List of Coronation Street characters (2001)

The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 2001, by order of first appearance.

Adam Barlow

Adam Barlow is the son of Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) and Susan Barlow (Joanna Foster). The role was originated by child actor Iain de Caestecker in 2001, 2002 and 2003, but upon the character's return in 2004 he was recast with former model, Sam Robertson. Robertson reprised the role in November 2016.^[1]

He first appeared aged 12 when he was visiting his uncle Peter (Chris Gascoyne) and grandfather Ken (William Roache), with his mother, Susan. It was revealed that he is Mike's son, conceived when he and Susan were married, something neither he nor Mike knew. Susan died shortly afterwards in a car accident and Adam went to live with Mike. Adam left Coronation Street to go to boarding school in Scotland, but returned after doing his Highers exams.

On August Bank Holiday 2005, Adam bought a bus from an auction, but in an embarrassing turn of events, after filling his car up with petrol on a day out with his girlfriend Candice Stowe (Nikki Sanderson), his car ignited by the roadside. The cause of the bus blowing up was a mystery, until a policewoman told him his bus ran on diesel, not fire.

He worked at his father's factory, Underworld, and annoyed his new half-brother, Danny (Bradley Walsh), by being the apple of his father's eye. He was dumped by ambitious Candice via letter, had a short fling with Kelly Crabtree (Tupele Dorgu), and had a crush on Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) when he first returned to the Street. Adam began dating shy factory worker Joanne Jackson (Zaraah Abrahams) after they flirted at his birthday party.

Following Mike's death, he is determined to bring brother Danny down after he stole his inheritance. Adam is unaware that the will is invalid because Mike's last will, the real one, left everything to him. Only Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) and Danny knew it existed, and Danny was determined to make sure that Adam did not get his inheritance. However, following her split from Danny, Leanne gave a photocopy of the new will to Adam and it was then possible he would claim his inheritance and press criminal charges against Danny. After Danny was questioned by the police, he decided to offer Adam a 90% share of the factory. Acting on Danny's advice, Adam accepted. In December 2007, Adam sold his share to Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier). Liam's brother, Paul (Sean Gallagher), bought the remaining 80% each in January 2009.

In early 2010, Joanne dumped Adam by text message, after not seeing him for months. Adam left Weatherfield in October and moved to Portsmouth with his uncle, Peter, where they opened a book shop together.

In November 2016, on his return to Weatherfield, Adam is caught in Underworld by Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley) and Aiden Connor (Shayne Ward). He, Peter and his aunt Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) visit Ken in hospital after he suffered a stroke. There, they meet Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard), who reveals he is Ken's son. Adam joins his family for a meal and defends Tracy against Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill). Adam gets revenge on Robert by calling environmental health. Daniel is suspected of stealing Adam's car when Tracy and Adam visit his flat and find student debts.

Of his return, Robertson said, "I’m delighted to be back. Coronation Street was my first job as an actor and is a special place for me. As a young actor it was a little overwhelming, so I’m looking forward to coming back and stamping my mark on the character - I feel there’s unfinished business with Adam".^[2]

Todd Grimshaw

Todd James Grimshaw is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street. He made his first appearance on 14 January 2001, and is played by Bruno Langley. He is the son of Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) and brother of Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), both of whom made their first appearances in 2000. Todd is perhaps best known for his relationship with Sarah-Louise Platt (Tina O'Brien), before realizing that he was actually gay. Todd left the soap in 2004, but made two brief returns in 2007 and 2011. He returned to Coronation Street in November 2013, and is currently a regular character.

Sunita Alahan

Sunita Alahan (née Parekh) is a fictional character from the long-running ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. She is the wife of Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) and mother to Aadi (Zennon Ditchett) and Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey).

Sunita's storylines have included: escaping an arranged marriage, being diagnosed with a brain tumour and an aneurysm, falsely imprisoned, being held hostage, falling pregnant with twins, becoming a single parent after divorcing her husband Dev, surviving an almighty tram crash, embarking on an affair with Karl Munro (John Michie), becoming trapped inside The Rovers Return inferno and later dying in hospital of a cardiac arrest.

