Soap stars’ forgotten romances – Michelle Keegan’s hunky Hollyoaks ex to Emmerdale castmates’ secret lockdown affair
WORKING in close proximity on a soap is bound to spark some romances, and there have been several co-star hook-ups over the years.
Some soap regulars are currently in long-term relationships – including Emmerdale’s Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden and Coronation Street couple Joe Duttine and Sally Carman.
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But many more have fallen by the wayside.
From Michelle Keegan’s pre-marriage romance with a Hollyoaks hunk to an awkward love triangle, these are the soap relationships you forgot ever existed.
Michelle Keegan and Anthony Quinlan
Former Coronation Street star Michelle, 35, is now happily married to Mark Wright, who she wed in 2015.
But before she met the ex-Towie star she dated actor Anthony, 38, best known as Hollyoaks hunk Gilly Roach and Emmerdale’s Pete Barton.
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The couple were together for two years, between 2006 and 2008, while Anthony was in Hollyoaks.
Anthony says their split was amicable, telling OK Magazine in 2010: “We see each other every now and then. We were together for a couple of years. We’re still good friends.”
He went on to date Strictly star Dianne Buswell, but they split and he is now loved-up with Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson.
Gillian Taylforth and Nick Berry
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Starring as Kathy Beale from the first episode of EastEnders, in 1985, Gillian Taylforth’s off-screen romances attracted as much attention as her on-screen dalliances.
Her relationship with Nick, who played her stepson Simon Wicks in the show and was eight years younger than her, lasted for three years, from 1985 to 1988.
Gillian, 67, who returned to the soap in 2015 after a 15 year hiatus, went on to date Geoff Knight for 23 years, splitting in 2009.
She then got engaged to Dave Fairburn but called off the wedding in 2019.
Nick, 60, who also starred in the long-running drama Heartbeat, married actress Rachel Robertson in 1994 and has two sons – Louis, 18, and Finley, 15.
Steve McFadden and Lucy Benjamin
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Phil Mitchell and Lisa Fowler had a stormy relationship on EastEnders, which was central to the infamous Who Shot Phil? whodunnit that gripped the nation.
But the pair were also an item off-screen, dating for four years before splitting in 2003 – the same year Lucy, now 52, left the soap.
Dad-of-five Steve, 64, has been dating current girlfriend Karen Cairns for ten years and they share a seven-year-old daughter, Frankie.
Lucy went on to marry businessman Richard Taggart, in 2006, and they have two daughters.
In 2019, the actress returned to Albert Square and said working with her ex was like being with a ‘mate’.
She told Loose Women they concentrated on the storyline: “We didn’t have to think about me and Steve and the old days. There is so much stuff between Lisa and Phil. It was easy to play that.”
Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard
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Rob turned up in Coronation Street as Ken Barlow’s fresh-faced son Daniel in 2016 and soon fell for Daniel, who plays vicar Billy.
The pair dated for a short spell in 2017 and made their red carpet debut together at the British LGBT awards.
Rob, now 30, even referenced the romance when he picked up a British Soap Award, saying: “Even though this is fantastic, Dan, you’re the best thing I’ve ever taken home.”
They split in 2017 with a source telling The Sun: “It was a lot of pressure for both of them to be working on the same show and going out – in the end something had to give.”
Rob is now thought to be dating modelling agent Matthew Martin. Daniel, 43, is currently single.
Liam Fox and Nicole Barber-Lane
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Although they are now soap legends, best known for Emmerdale’s soft-hearted mechanic Dan Spencer and Hollyoaks favourite Myra McQueen, Nicole and Liam met in Manchester in 1997, long before they bagged their TV roles.
They tied the knot in 1999 and have two children together, but they split in 2015.
Liam, 52, went on to marry Joanna Hudson, whom he previously dated at university and who has also appeared in Emmerdale, as Ross Barton’s doctor.
Nicole, 50, moved on to date builder Deano Watson.
Jacqueline Jossa and Tony Discipline
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EastEnders star Jacqueline, who plays Lauren Branning, has been married to Towie’s Dan Osborne since 2017, and they share daughter Ella, eight, and Mia, four.
But before meeting Dan she dated co-star Tony, who stars as Tyler Moon.
The pair actually met in a nightclub and when he told Jacqueline, now 30, he had auditioned for the soap, she didn’t believe him.
But after he turned up on Albert Square they became love interests both on screen and off. They split in 2013 after a year and a half together.
Since leaving the soap in 2013, Tony, 33, has become a firefighter and is dad to two-year-old Penelope with an unknown partner.
Peter Amory and Claire King
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Emmerdale legend Claire, who plays ruthless businesswoman Kim Tate, is another on-screen stepmum who dated her stepson offscreen – and married him.
Chris Tate actor Peter, 58, was married to the actress for ten years from 1994 but they split after his alleged affair with fellow co-star Samantha Giles, now 50, who stars as Bernice Blackstock on the show.
Speaking to the Mirror in 2005, Claire, 61, said: “I questioned Pete and he admitted it had been going on for a while. He told me it was over but then it started again. At that point I said, ‘Well, you have to go with her then, because it obviously isn’t going to stop.’
“She was there when I was in Emmerdale and you can’t help those thoughts going round in your head – did he fancy her, did he… it’s all that cr***y teenage stuff.'”
Awkwardly both Claire and Samantha have now returned to the Dales and, instead of fighting over a man, have been battling for the affections of Bernice’s daughter Gabi, mum to Kim Tate’s grandchild Thomas.
Nadia Sawalha and Marc Bannerman
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Before taking her place as a Loose Woman, Nadia Sawalha played businesswoman Annie Palmer on EastEnders, from 1997 to 1999.
She dated Marc, who played heartthrob Gianni di Marco, for three years.
The romance came out of tragedy, after Nadia’s boyfriend Justin sadly took his own life, and she has since said Marc helped her through a difficult time.
She told OK! Magazine: “If it wasn’t for Marc I don’t know what I’d have done.”
Nadia, 58, is now married to Mark Adderley and has two children.
Now 49, Marc’s longterm relationship with actress Sarah Matravers ended publicly in 2007 after he appeared on I’m a Celeb and professed his love for campmate Cerys Matthews. The romance fizzled after three months.
James Sutton and Sammy Winward
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Currently staring as John Paul McQueen in Hollyoaks, James, 40, had a former soap life as Ryan Lamb in Emmerdale.
It was there he dated Sammy, who starred as Katie Sugden, both on and off screen. The couple split in July 2010 after a few months.
Sammy, now 37, went on to have a daughter, Mia, with footballer David Dunn in 2005 before splitting with him the same year.
She is now married to human resources manager Martyn Hardy, whom she wed in 2018 – the same year James tied the knot with fiancee Rachael Collin.
Natalie J Robb and Jonny McPherson
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The Emmerdale actors, who star as tough farmer Moira Barton and GP Dr Liam Cavanagh, went official with their romance when they appeared together on Zoom during lockdown, confirming rumours that they had been dating since the start of the year.
Natalie, 48, later admitted they moved in together as soon as lockdown hit in March 2020, but it didn’t work out, leading to a split in June 2021.
“Unfortunately, it was Covid times, so there was this added pressure,” she told The Sun.
“He moved in with me during the first lockdown and it was just too intense, too soon.
“And if you’re not used to that, which I hadn’t been for a while, we realised pretty quickly that we were better off as friends.”
She added there is no awkwardness with Jonny, 41, when they have scenes together, insisting “it’s nice working with him”.
