List of Coronation Street characters introduced in 1996
The following is a list of characters who were introduced to the ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 1996, in order of first appearance.
Stephen Reid
Stephen Reid is the son of Audrey Roberts. Audrey's father insists that she give Stephen up for adoption after she gives birth to him at 16 years old. Malcolm Reid, a neighbour and former boyfriend of Audrey, adopts Stephen and later emigrates to Canada with him.Stephen arrives in Weatherfield to get to know his biological mother and to carry out some business for his firm, KBec, with local tycoon Mike Baldwin. During his stay, Mike's wife and Audrey's best friend, Alma Baldwin, becomes besotted with him and makes her feelings clear, but Stephen is not interested and returns to Canada once his work is completed.
Stephen's nephew, Nick Tilsley, later went to stay with his uncle in Canada for several months after causing trouble for his mother, Stephen's half-sister Gail Platt, and adoptive father, Martin Platt. In 1999, following the break-up of his marriage to Leanne Battersby, Nick again turned to Stephen, who offered him a job in Canada. Over the years, Audrey maintained regular contact with Stephen and visited him many times. Gail's third husband, Richard Hillman, also took her to Canada for an impromptu visit at Christmas 2001.
On 10 December 2007, Stephen returned to Weatherfield to spend Christmas with Audrey while on the way to Italy, where he intended to expand his business empire into Europe. On 14 December, Stephen invited his youngest nephew, David Platt, to join him in Italy. David accepted, much to the disappointment of his niece Sarah Platt, David's half-sister.
On 21 December, David's ambitions were ruined after Sarah bought some ecstasy tablets from a drug dealer in Leanne's restaurant, Valandros, and planted them in David's drawer at Audrey's Salon. Audrey discovered the pills, and after deciding David was a troublemaker, Stephen left Weatherfield on Boxing Day. Sarah and her daughter, Bethany, joined him four days later. Gail visited them in June 2008. In 2015, Stephen fired Sarah over the phone when she failed to email him an urgent report.
In 2022, it was reported that Stephen would return as part of a "long-term" storyline. Boyce reprised his role in the episode broadcast on 24 June 2022. In September 2022, Stephen accidentally killed Jenny Connor's boyfriend, Leo Thompkins, after the latter confronted him about his true financial situation. In January 2023, Leo's father, Teddy Thompkins, regained his memory after being hit by a van. He became suspicious of Stephen and threatened to call the police. Not taking any chances, Stephen hit Teddy over the head with a hole punch, killing him. He later killed business rival Rufus by drugging him and drowning him in his own pool, making it look like an accident.
In October, Stephen planned to flee the country as the police closed in on him. After attacking Tim Metcalfe, who had grown suspicious of him, and leaving him for dead, Stephen headed for the airport upon realising his partner, Jenny, was also suspicious of him. At the airport, Stephen realised he did not have his passport and returned to Weatherfield, hiding in the closed Rovers Return. Jenny and Sarah met in the pub, where, to their horror, Stephen appeared and knocked Sarah out. After admitting to Jenny that he killed Leo, Teddy, and Rufus, Stephen took her hostage in the street as horrified residents, including Audrey, looked on. Stephen ordered David to bring him his car but then had a change of heart and decided to set Jenny free. Moments later, Stephen was run over by a taxi driven by Peter Barlow. Michael Bailey administered CPR, but despite all efforts to save his life, Stephen succumbed to his injuries and died, leaving Audrey heartbroken.
Kelly Thomson
Kelly Thomson played by Sarah Moffett, first appears on 9 February 1996 when Ken Barlow hires her as a childminder for his son, Daniel Osbourne. She later moves in with the family and begins a relationship with Ashley Peacock. Their relationship ends later in the year when she agrees to follow Daniel and his mother, Denise, to Scotland to continue her job, now working for Denise instead of Ken.[|Lee Middleton]
Lee Middleton, played by Nicholas Bailey, is the brother of Fiona Middleton, who first appears when Fiona turned to him for a loan when Denise Osbourne offered her the lease on her salon for £4,500. He was unimpressed, but gave her the loan with a year to pay it back. He subsequently tried to pressure her to rent out the flat above the salon. He also helped Maxine Heavey and Liz McDonald with the preparations of the opening of the salon. In December 1996, he let Fiona off with her loan.When Fiona got engaged to [|Alan McKenna] in February 1997, Lee refused to go to the engagement party as he was a white policeman, but did attend Alan's stag night but was subjected to racial abuse from Alan's policeman friends. Lee was also in attendance at Fiona and Alan's wedding which was called off when her one-night-stand with Jim McDonald was revealed.
