List of Coronation Street characters introduced in 2003
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 2003, by order of first appearance.
Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart made his first screen appearance on 2 March 2003. The character was originally played by Alan Igbon, but Terence Maynard took over the role in 2014. Tony is Jason Grimshaw's father.On 15 November 2013, it was announced that Tony would be returning to Coronation Street in 2014, with actor Terence Maynard taking over the role from Igbon. Jason's "roguish" father will attract the attention of Liz McDonald when he arrives, but his intentions are soon questioned. David Brown from the Radio Times questioned how Eileen would react to Tony's sudden reappearance in her son's life, while series producer Stuart Blackburn commented, "His arrival is going to cause massive ructions for the Grimshaws. He is a man who can be your best friend or your worst enemy – and with a long history of lies and betrayal, this is a guy who has an awful lot of making up to do." Tony's reintroduction came as part of "an increased focus" on the Grimshaw family.
It was announced on 17 October 2015 that Maynard had filmed his final scenes and Tony departed on 18 November 2015. It was reported on 14 March 2016 that Tony would be killed off-screen, with Jason receiving the news in April 2016. A writer from ITVX put Tony on their list of Liz' top ten lovers, writing "Liz hooked up with her mate Eileen's ex in 2014, but a year later she learned of his affair with Tracy Barlow and their plan to steal the pub from her. Tony was unceremoniously dumped but he still holds a torch for Liz and now that he owns Steve's half of the pub he's got the perfect excuse to keep popping in for a pint and some flirty banter. But will Liz succumb to his charms?"
Storylines
Eileen and Jason are shocked when they bump into Jason's dad Tony Stewart and his girlfriend Merle Jackson in the Rovers. Tony bumps into Jason in the cafe. Jason is off-hand but Tony persuades him to sit down and talk to him. Jason agrees to meet him for a drink one evening. Jason meets his dad for a drink. They get on really well. Tony tells Jason that there may be a job for him at his building site.Jason goes to Tony and Merle Jackson's house for dinner. Tony promises to try to get Jason a job on the building site where he works. Eileen is shocked and hurt when Tony bangs on the door and tells her that he's got Jason a job. Eileen realises that Jason has been meeting his dad behind her back. Tony and Jason chat in the Rovers about Jason's new job. Jason has a huge row with Eileen - he calls her a whore and she slaps him. He accuses Eileen of never giving Tony a chance. He makes her admit that Tony did once propose to her. Eileen tries to make Jason see what a lousy father Tony would have been. Jason gets his things and storms out. Eileen breaks down - she's worried that she's lost her son to Tony. To Tony and Merle's horror, Jason turns up saying that he's left his mum and has come to live with them. Eileen tracks Jason down to Merle's house. She and Tony have a huge row. Jason is disgusted with them and storms out. Jason arrives back at Tony's house only to find that he and Eileen are still rowing. Tony changes his mind and tells Jason he's very welcome to stay. Eileen pleads with him to come home but he chooses to stay with his dad. Merle demands that Tony must get rid of Jason as it's her house and she doesn't want him there. Tony can't bring himself to tell him. Eileen confides in Patrick how upset she is about Jason living with Tony. Jason starts his new job on the building site with his dad. Tony chats to him about his family. Jason is intrigued and wants to know more. Tony calls to see Eileen and asks her to try and persuade Jason to come home. Eileen agrees although she realises that she will be doing Tony's dirty work for him. Tony takes Jason to the Rovers where they bump into Eileen. Jason is gutted when Tony, under pressure from Merle, tells him that he'll have to move back to Eileen's house. Eileen can see that Jason is upset. She asks him if he wants his old bed back and he admits that he does. Tony tells Jason that he's found him some more work but it's in Warrington. Jason moans to Tony about the fact that Eileen has bought Todd a laptop and Todd is her favourite. Eileen is delighted when Jason turns down the offer of a drink with Tony in favour of going out in his new car. It is Jason's birthday. Eileen gives him a CD, Todd gives him the same CD and Tony gives him a sovereign ring. Jason and Tony agree to help Todd do his flat up. Tony and Jason rewire Todd's flat so that Todd's electricity now runs off the Bookies' supply downstairs. Todd is a little bit worried. Roy has a disastrous driving lesson and as he opens the car door to make his escape, he walks into the path of Jason's car. Jason is forced to swerve and crashes, leaving him with a fractured arm and Tony with a broken leg. Jason will be off work for six weeks, leaving Eileen to pay the car loan. Merle throws Tony out. She drops him and his belongings off at Eileen's house. She is not best pleased. Eileen is fed up with Tony living under the same roof. Jason explains to Tony how he lied to the insurance company and told them he was twenty-seven to get cheaper car insurance. Eileen is fed up with looking after Tony and Jason and worried about how she's going to pay the car loan now that Jason isn't earning. Eileen breaks down about her money worries to Tony. She's torn, but has no choice but to accept the £50 he offers her. Gail tells Peter about the dodgy wiring in the flat. Peter arranges for Tony Stewart to sort it out. Tony pretends that he's never been to the flat before. Against Sarah's better judgement Tony and Jason turn up at the flat to fix the wiring.