Jayesh Parekh

Jayesh Parekh is the brother of Sunita Parekh (Shobna Gulati) and followed her to Coronation Street in March 2001 when she fled her family and their attempt to force her into an arranged marriage in India. Sunita worked for Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) in his shop in Swinton and turned to her employer in her hour of need. Dev housed her in the Corner Shop flat and denied knowing her whereabouts when visited by her parents Suresh and Mena. Jayesh though was less trusting of Dev's innocence and parked himself outside the shop, seeing the curtains in the windows of the flat twitching. He confronted Dev who told him that the flat was used for stock and an employee was up there working. When Jayesh hammered on the door to the flat, it was Deirdre Rachid who answered the door and she joined in the deception, however the fugitive's brother was unconvinced by the stories he was being given and left Sunita's photo in the Rovers asking to be contacted should anyone see her.

A couple of days later, Jeyesh returned with a friend and they pushed their way into the flat, trying to physically force Sunita to return with them. Dev threatened the police and brother and sister sat down calmly to talk. Jayesh himself had entered into an unarranged marriage which had failed and Sunita took this as evidence that this was why he was on the side of their parents' plans. Jayesh warned her that his parents would turn their back on her and he would have no choice but to support them. Sunita ended up having no contact with her family for over three years.

By September 2004, Dev and Sunita's friendship had developed into love and the two were engaged. The thought of her upcoming wedding prompted Sunita to ring her mother but the phone was put down on her. It did prompt Jayesh to visit the Street though and the ice between brother and sister was quickly broken. He revealed that he had married for a second time - arranged this time as per cultural tradition - to Rhea Gujarati and the year before they had had a daughter. However he warned a tearful Sunita that her name was a forbidden word at home and that she was dead to her parents. Nevertheless, he tried to intercede on her behalf with her father and he agreed to meet his daughter in a local park but failed to turn up on that occasion. A month later, Jayesh returned and Sunita met her niece Jaya for the first time but she was upset when Jayesh made it clear that he wouldn't be attending the wedding and that the family did not approve of Dev. Dev walked in on the middle of their argument and he managed (with the help of a few glasses of whiskey) into talking Jayesh into being there for his sister at the wedding.

He did turn up as promised and brought with him an extra surprise - Sunita's parents. Mena's initially frosty countenance disappeared and she and her husband joined in with the Hindu rituals but there was a self-declared spectre at the feast: Maya Sharma (Sasha Behar), Dev's previous fiancée, intent of revenge for being dropped by him, had carried out an elaborate plan of impersonating Sunita and taking part in six sham marriages to illegal immigrants in her name, followed by a tip-off to the police. They arrested the happy couple and although Dev was released after questioning, Sunita was refused bail and imprisoned on remand pending trial. Jayesh and Mena visited Sunita in jail and from their attitude, made it clear that they suspected Dev of being guilty and not Maya who they had met and found "charming".

Jayesh was last seen in February 2006 when, following the birth of his twin nephew and niece, Aadi and Asha, Sunita decided to leave Dev. Jayesh came and picked her and the twins up in his car and drove them away.

Jayesh did not attend Sunita's funeral in April 2013 nor did the rest of her family, as they believed that Sunita started the fire at The Rovers Return, killing herself and a firefighter Toni Griffiths (Tara Moran), bringing shame on the family. However, the real culprit was actually Sunita's former lover, Karl Munro (John Michie).

Fiz Brown

Fiona "Fiz" Stape (née Brown) is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street. She is played by Jennie McAlpine, and made her first on-screen appearance on 20 April 2001. Fiz first appeared as the foster child of Roy (David Neilson) and Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh), aged 15. Fiz was only supposed to appear for 5 episodes, but McAlpine's contract was extended and Fiz became a regular character. Fiz was eventually involved in a murder storyline in which her lover, John Stape (Graeme Hawley), committed three murders and Fiz helped him dispose of the bodies. She gave birth in the live 50th anniversary episode, with McAlpine becoming the first actress in soap to give birth live.

Shelley Unwin

Shelley Victoria Unwin (previously Barlow) is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Sally Lindsay. She made her first appearance on 9 May 2001. Shelley's storylines have included a marriage to Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and an abusive and controlling relationship with Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward), who later left her pregnant. Her mother was Bev Unwin, played by Susie Blake respectively. Shelley left the street in 2006, making her last appearance on 29 September 2006.