Joyce Smedley
Joyce Smedley, played by Anita Carey, was introduced in February 1996 as the mother of Judy Mallett.Joyce takes a job as a cleaner at the Rovers Return and becomes a love interest for both Alec Gilroy and Percy Sugden, although she does not encourage Percy. In February 1997, while walking her dog, Scamper, Joyce is run over and killed by a car driven by Tony Horrocks.
Clive Middleton
Clive Middleton, played by Joe Speare, is the father of Fiona Middleton. He appears in Weatherfield for the opening of their daughter's salon. Clive argues with his son Lee Middleton upon learning that he lent Fiona money when he refused to lend him £2,000 for a new car. Lee tells him that he did not think Clive would pay him back.Clive and Pam later meet Fiona and her fiancé Alan McKenna for dinner and offer to pay for their wedding. After Alan calls the wedding off, they comfort their daughter.
Pam Middleton
Pam Middleton, portrayed by Elizabeth Estensen, is the mother of Fiona Middleton. She arrives in Weatherfield for the opening of their daughter's salon. Clive argues with his son Lee Middleton upon learning that he lent Fiona money when he refused to lend him £2,000 for a new car. Lee tells him that he did not think Clive would pay him back.Clive and Pam later meet Fiona and her fiancé Alan McKenna for dinner and offer to pay for their wedding. After Alan calls the wedding off, they comfort their daughter. Pam returns to help and advise Fiona to sell up and leave the Street, after she discovers her partner Steve McDonald has had an affair. In 2019, when Steve meets his daughter Emma Brooker, who is Fiona's daughter, if her grandmother was still alive, she told him she lives on the Isle of Wight.
Claire Palmer
Claire Palmer, played by Maggie Norris, who first appears on 8 May 1996, is the girlfriend of Des Barnes. Des and Claire have a whirlwind romance, and she moves in with him two months later, despite still claiming her dead husband's RAF pension. The couple are forced to move out again to avoid being found out, but by the end of the year, Claire gives up the pension for Des. A few months later, however, Claire sees Des making a pass at Samantha Failsworth ; she immediately packs her bags and leaves.Becky Palmer
Rebecca "Becky" Palmer, played by Emily Aston, is the daughter of Claire Palmer and first appears on 20 May 1996. Becky moves to the Street when her mother meets Des Barnes at the market and they begin a relationship. When Des and Claire split up the following year, Becky moves away with her mother.Samantha Failsworth
Samantha Failsworth, played by Tina Hobley, makes her first appearance on 17 July 1996 when she asks landlord Jack Duckworth for a job at the Rovers Return. Jack likes the look of her, and, without his wife Vera's approval, he takes her on. When Vera returns, she is furious, but Samantha wins her over by referring to Vera as the boss rather than Jack. Samantha later moves into the Street, house-sharing with newly single Curly Watts and then, after ending Des Barnes's relationship with Claire Palmer, she begins dating Des.In late 1997, Samantha's estranged husband, Ritchie Fitzgerald, turns up hoping for a reconciliation. Instead, he faces months of Samantha claiming their marriage is over, before they spend the night together behind Des' back. Nevertheless, Samantha goes ahead with divorce proceedings until Des finds out, and Samantha is once again undecided about which man to choose. Ritchie gives up on his marriage, and Des forgives her until she cheats on him again with mechanic Chris Collins in 1998.
Following their split, Des becomes close to Natalie Horrocks, and Samantha is envious. She claims she is pregnant with Des' child and then says she has had an abortion. It is eventually revealed that there was no baby to begin with, but Samantha changes her story and maintains she did suffer a miscarriage. In the end, Samantha tells Des she is still pregnant with his child and leaves Weatherfield in June 1998. Although Natalie firmly believes she was lying, Des is never sure, and Samantha has never been heard from again.
Alan McKenna
Alan McKenna, played by Glenn Hugill, was a detective, who was engaged to Fiona Middleton. They were due to marry in 1997, but Alan called the engagement off when Jim McDonald exposed his one-night-stand with Fiona. He then departed Weatherfield after a year.Unbeknownst to him, Fiona fell pregnant with his son, Morgan Middleton, who was born in 1998 and was intended to be adopted by Fiona's new fiancée, and Jim's son, Steve McDonald, but this relationship fell through also and he was raised, alongside his half-sister and Steve's daughter, Emma Brooker by their stepfather and Fiona's husband, John Brooker.