đ¨ CORRIE BOMBSHELL: A REAL-LIFE FAMILY TIES REVEAL HAS FANS LOSING THEIR MINDS! đ¨đ¨đ¨
Coronation Street has delivered more than its fair share of shocking storylines, emotional exits, and scandalous affairsâbut this time, the real drama is happening off-screen. Long-time fans were left absolutely stunned after realizing that two former cast members from very different eras of the show are actually real-life mother and son!
Thatâs rightâactress Sue Jenkins, best known to Corrie fans as Gloria Todd, and Richard Fleeshman, who played Craig Harris, are mother and son in real life. And fans are gobsmacked that this fact had remained under the radar for so long.
Sue Jenkins stepped onto the Weatherfield cobbles in 1985, lighting up the screen as cheeky Rovers Return barmaid Gloria Todd. Her charisma and on-screen chemistry with soap legend Bet Lynch made her an instant fan favorite. But her soap career didnât end thereâSue later appeared on Brookside as Jackie Corkhill and even popped up in Emmerdale.
Fast forward to 2002, when her son, Richard Fleeshman, made his Corrie debut as Craig Harris, a troubled teen with a goth makeover, a messy family life, and a romance with Rosie Webster that made headlines. Craigâs storyline packed a punch: his sister killed their father in a heated confrontation, she later took her own life, and Craig nearly fled to Berlin before leaving the Street for good in 2006.
Despite both having strong ties to Coronation Street, many fans never made the connectionâuntil now.
Social media exploded when the revelation came to light. One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter), âThatâs Richard Fleeshmanâs mum! I had no idea!â Another added, âWow, all this time watching and I never knew that. I can totally see the resemblance now!â
The Corrie connections donât stop there. Other real-life family ties in the show include cousins Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) and Ellie Leach (Faye Windass), as well as Greg Wood (Rick Neelan) and his brother Matt Milburn (Tommy Orpington).
Now 36, Richard Fleeshman has made a name for himself far beyond Weatherfield. Heâs a seasoned West End and Broadway performer, starring in hits like Ghost the Musical, Legally Blonde, and Company. Most recently, heâs appeared in Stephen Sondheimâs final theatrical work, Here We Are, at the National Theatre.
This revelation adds yet another layer of magic to Coronation Streetâa show that continues to surprise fans, even decades later. While they may not have shared the screen at the same time, the bond between Sue and Richard brings a touching new dimension to the legacy of the soap.
So next time you rewatch those classic Corrie episodes, take a closer lookâyou just might spot the family resemblance thatâs been hiding in plain sight.