June 29th 2024.
Family is at the heart of every soap - from the Mitchells in EastEnders to the Dingles in Emmerdale, the Barlows in Coronation Street to the McQueens in Hollyoaks. These iconic soap families have become a part of our everyday lives. But did you know that some of our favorite soap stars are actually related in real life? It seems that showbusiness runs in the family for a whole host of stars, with multiple members of the same family appearing on our screens in our favorite soaps. So, let's take a look at some of the surprising soap stars you may not have known were related.
First up, we have cousins William and Peter Ash. Emmerdale star William has been playing Caleb Miligan since 2022, but he's not the only Ash in an ITV soap. His cousin is none other than Peter Ash, who plays Paul Foreman in Coronation Street. In fact, Peter revealed their connection in a tweet praising Will for his work. It turns out that Will was actually one of Peter's inspirations for getting into acting himself. And now, both cousins are making their mark on the soap world.
Another unexpected connection is between aunt and niece, Jill and Chelsea Halfpenny. Jill is a British television icon, having appeared in not one, but two soaps: Coronation Street and EastEnders. And her niece Chelsea has also made her mark in the soap world with a stint on Emmerdale. Jill played the role of Rebecca Hopkins in Coronation Street and then went on to play Kate Mitchell in EastEnders. Chelsea, on the other hand, made her soap debut as Amy Wyatt in Emmerdale in 2010. Despite leaving the show in 2013, she left a lasting impression with her dramatic storyline of giving birth and leaving her son in a phone box.
But the soap connections don't end there for the Halfpenny family. They also have another family member in the soap world - sister Amelia. She made her debut on Emmerdale in 2014 as April Windsor, who has dealt with her fair share of challenges on the show, including online bullying and caring for her father who suffered a stroke. And it's not just the Halfpenny's who have multiple family members in the soaps.
The Flanagans are another talented family with three of their children appearing in the soaps. Eldest sister Amelia was followed by twins Isabella and William, who both joined Coronation Street in 2017. Isabella took on the role of Hope Stape, while William played Joseph Brown. Both siblings have had their fair share of drama on the show, with Hope and sister Ruby recently welcoming their grandmother Cassie, who has caused trouble with her attempts at looking after them. And Joseph was diagnosed with Lyme Disease after experiencing months of stomach aches and fatigue.
Another set of soap twins are Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling, who play on-screen twins Heath and Cathy Hope in Emmerdale. They've been acting since 2007 and were recently at the center of a dramatic storyline in which their characters were involved in a car crash, resulting in Heath's death. And finally, we have the Thomas brothers - Adam and Ryan. Adam played Adam Barton in Emmerdale from 2009 to 2018, while Ryan appeared on Coronation Street as Jason Grimshaw from 2000 to 2016. And even their brother Scott has dabbled in the soap world, making the Thomas family a true soap dynasty.
Family is at the heart of every soap, and it's no different in our favorite shows. From the Mitchells on EastEnders to the Dingles on Emmerdale, the Barlows on Coronation Street to the McQueens on Hollyoaks, these iconic families have become a part of our daily lives. But did you know that some of our favorite soap stars are related in real life as well?
It seems that showbusiness runs in the family for a whole host of stars, with multiple members of the same family appearing on our screens in some of our favorite soaps. So without further ado, let's take a look at some of the surprising connections between soap stars you may not have known about.
First up, we have cousins William and Peter Ash. William, who portrays Caleb Miligan on Emmerdale, has been on the show since December 2022. But he's not the only Ash on an ITV soap. His cousin Peter plays Paul Foreman on Coronation Street, and the two recently revealed their family connection on Twitter. Peter shared that William was one of his inspirations for getting into acting, and it's clear that the talent runs in the family.
Another unexpected connection comes in the form of Jill and Chelsea Halfpenny. Jill, a British television icon, has appeared on not one, but two soaps: Coronation Street and EastEnders. Her niece Chelsea completes the trifecta with her stint on Emmerdale. Jill played Rebecca Hopkins on Coronation Street and later joined EastEnders as undercover policewoman Kate Morton. Chelsea, on the other hand, made her soap debut on Emmerdale as Amy Wyatt, a character who caused quite a stir with her storyline involving Cain Dingle and their son Kyle.
But the Halfpenny family's involvement in the soaps doesn't end there. Both Jill and Chelsea got their start on the classic children's show Byker Grove, and they're not the only soap stars to come from the same family. The Flanagans also have a talented trio in their ranks, with siblings Amelia, Isabella, and William all making their mark on Emmerdale and Coronation Street. Amelia plays April Windsor on Emmerdale, while Isabella and William portray Hope Stape and Joseph Brown on Coronation Street, respectively.
And speaking of siblings, we can't forget about the Thomas brothers. Adam and Ryan Thomas are well-known for their roles on Emmerdale and Coronation Street, respectively. Adam played Adam Barton on Emmerdale for nine years, while Ryan portrayed Jason Grimshaw on Coronation Street for sixteen years. But they're not the only Thomas brothers to dip their toes into the soap world. Scott Thomas, known for his appearance on Love Island, also made a brief appearance on Emmerdale in 2017.
Last but not least, we have Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling, who play on-screen twins Heath and Cathy Hope on Emmerdale. These siblings have been acting since they were young, and they've become fan favorites on the show. However, their characters were at the center of a dramatic storyline in 2024, which saw the twins and their friend Angelica King get into a car accident that resulted in Heath's death.
It's clear that the soaps are more than just a family affair on-screen. These talented actors and actresses have real-life connections that make their on-screen chemistry even more special. Who knows, maybe we'll see more family reunions on our favorite shows in the future.
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