Richard Hillman

Richard Charles Hillman is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street. He was played by Brian Capron, and made his first appearance on 20 June 2001. He is first seen attending his cousin Alma Halliwell's (Amanda Barrie) funeral after she died from cervical cancer. He then began a relationship with Gail Platt (Helen Worth), who he eventually married. Richard transpired to be a serial killer, and committed two grizzly murders, first his ex-wife Patricia (Annabelle Apsion) and then neighbor Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw). He then kidnapped Gail and her two youngest children: David (Jack P. Shepherd) and Sarah-Louise (Tina O'Brien). He drove them all into a canal, but Gail, David and Sarah managed to escape but Richard died. He made his final appearance on 14 March 2003.

Christie Wells

Christie Wells was a teenage girl who was supposedly having an affair with sixteen year old Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley). She made her first appearance on 23 July 2001 and made her last appearance on 27 July 2001. She was portrayed by Lauren Drummond.

In July 2001, Christie asked Todd to the Disco after he had a failed attempt to have an affair with his then girlfriend Candice Stowe's (Nikki Sanderson) best mate, Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien). Four days later, Sarah found the two talking and it was very clear to her that Christie was jealous of her because Todd kept on talking about her all night. Sarah confronted Todd for revealed her personal things to Christie and for having an affair, and threatened to tell Candice.

Ranjiv Alahan

Ranjiv Alahan is the father of Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) who first appeared in October 2001 and was played by Raad Rawi. Ranjiv first appears when Dev introduces his parents to his fiancee, Geena Gregory (Jennifer James).

The character reappeared in February 2004, this time played by Madhav Sharma. Dev's current fiancee Maya Sharma (Sasha Behar), arranges a meeting between her, Dev and Ranjiv in a restaurant in order to introduce herself to Ranjiv, who is impressed with Maya, who works as a lawyer. Ranjiv congratulates his son for his choice of partner.

DS Tony Trafford

Detective Sergeant Tony Trafford was a local police officer.

Trafford is first seen when Eve Elliott (Melanie Kilburn) reports the disappearance of her daughter Linda Baldwin (Jacqueline Pirie) to the police. Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) accompanies Eve to the police station and tells Trafford that he witnessed Linda's husband Mike (Johnny Briggs) hit her. Trafford is initially unconcerned by the report but four days later Linda's car is discovered in a River and Trafford concludes the car was dumped there deliberately and he and his colleagues take the case more seriously, particularly when one of Linda's shoes is discovered in the car. Trafford questions Mike about her disappearance and Mike insists he does not know of her whereabouts and that he had last seen her when she had visited their flat to collect her passport. Linda's brother Ryan (Matthew Dunster) later tells Trafford that he believes Mike killed her as she had had an affair with businessman Harvey Reuben. Trafford later questions Mike again at the police station and tells him that they know about Linda's affair. Mike's flat is searched and Linda's passport is found and Mike tells Trafford that he had lied about when he had last seen Linda to stop people from gossiping. Trafford then arrests Mike on suspicion of murder. Mike is held overnight and questioned more the following day but Trafford is forced to release him due to a lack of evidence. Trafford later arranges for Mike to take part in an identity parade.

In February 2002, Trafford investigates the death of Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe). He questions Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) and Gail Platt (Helen Worth) who discovered Duggie's body and informs them that they believe Duggie's death was an accident.

Trafford is last seen in January 2003, investigating the murder of Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw). Trafford conducts door to door enquiries with the local residents, asking them if they saw anything suspicious. Richard, who is Maxine's killer, implicates Aidan Critchley (Dean Ashton) as a potential suspect. Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) then tells Trafford that he had seen a light in an abandoned hardware shop nearby. Trafford leads a raid on the premises, which it is discovered that Aidan has been using as a squat. Items stolen from the Peacocks' house, planted by Richard, are discovered in Aidan's possession and Trafford arrests Aidan. Trafford is last seen questioning Aidan's ex-girlfriend Sarah-Louise Platt (Tina O'Brien) and she confirms that Aidan had alcohol with him in the squat, backing up his claims that he was too drunk to remember anything. Sarah also tells Trafford that she doesn't believe Aidan is a murderer.

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