Coronation Street actress follows in real

Mar 09, 2024

Coronation Street have cast a new character for upcoming scenes, Rufus' widow, who is played by the actor's real life wife Eleanor Howell, as she is set to join the soap next week

An actress is joining Coronation Street next week – playing the widow of her real life husband's character.

Eleanor Howell is joining the ITV soap next week in Stephen Reid's serial killer storyline. She will play Lou, the widow of one of Stephen's victims, Rufus Donahue played by Steve Meo – with whom she has a real connection with away from Weatherfield. When she arrives on the Cobbles, Lou makes a beeline for Stephen, convinced that something untoward has happened to her husband after learning more about his death.

Viewers know Stephen murdered Rufus in his pool, with him being the third person who has died at the hand of the serial killer. He also killed Leo and his father Teddy, who was killed with a hole puncher after learning of his secret.

Taking to social media, newcomer Eleanor shared a snap of her on the Coronation Street cobbles, writing: "Well, don’t mind if I do… Delighted to say I’m joining the lovely bunch at Corrie!" The actress then revealed her link to Steve Meo as she wrote: "Following in @stevemeo’s footsteps, Catch me as my real life hubby’s on screen widow! On screen from this Monday… here’s hoping I catch that @todd_boyce."

Steve then also re-shared the snap, writing alongside it: "Hugely proud to announce my super talented wife will be appearing in #Corrie from next week on, as my On-screen grieving widow!! #proudhusband." Todd Boyce previously teased Stephen could exit in a "blaze of glory" – but not before more people die.

He said: "I don’t see anyone else on the horizon in terms of who could be killed, we’re not that far ahead so they could surprise me at any time. I was trying to get the grandstands on telly, I want to be the one who's killed the most.

"But in a sense, I think he’s an accidental killer. When he first killed Leo, it was actually scripted to be more of a scuffle for the phone and then he went over. But I decided, 'Let's let Stephen have a little more to do with that.'"

Todd is convinced his character will get caught, and is hoping he'll exit in a "blaze of glory".

"There’s no end in sight but I have a feeling he’ll get caught. I would like personally for him to go out in a blaze of glory, I don’t want him to disappear and go back. I want something finite because I think the audience is losing their minds," he shared.

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