing Peter Barlow's (Chris Gascoyne) operation a year earlier to win a bet. When she hears him say that he will complete the next one even quicker, she reports him. He discovers it was Aggie who reported him, and vows revenge. When Aggie tells Peter about his rushed surgery, he is furious. He confronts Thorne at a posh hotel and after being provoked by Thorne, punches him. Peter is charged with assault.
Sonya	6-20 June	Isabelle Smith	A love interest for Max Turner (Paddy Bever).
Camilla Perrin	4-6 July	Louise Marwood	The ex-wife of Phill Whittaker (Jamie Kenna) arrives in Weatherfield days before Phill's wedding with Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) to tell Phill that she still loves him. When emails are revealed in which Phill tells Camilla that he still loves her, his mother Mimi Halliday (Margot Leicester) is immediately suspected of sending them as it is clear that she does not like Fiz. It was actually Fiz's daughter, Hope Stape (Isabella Flanagan) that sent them.
Bridget Woodrow	25 July-9 August 2023	Beth Vyse	The estranged daughter of Stu Carpenter (Bill Fellows), whom he has not seen since she was a teenager as he spent 27 years in prison for a murder he adamantly denies committing. Stu tries to visit her when friend Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King) finds her address. She shuns him, which leads to her mother Lucy Woodrow (Lynda Rooke) turning up a few weeks later to warn him off. She later builds a relationship with Stu and admits to committing the murder that he was accused of and was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison after Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) gets Dee Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) to reopen the case. She later returns when Stu telephones her in prison to tell her that Eliza Woodrow's (Savannah Kunyo) father, Dom Everett (Darren Morfitt), has made contact and wants to be a part of her life. Bridget is against this because she does not think he will be a great father due to him not being interested in Eliza since she was born.
Lucy Woodrow	5 August-14 October	Lynda Rooke	The mother of Bridget Woodrow (Beth Vyse) and ex-wife of Stu Carpenter (Bill Fellows). She tells Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King) that he murdered someone who he was having an affair with. Yasmeen believes Lucy, and she kicks Stu out of her house. However, her grandchildren Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) and Zeedan Nazir (Qasim Akhtar) set out to prove his innocence. Stu later turns up at Yasmeen's house and is arrested for harassment. After Stu begins to build a relationship with Bridget and her daughter Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo), Bridget confesses to the murder which the case was recently reopened by Alya alongside Dee Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown), causing her and Lucy to be arrested with Lucy being sent down for 20 years for covering up the murder.
Gabrielle Reid	5 September-28 August 2023	Helene Maksoud	The estranged wife of Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce) who he had embezzled €200,000 from her company to pay off his debts.
Eric Sandford	5 October-16 June 2023	Craig Cheetham	The alcoholic father of Aaron Sandford (James Craven) who had abused him when he was drinking and revealed this to stop his girlfriend, Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) from reporting a mugging to the police. Aaron had stolen cannabis from his wallet, and he went to the garage, where Aaron worked to threaten him in front of Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell), Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine). Kevin sends Eric packing. Summer subsequently finds out that she is pregnant with Aaron's baby, and they agree with a plan with a couple Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) knew from church Mike (Tom Lorcan) and Esther Hargrave (Vanessa Hehir) that they would sell them their baby to pay for Eric to go through rehabilitation. He later returns to find out that Aaron is being accused of raping Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney), but he denies the allegations. As the investigation had been dropped, Eric was determined to prove his son's innocence, despite everyone shunning him, and he and Aaron began tormenting Amy and even tried to sue her for libel. Aaron dropped the case.
Daryan Zahawi	10 October-27 February 2023	Twama Omer	A refugee who began to work at Speed Daal and initially befriended Max Turner (Paddy Bever), but they subsequently fell out after they were both enrolled at Weatherfield High school, but Max didn't get in after he had previously attended before being moved to a pupil referral unit. As a result, he felt that Daryan had stolen his place. Daryan was attacked Daryan outside Speed Daal by Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron) and his far-right extremist gang. Daryan later receives news from a man named Mo that his brother is now located in Nottingham, where he goes to join him.
Mike Hargrave	12 October-18 January 2023	Tom Lorcan	The husband of Esther Hargrave (Vanessa Hehir) who wishes to adopt Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) and Aaron Sandford's (James Craven) unborn baby. However, Summer had a miscarriage, but didn't say anything after being paid £10,000, which they wanted to use to pay for Aaron's father, Eric Sandford's (Craig Cheetham) rehabilitation. After Mike and Esther discover this, they offer more money for Summer to be a surrogate for them. The events turn nasty when Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) takes matters into his own hands when he attacked Mike, leaving him unconscious after being unsuccessfully held back by Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce). Todd subsequently contacted Mike and Esther's old church and it was revealed that Mike had an affair with a woman named Ava and they have a son named Callum. When Summer finds out, she threatens to tell Esther if Mike doesn't. As a result, Mike holds her captive, which meant she passed out as her sugar levels were low as she is a diabetic and when Esther arrived home, she phoned an ambulance. Esther found out all of Mike's secrets and Summer made a statement to the police regarding what Mike did.

External links

• Cast and characters at itv.com
• Cast and characters at the IMDb