Coronation Street has been home to numerous families over the decades. One such family was the Harris clan, featuring dad Tommy Harris, portrayed by Thomas Craig, mum Angela Harris, played by Kathryn Hunt, and their children Craig, enacted by Richard Fleeshman, and Katy, brought to life by Lucy-Jo Hudson. The family first graced the cobbles in November 2002, with a backstory revealing they had relocated to Weatherfield under the witness protection programme, adopting the alias 'Nelson'.
However, as is typical in soap opera fashion, their cover was eventually exposed, leading to the arrest of Andy and Nick Morgan, who were pursuing the family. After surviving this ordeal and seeing the criminals apprehended, the family reverted to their original name of Harris in 2003, embracing their 'true' identities, reports Lancs Live. But tragedy struck again in 2005 when Craig lost his entire family. His sister Katy murdered their father Tommy in a fit of anger. Their mother Angela took the fall for the crime, and later Katy ended her own life, unable to bear the guilt.
This led to Craig being cared for by his grandfather, Keith Appleyard, played by Ian Redford. He also embarked on a romantic relationship with Rosie Webster, played by Helen Flanagan, on the cobbles. In a memorable plot twist, the pair transformed into goths. Despite Craig's grandfather eventually moving away, he chose to stay on the cobbles to maintain his relationship with Rosie. In 2006, the couple planned to elope to Berlin, but Rosie had a change of heart at the eleventh hour. Craig ended up going to Germany alone, marking his exit from the soap.
Richard Fleeshman, who portrayed Craig Harris, has enjoyed a successful career since then. He's made a name for himself on both West End and Broadway stages, with credits including Legally Blonde and Ghost. In 2007, he released his debut solo album, Neon. Offstage, Richard recently took on the recurring role of Ken in Netflix's The Sandman in 2022 and has been playing James Brice on Syfy's The Ark since 2023. He also appeared as Taylor Fielding on Death In Paradise in 2024.
Born into a family of actors, Richard, 35, seemed destined for fame. His mother, Sue Jenkins, is known for her roles as Jackie Corkhill in Brookside, Gloria Todd in Coronation Street from 1985 to 1988, and Bonnie Drinkwater in Emmerdale in 2008. His father, David Fleeshman, played Mr Soames in EastEnders in 1995 and has taken on various roles in Emmerdale over the years, including Rupert Jonas, DI Drake and John Widnes. More recently, he featured in It's A Sin in 2021 and The Teacher as Roger in 2022.
