Soaps are full to the brim with drama and action, from murder to car chases, fires to floods. But at the centre of it all is one thing: Family. (We hope you read that in the style of Peggy Mitchell).
While most of us sit down with our mums, dads, sisters and cousins to watch the soaps, some very talented people are working alongside them on the very shows we all love so dearly.
So, without further ado, here are the soap stars you didn’t know were related in real life.
Will and Peter Ash
Emmerdale newcomer Will Ash has been playing Caleb Milligan since December 2022, but did you know he’s not the only Ash in an ITV soap?
His cousin is the one and only Peter Ash, who plays Paul Foreman in Coronation Street.
Peter revealed the connection in a Tweet that praised Will for his work.
The soaps aren’t the only shows the Halfpenny’s have in common, with both Jill and Chelsea having begun their careers in the classic children’s show Byker Grove.
The Flanagans
The parents of the Flanagans must be a proud pair, with not one but three of their children appearing in the soaps.
Eldest sister Amelia was the first to grace our screens, making her Emmerdale debut as April Windsor in 2014. During her time on the show, she has dealt with some difficult storylines, including bullying and the death of her mum, Donna (Verity Rushworth).
Next was the turn of twins Isabella and William, who both joined Coronation Street in 2017.
Isabella took on the role of Hope Stape, while William plays Joseph Brown.
Hope is currently in the middle of a big storyline that has seen her try to get to know her dad, serial killer John Stape, better. This has caused turmoil for her family, and there’s plenty more to come, as Hope’s beloved pet Cilla the Chinchilla has now met a grisly end…
Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling
Another set of soap twins are Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling, who play on screen twins Cathy and Heath in Emmerdale.
They’re old hands at acting by now, having taken over their roles in 2007.
A new storyline has just begun for Cathy, which has seen her struggle with her heavy periods. It is a narrative that has never been done before on a soap and will hopefully help tackle the stigma surrounding the menstrual cycle.
Heath has also been involved, having faced Cathy’s rage as she smashed up his guitar. Siblings, hey? Who’d have them?
Adam and Ryan (And Scott) Thomas
The Thomas brothers are TV legends by now, following their documentary series Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai.
However, two of the brothers are perhaps best known for their roles in the ITV soaps.
Adam Thomas played the role of Adam Barton in Emmerdale between 2009 and 2018, while Ryan Thomas hit the Cobbles of Coronation Street as Jason Grimshaw from 2000 to 2016.
We should also give a little shoutout to Adam’s twin brother and Love Island star Scott Thomas, who has also dabbled in the soap world. In 2018, as part of a goodbye video for Adam, Scott teamed up with Emmerdale in a short skit that saw him take over the role of Adam Barton.
Adam is now appearing in the new series of Waterloo Road, and it is once again a family affair. Playing his children are niece Scarlett, who is the daughter of Ryan and Corrie co-star Tina O’Brien, and real life son Teddy.
Charley Webb and Jamie Lomas
Charley Webb is best known for playing the role of Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale on and off between 2002 and 2021.
However, she’s not the only soap star in her family, as half brother Jamie Lomas has appeared in Hollyoaks as Warren Fox since 2006.
On top of having a soap star brother, Charley is also married to Emmerdale co-star Matthew Wolfenden, who plays David.
Meanwhile, Jamie shares a daughter with former Coronation Street icon Kym Marsh.
Talk about a family of soap superstars!
Recently, Jamie has been involved in a storyline that has seen Warren diagnosed with liver disease and facing drama over his transplant.
Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach
Corrie stars Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach are actually cousins in real life.
Brooke, who played Sophie Webster in the ITV show also asked the Faye Windass actress to be godmother to her son, Mexx.
Ellie, who first appeared on the show in 2011, was involved in a big storyline recently that saw Faye diagnosed with early menopause.
Brooke, on the other hand, left the show in 2019, when Sophie chose to go travelling.
Lacey Turner and Lily Harvey
Lacey Turner is an EastEnders staple, having played the layered Stacey Slater on and off for 19 years.
Her younger sister, Lily (not to be confused with Stacey’s daughter, Lily Slater, or Lillia Turner, who plays her), has also had a role on the London based soap, having starred as Shenice Quinn in 2011.
Unfortunately, the sisters never crossed paths on the Square, as Lily’s stint fell in the middle of Lacey’s break from the show.
Nowadays, Lacey is embroiled in a difficult storyline that has seen Stacey come to terms with the fact that her 12-year-old daughter is pregnant.
Rebecca and Jack James Ryan
Waterloo Road icon Rebecca Ryan made her Coronation Street debut in 2021, playing Underworld PA Lydia Chambers.
During her short stint on the show, she began a harassment campaign against ex-lover Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson) and his partner Sarah (Tina O’Brien) out of jealousy for their relationship.
It was only a few months earlier that Rebecca’s brother, Jack James Ryan, reprised his role as Jacob Hay.
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During his two years on the show, he managed to become a reformed character and began dating Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney).
Viewers were heartbroken when, earlier this year, Jacob was driven away from the street by evil dad Damon (Ciaran Griffiths).
In a sweet Instagram post back in 2021, Jack expressed his pride for his sister as she joined Coronation Street, and explained how he’d always wanted to be ‘an actor on TV like my big sister’. Aw!
Sally Ann Matthews and Amanda Barrie
We can forgive you for not knowing that these two Corrie icons were related, seeing as they didn’t even know themselves until fairly recently!
The pair only discovered that they were cousins during an episode of Coronation Street’s DNA secrets, which saw stars like Sal trace back their ancestry to find out more about where they came from.
Amanda played the role of Alma Baldwin for 13 years, occasionally sharing scenes with Sally Ann, who is still playing Jenny Connor today.
In fact, she is currently involved in a sinister storyline that has seen her lover and his dad murdered by killer Stephen Reid (Todd Boyce). With Stephen wanting to get close to Jenny, will she become one of his victims?
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