[1] Faye Windass' (Ellie Leach) biological father, Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine), arrived in January, while Katy Armstrong's (Georgia May Foote) best friend, Steph Britton (Tisha Merry), and Gloria Price's (Sue Johnston) new fiancé, Eric Babbage (Timothy West), made their debuts in February.
Gary's old friend from the army Kal Nazir (Jimi Mistry), Dennis Tanner's (Philip Lowrie) acquaintance Ritchie de Vries (Robin Askwith), Steve McDonald's (Simon Gregson) friend from History class Andrea Beckett (Hayley Tamaddon) and a new love interest for Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent), Maddie Heath (Amy James-Kelly), made their first appearances in December.
Steph arrives in Coronation Street alongside Megan Smithson (Amy Dolan) to visit their friend Katy Armstrong (Georgia May Foote).
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 started 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).
However, in January 2017, Andy admits to Steph that Phelan is blackmailing him and that he has forced him to set Kevin Webster's (Michael Le Vell) garage on fire.
[11] 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.
A show spokesperson commented: "Exact details are being kept under wraps, but more than one character will be hospitalised as a result of the crash and one Underworld knicker stitcher's life will be on the line!
[28] 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.
In late 2023, Jake learns that his stepbrother Liam Connor Jr (Charlie Wrenshall) was threatened with a knife by a boy at Weatherfield High called Mason Radcliffe (Luca Toolan).
[36] 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.
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".
[40] She is a nail technician and the wife of Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre), who assumes control of his assets due to her husband's apparent issue with bankruptcy.
This ultimately sparked the end of Phelan's marriage with his first wife Valerie (Caroline Berry), though he later marries Anna and Gary's next-door neighbour Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver).
The character proceeded to manipulate Eileen's son Jason (Ryan Thomas) into leaving the street after sabotaging his business empire; used Jason's inheritance from his late father, Tony Stewart (Terence Maynard), to set-up his fraudulent properly scheme called "Calcutta Street"; defrauded Gary's girlfriend Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) and most of their fellow residents, including local shopkeeper Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) and her friend Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King), into investing their own money onto his properly scam; caused the death of his love rival Michael Rodwell (Les Dennis) by watching him die of a heart attack without providing help; locked Michael's surrogate son, Andy Carver (Oliver Farnworth), in a cellar for ten months after blackmailing the latter and appearing to have killed Andy on his own wedding day; became a prime suspect of causing the series' longest-serving character, Ken Barlow (William Roache), to fall down the stairs; reconciled with his long-lost daughter, Nicola Rubinstein (Nicola Thorp), until she discovers that he allegedly raped her mother Annabel just nine months before she herself was born; kidnapped his ex-partner-in-crime Vinny Ashford (Ian Kelsey) and forced Andy to murder him with a gun, before shooting Andy dead himself; killed Andy's best friend Luke Britton (Dean Fagan) from growing unknowingly close to uncovering his friend's fate; forced Andy's girlfriend and Luke's sister Steph (Tisha Merry) into absconding Weatherfield so he cover-up his murders; and framed Anna for pushing his apprentice Seb Franklin (Harry Visinoni) off a ladder in retribution for turning Nicola against him, which resulted in her four-month imprisonment.
Eventually, Phelan's crimes were exposed on 30 March 2018 after Eileen receives information about this from her colleague Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) during the couple's holiday.
Though he is later presumed dead in Weatherfield on the day his crimes become public knowledge, Phelan is revealed to have survived the fall on 2 April 2018; with the character recuperating from his injuries in a B&B in Ireland.
He then returned for the end-of-May special episodes which were broadcast post-watershed and concluded his story arc, wherein Phelan attempted to flee Weatherfield with his grandson Zack on the day Andy's boss Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill) was due to marry his fiancé and restaurant colleague Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh).
This triggered a siege where Phelan ends up shooting both his daughter Nicola and then bride-to-be Michelle, shortly before Anna returns from her false imprisonment and mortally stabs her tormenting rapist to stop him from escaping once more.
This ultimately concluded the character's story arc as Phelan thereupon died, while both Nicola and Michelle survive from their gunshot impacts, and his body is later taken away in a private ambulance.
"[44] The episode was watched by 8.4 million viewers on the night of its broadcast, the highest rating the show had seen since the minibus crash in January 2015 as well as the most-watched programme of that day.
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.
"[56] Show producer Stuart Blackburn commented: "Hayley has brought real magic to the Corrie cobbles – funny, energetic, totally professional and a joy to be around.
[59] The live episode, including the leaving party, was watched by 8.1 million viewers on the night of its broadcast, the highest rating since the Victoria Court fire in May 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.
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.
Maddie is thrilled for Sophie's father, Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) when he begins a relationship with Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews).
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.