List of Coronation Street characters introduced in 2012
Coronation Street is a British soap opera first broadcast on 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters that first appeared or will appear in 2012, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by series producer Phil Collinson. Milton Fanshaw, a new love interest for Sylvia Goodwin, arrived in January. Carla Connor's younger brother, [|Rob Donovan], made his first appearance in July. Stella Price's mother Gloria Price, Tyrone Dobbs and Kirsty Soames' baby daughter [|Ruby] Dobbs, Lloyd Mullaney's ex-girlfriend Mandy Kamara and their daughter, [|Jenna] made their debuts in September. A face from Lewis Archer's past, Penny Thornley, arrived in October and [|Carole Evans], an enemy of Stella, made her debut in November.
Milton Fanshaw
Milton Fanshaw, played by Robert Vaughn, made his first on-screen appearance on 27 January 2012. Milton was introduced as a new love interest for Sylvia Goodwin. The character and casting were announced on 2 November 2011. Vaughn had a three-week guest stint with the show. Of Vaughn's casting, Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson commented: "I am delighted to be welcoming The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to Coronation Street. Robert was a huge part of my childhood and a magnificent actor. I am looking forward to seeing the impact this exotic character has on the ladies of Weatherfield." The actor began filming his first scenes on 7 December 2011. Steve White from the Daily Mirror reported that Vaughn would be using the former dressing room of Betty Driver. The dressing room had been locked after Driver's death in October 2011. Milton is a wealthy American who meets Sylvia whilst she is away on a cruise holiday. itv.com said Milton "puts the cat firmly amongst the pigeons." Will Thorp called Vaughn's casting "incredible", while a Coronation Street insider said Vaughn's casting had given the show's cast a "massive boost."Sylvia met Milton on a cruise holiday that she won, and was given a banjo by him as a gift which she showed off to her friends and family. She kept in contact with him, but her son Roy didn't like her running up his phone bill. Sylvia was upset that she hadn't heard from Milton for a couple of days. As Sylvia plays "Ain't She Sweet" on her eukebanjo at a music competition in the Rovers, she's overjoyed when Milton suddenly appears beside her and sings along to her tune. Sylvia proudly introduces Milton to the assembled crowd. Milton tells Sylvia that he intends to stick around in Weatherfield for a while. Sylvia hides her concern.
Milton insists on visiting Roy's "restaurant". Sylvia panics and lies, telling him that Roy owns the Bistro. Milton is impressed by it, but soon it becomes clear that Roy is not the owner. Sylvia admits that she lied to impress him and Milton is sympathetic. Sylvia shows Milton the café. Milton enthuses to Roy about how much he loves his "retro diner". Milton excitedly tells Roy and Hayley how they should turn Roy's Rolls into a railway-themed restaurant called "Beef Encounter" and open a chain of them across the globe. Roy's underwhelmed whilst Sylvia thinks that Milton's a genius. Milton mistakenly thinks the reason that Roy isn't keen on his wonderful business idea is due to a lack of funds and tells Sylvia that it is easily solved. Milton tells Roy that they will be partners in "Beef Encounter" as he plans to buy the premises next-door and remove the dividing wall. Roy makes it plain to Milton that they will never be business partners and Sylvia is shocked by her son's outburst.
Sylvia tells Roy that she is ashamed of him for throwing Milton's offer back in his face. Hayley stands by Roy's decision not to accept Milton's offer. Milton asks Sylvia to move back to America with him. Sylvia tells Roy how Milton's invited her to live in the United States with him, hoping that Roy will beg her to stay. Roy remains stiff upper-lipped and Sylvia is upset. Milton and Sylvia prepare to leave for the airport. Roy still can't admit that he doesn't want his mother to leave. Hayley is exasperated with him. Milton and Sylvia leave for Palm Springs. Still concealing his feelings, Roy sadly waves them off. Hayley is concerned for him. Roy admits to Hayley the reason he couldn't bring himself to ask Sylvia to stay was for fear of her rejecting him again. As Hayley comforts him, there's a knock at the door. Sylvia bustles in explaining how Milton returned to America alone as she realised at the check-in queue she couldn't possibly live with a bunch of loud Americans. Roy and Sylvia share a smile, each pleased to see the other.
A few weeks later, at his home in Palm Springs, Milton had a fall at his poolside where he was discovered by his maid. Sylvia flew over to California to look after him whilst he recovered.
