Coronation Street enthusiasts were left stunned upon discovering that two of the soap’s stars are actually mother and son in real life, having both graced the famous cobbles. The show has a history of featuring real-life family members, including cousins Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach, as well as the late Rick Neelan (played by Greg Wood), who was the actual brother of footballer Tommy Orpington (played by Matt Milburn).
However, the revelation of a mother-son duo from years past has recently taken fans by surprise. Sue Jenkins, who joined the cast in 1985 as Gloria Todd, is the real-life mum of Richard Fleeshman, who portrayed Craig Harris on Corrie
Sue, whose acting credits include Brookside and Emmerdale, became a staple at the iconic Rovers Return as a barmaid, working alongside Julie Goodyear, best known as landlady Bet Lynch. Richard entered the scene in 2002 as part of the Harris family, who went under the witness protection programme.
His character transformed into a goth, much to his father’s disapproval, and he also became Rosie Webster’s (played by Helen Flanagan) first love interest. Drama ensued when Katy Harris, Craig’s sister, murdered their father following a heated argument about her clandestine affair with Martin Platt.
Angela Harris, their mum, attempted to protect Katy, but overwhelmed by guilt, Katy took her own life. As the story unfolded, Craig planned a getaway to Berlin with Rosie, but eventually left Weatherfield alone for good in 2006.
Sue and Richard’s involvement in Corrie left viewers surprised as they took to X, formerly Twitter, commenting on Sue’s appearance on the show.
One said: “That’s Richard Fleeshmans mum! ” A second said: “Wow, all this time watching and I never knew that, I can see her son in that photo now.”
Another observant fan commented: “Her real life son played Craig Harris, son of Psycho Tommy!”
In addition to her stint on Corrie, Sue portrayed Jackie Corkhill on Brookside for nearly a decade from 1992 to 2001. She also appeared in five episodes of Emmerdale in 2008 as Bonnie Drinkwater.