Coronation Street fans stunned after realising two stars are real-life mum and son

CORONATION Street fans are stunned after realising two stars are real-life mum and son – and they’ve been hiding in plain sight on the cobbles.

From heartwarming scenes to dramatic showdowns, this family duo’s connection adds a whole new layer to the iconic Weatherfield drama.

ITV

ITV

Back in 1985, Sue Jenkins strutted onto Coronation Street as Gloria Todd, the cheeky barmaid at the famous Rovers Return.

She quickly became a staple behind the bar, rubbing shoulders with soap legend Julie Goodyear, aka Bet Lynch.

But Sue’s soap career didn’t stop there – she spent nine years playing Jackie Corkhill in Brookside from 1992 to 2001, then popped up in Emmerdale for a quick five-episode stint as Bonnie Drinkwater in 2008.

But there’s a twist soap that fans didn’t see coming.

Sue’s got a famous son who also rocked the Corrie cobbles.

Richard Fleeshman, who played Craig Harris, joined the cast in 2002 as part of the witness protection Harris family.

Craig’s story was packed with drama – adopting a goth look that drove his dad mad and becoming Rosie Webster’s first boyfriend.

The tension exploded when his sister Katy murdered their dad after a messy fallout over her secret fling with Martin Platt.

After the family tragedy, Katy took her own life, and Craig planned to run off to Berlin with Rosie.

But in the end, he left Weatherfield alone, waving goodbye to the cobbles for good in 2006.

For years, viewers have watched them on-screen without suspecting a thing – but behind the scenes, their bond runs much deeper than just acting.

The revelation that Sue Jenkins and Richard Fleeshman share a real-life Corrie connection has left fans absolutely gobsmacked on social media.

Taking to X – formerly Twitter – one wrote: “That’s Richard fleeshmans mum!”

Another added: “Her real life son played Craig Harris, son of Psycho Tommy!”

Soap’s most harrowing teen storylines

We take a look at other harrowing teen soap storylines from soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.

Belle Dingle’s schizophrenia in Emmerdale – Belle’s (Eden Taylor-Draper) traumatic journey in Emmerdale took a dark turn when, after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma at just 16, her mental health began to spiral.

The storyline, which saw Belle struggling with her grief and guilt, showcased her battle with hearing Gemma’s voice inside her head, leading to a dramatic decline in her well-being.

Hannah Ashworth’s anorexia in Hollyoaks – Viewers were horrified as they watched Hannah (Emma Rigby), a seemingly innocent teen, spiral into dangerous behavior, starving herself in an attempt to achieve what she thought was the ideal body.

As Hannah’s condition worsened, the storyline became more intense, culminating in her being hospitalised for two months as she fought for her life.

Bethany Platt’s grooming ordeal in Coronation Street – Vulnerable schoolgirl, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie’s darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator.

The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her.

Whitney Dean’s abuse from Tony in EastEnders – Since the age of 12, she had been in a twisted relationship with her stepmum Bianca’s boyfriend, Tony King. The predator had groomed young Whit (Shona McGarty), making her believe she was in love and planning to run away with him.

On her 16th birthday, the traumatised teen finally revealed the years of abuse to Bianca. Tony was swiftly sent to prison sentenced for 13 years.

A third penned: “Wow, all this time watching and I never knew that, I can see her son in that photo now.”

Now 36, Richard is a Broadway and West End actor who has starred in everything from Legally Blonde to Ghost the Musical and Company.

He’s currently performing as the unnamed Soldier in Stephen Sondheim’s final work Here We Are at the National Theatre.

Meanwhile, cousins Brooke Vincent, who played Sophie Webster, and Ellie Leach, who played Faye Windass, also both appeared on the ITV soap.

And Greg Wood, who played the late Rick Neelan, was actually the real-life brother of Matt Milburn, who played footballer Tommy Orpington.

Coronation Street airs on ITV1 and ITVX.

Jim Clarke

Getty