Meredith McGuire
Meredith McGuire, played by Su Douglas was the governor of Bessie Street School. She made two appearances in Coronation Street. The first was on 30 January. Brian Packham was afraid of her, and she also warned him that if he didn't improve the school's results in three months, he would be fired from his job. Brian eventually made up a healthy regime for school lunches and other rules as well.Five months later, Meredith made her second appearance on 12 July when she was shocked to discover that her granddaughter Lindsay Hayward was bullying pupil Faye Windass. She forced Lindsay to apologize, and also assured Faye's adoptive mother Anna that her granddaughter will be disciplined. Three months later, it was shockingly revealed that Meredith had died of unknown causes on 23 September. Ken Barlow would eventually be elected to take her place as governor of Bessie Street.
Alison Soames
Alison Soames, played by Dawn Hope, made her first screen appearance on 24 May 2012. The previous month, Natalie Gumede revealed that Kirsty Soames' parents would be introduced to Coronation Street. The actress commented that seeing Kirsty's parents would give viewers "more of a clue as to what made her the way she is." Hope's casting was announced on 18 May. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy reported that Alison and her husband [|Edwin] are invited to their daughter's birthday party, where they discover she is engaged and pregnant. Kilkelly added "Both Kirsty and Alison appear fearful of Ed, which is explored further when Kirsty later opens up to Tyrone about her troubled past…" In August 2012, producer Phil Collinson revealed that Alison and Edwin would be making another appearance the following month. In January 2013, Kilkelly reported that Alison would be returning, in the wake of Kirsty's accusations that Tyrone was abusing her.Edwin and Alison arrive at their daughter's surprise birthday party, invited by her fiancé, Tyrone Dobbs. The couple are shocked when they learn that Kirsty is engaged and pregnant. They leave after Edwin learns that Kirsty has been dismissed from the police force. Kirsty reveals to Tyrone that she and Alison have suffered from Edwin's domestic abuse for years and Kirsty resents her mother for sticking by him.
Alison returns a few months later. She reveals to Kirsty that she has left Edwin, after they argued about her visiting Kirsty and Ruby. Kirsty and Tyrone invite Alison to live with them, in return for help in caring for Ruby. However, a few days later, Edwin arrives and kidnaps Ruby, as a mean of blackmailing Alison to come back to him. Kirsty pleads with her mother not to go, but Alison goes with Edwin.
Alison returns on 4 March 2013, when Tina McIntyre and Fiz Stape went to look for her. They tell her everything about Kirsty's domestic violence against Tyrone. Alison refuses to believe it and storms out. However, she visits Kirsty and initially plays along with the lie. After a few hours, she demands Kirsty tell her the truth and then persuades Kirsty to tell the truth in court, saying that she'll be free of the nightmare she is living and she'll be proud of her regardless. Kirsty agrees but when she sees Alison leaving Tina's flat, she changes her mind and tells Alison that Fiz is Tyrone's girlfriend. Tina and Fiz beg Alison to tell the police for Tyrone and Ruby's sake, but she refuses, saying that she will not choose them over her daughter. Alison returns while Kirsty is giving evidence against Tyrone. She tells her she is ashamed of her. Alison meets Kirsty at the café and offers to help her in the house, on condition that she tells the truth. Kirsty angrily refuses and tells Alison she is not welcome any more.
Following Kirsty's death of an aneurysm in 2021, Tyrone tells Fiz that Alison has also died.
Edwin Soames
Edwin Soames, played by David Lonsdale is the father of Kirsty Soames, who is contacted by Tyrone Dobbs and invited to his daughter's birthday party, along with wife Alison. Edwin and Alison are shocked to find Kirsty is engaged and pregnant. They leave after an argument. In an August 2012, interview, series producer Phil Collinson revealed that Edwin and Alison would make a future appearance. Alison comes to Coronation Street to visit Kirsty and the baby and she reveals that she has left Edwin. In 2021, Kirsty dies and Tyrone reveals to Fiz Brown that Alison has also passed away and nobody has been able to contact Edwin.Lonsdale is best known for playing David Stockwell in long-running ITV period drama Heartbeat between 1993 and 2009, but has also appeared in Coronation Street before, playing Peter Barlow in 1986 for 8 episodes before the role was recast to Chris Gascoyne 14 years later in 2000.