Tony gets £50 off Peter for fixing the faulty wiring in the flat. Peter then finds out that it was Tony's dodgy wiring in the first place and that Tony wired the flat so that the electricity ran off the bookies' supply. Peter is furious and demands his money back from Tony and Jason. Eileen is at her wits' end. She's no money and she's sick of supporting Tony. Eileen tells Tony to clear out. Tony gives a tearful Jason his forwarding address and leaves. Tony calls into see Eileen before he leaves and whilst Eileen's back is turned he steals the £700 takings from Street Cars. Eileen is horrified to find the money has been stolen. She realises that Tony must have taken it. Eileen explains how Tony has stolen £700. She asks Jason to find him. Jason is confused and upset. Jason realises that Tony must have stolen the £700. Jason and Todd pay Tony a visit. He admits that he stole the money and gives it to Jason. Jason is upset that his dad is a loser and a thief. He tells him he doesn't want to see him any more. Jason doesn't see his father for another ten years.
In 2014, Eileen is shocked to receive a visit from Tony. Jason is surprised to find Tony at home when he returns from the Rovers. None of the Grimshaws are pleased to see Tony's return, the boys pointing out what a lousy father he has been. Eileen suggests that Jason take him to the Rovers to get him out of the house. Tony suggests that he and Jason do building work together but his son is in no way convinced. Tony tells the Grimshaws that he's trying to make up for lost time but Eileen and Todd aren't convinced. Jason isn't entirely hostile to his father, though. Eileen is quietly hoping that Tony won't hang around for long. Liz enjoys it when Tony flirts with her. Tony buys drinks for Jason, Eva and Todd and asks Jason if they can be mates. Forgetting about Todd's dinner, Jason agrees to meet Tony for dinner at the bistro on Monday. Todd tells him he doesn't mind as it will make the evening more exciting. It is Todd's birthday but he is not looking forward to the prospect of his birthday meal at the bistro with Tony present. Jason assures a worried Eileen that his dad will be thrown out if he causes trouble but she confesses that her main worry is that Tony will hurt him. Tony turns up at the party with an expensive bottle for Todd. Tony assures Eileen that he's changed his ways and realises that he's been a rotten father. Jason is upset when Tony makes a comment about Eileen and tells him he's not welcome to join Todd's party in town. Eileen finds Tony confiding in Liz in the Rovers and makes it clear she isn't pleased.
Tony and Liz then begin a relationship, but soon in December 2014, he begins an affair with Tracy Barlow. In the summer of 2015, Liz becomes aware of Tony and Tracy's affair and tells him not to come back to the Rovers. He returns months later and in November 2015, attempts to reconcile with Liz. He and Liz then get back together and Tony signs his papers of the Rovers back over to Liz. Tony is then about to propose to her but she rejects him and says that she will never forgive him for cheating on her and that she had tricked him. With his reputation and life in tatters, Tony makes the decision to leave Weatherfield. He says a final goodbye to his son, and Eileen, before departing. Unfortunately, this would be the last time Jason would ever see his father...
In April 2016, Eileen is visited by police who inform her that Tony has been found dead in his flat of a suspected heart attack. Jason is shocked and refuses to believe his dad is dead until he sees his body at the morgue. Jason is distraught and begins to lash out at everyone, especially Liz who he blames for his dad leaving, and he begins pushing everyone away, before reconciling with most people after Tony's funeral. It's then revealed that he's left upwards of eighty grand to Jason. In June 2016, Tony is placed in the frame for the murder of Callum Logan, whose rotting corpse was found underneath the Platt family's annexe in a car crash the prior month, pushing the blame further away from Callum's true killer; Kylie Platt. The accusation is made more believable as Tony and Jason had been the ones constructing the annexe to begin with, and they had a motive due to Callum's mates attacking Jason just a few months before his apparent death. Jason can't believe this accusation, and briefly launches a campaign against the Platts to clear his dad's name, before a wrench with both Callum and Tony's DNA on it seemingly confirms the accusation that Tony did indeed murder Callum, whose mates begin a revenge campaign against Jason. He initially ignores a warning from Gemma Winter, who used to know Callum, before his van is torched. Jason then decides to flee Weatherfield, leaving his business and money in the hands of Eileen, and her shifty new lover, Pat Phelan. Tony's name is yet to be cleared for Callum's murder.