John Stape is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by actor Graeme Hawley.
The character has been at the centre of some major storylines such as the kidnap of local teenager Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan), stealing the identity and covering up Colin Fishwick's (David Crellin) death from a heart attack, the manslaughter of Joy Fishwick (Doreen Mantle) and the murder of Charlotte Hoyle (Becky Hindley).
The character was married to Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) with whom he has a daughter called Hope.
[1] Graeme Hawley reprised the role after eleven years in December 2022, although in the form of a recording made by John Stape prior to his death.
[3] John is organising a school play rehearsal when he encounters his former girlfriend, Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine).
He meets her teenage daughter, Rosie (Helen Flanagan), and they begin a secret affair.
Fiz learns John has been put on suicide watch, after being diagnosed with depression and she goes to visit him.
They are married in the prison with Chesney Brown (Sam Aston) and Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) as witnesses.
After being sacked from his job at an adult education centre, John decides to take Colin's identity and use it to start teaching again.
Fiz asks John to quit teaching and he agrees but decides to continue with the deception in secret.
She continues to blackmail him and John worries when she introduces him as her fiancé to her parents, Dorothy (Jean Fergusson) and Alan (Michael McStay).
He manages to wrestle it from her hands and as Charlotte goes to leave intent on finding Fiz and telling her about what she perceives as their relationship, John hits her.
Believing her to be dead, John starts to call an ambulance but is distracted by the sound of an explosion.
John stops taking his medication, but after learning Fiz has claimed Joy's inheritance fraudulently, he freaks out and barricades himself in his office.
John learns the factory floor is being dug up and he gets a job working for the local builder, Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies).
Fiz follows John to the Hoyle's house and finds Chesney, Dorothy and Alan tied up in the basement.
John tells her he wants her to go to court and help Fiz, who has been arrested for the crimes he committed.
In March 2011, it was announced that John's storyline would conclude that summer with the character committing suicide,[6] something that ultimately did not occur.
In August 2011, it was announced Hawley would be returning to Coronation Street in October for a short stint, with John kidnapping Rosie for a second time.
Actor Graeme Hawley was blasted for his portrayal of the character stating that he gave the teaching profession a bad name.
Hawley explained that: "I have bumped into a few teachers who haven't been happy with me," Graeme told the Daily Record.