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Diver’s new goal
Sam was only nine when he fi rst showed up on the street.
Life imitatin CORO SA BABY BO
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The actor who plays Chesney sure has his hands full, bo t
When it comes to playing exhausted dad of quads Chesney Brown on Coronation Street, Sam Aston reckons there’s not too much acting involved.
As dad to two kids under two, including a newborn, he admits he’s pretty worn out.
“My current life actually goes very well with my storyline and Chesney having quads,” says Sam, 29. “If you see me looking knackered on the screen, it’s because I am!”
And it’s not like he gets a break from babies when he gets to work, because some of his scenes involve working with the infant actors who play the quads.
“There’s triplets and there’s two separate lots of twins [playing his on-screen family], so that’s a lot of babies,” he tells. “But we get to hand them back to the parents, so that’s easy.”
Things are a little diff erent at home. Son Sonny, 22 months, was joined by little sister Daisy in May, and Sam says it’s all go for him and wife Briony from very early in the morning, as Sonny wakes up at 5am.
Yoga teacher Briony, 26, says she’s grateful that Sam is a very hands-on dad, but Sam confesses that he feels a bit like “a spare part” as Briony is breastfeeding and he can’t do much to help. “A lot of the time when I’m holding Daisy, she just wants Briony. She’s defi nitely a mummy’s girl and sometimes I’m a bit like, ‘Oh…’ But when I do get 10 minutes to cuddle her, I really cherish it. And that has meant I have spent a lot
Dad with mini-me Sonny and sweet Daisy.
of time playing with Sonny and bonding with him.”
Sam and Briony are thankful that Daisy’s arrival in the world was relatively easy, as there was drama when Sonny was born. He arrived six weeks prematurely and spent nine days in hospital due to jaundice and feeding problems.
Daisy was born in a birthing pool at home after three hours of labour, during which Briony didn’t need pain relief.
“It was just amazing,” recalls Sam. “With Sonny, I was more teary as there was relief that he was okay, whereas this time there was just excitement.”
If Sam ever needs parenting tips, he doesn’t have to look far, as many of his workmates on Coro have kids of a similar age or slightly older. He’s particularly close to Jennie McAlpine, 38, who plays his older sister Fiz and has two children – Albert, seven, and Hilda, three.
And he shares a dressing room with fellow redhead Mikey North (Gary Windass), 35, who’s dad to Archie, fi ve, and Eliza, two.
Four blimey! Sam with Coro’s Gemma (DollyRose Campbell) and their quads.
He’s also good mates with Jimmi Harkishin (Dev Alahan), Andy Whyment (Kirk Sutherland) and Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs), who have been a great support over the years. Just nine
‘If you see me looking when he joined the show in 2003, Sam will knackered on the screen, celebrate his 20th anniversary on the cobbles it’s because I am!’ next year. He auditioned at age eight, following in the footsteps of his sister Emily, 40, who played Rebecca Palmer (whose mum Claire had a relationship with playboy Des Barnes) from 1996 to 1997, and his brother Joseph, 31, who did a short stint as a young Tommy Duckworth for two months in 2000.
g art M’S OM
The star wed yoga teacher Briony in 2019.
o th on and off screen!
Despite the success of his siblings, and some experience doing TV commercials and shows such as The Bill, he never thought he’d end up on the iconic soap opera, and he defi nitely didn’t expect to be there for so long.
“I was nervous, but you don’t understand the
Catherine and husband Tom Pitfi eld with cutie Iris.
magnitude of joining Coro when you’re eight years old. You’re fearless as a kid.”
He admits it was tough juggling working in television with doing his schoolwork.
“You did fi lming, then a minimum of three hours of tutoring a day,” he tells. “It was quite full-on. When I was 16, I was relieved that I could leave the school stuff behind.”
Sam feels incredibly fortunate to be part of the show and can’t believe he has been there for almost two-thirds of his life.
“It’s all I have ever known. I have been through so many stages of my life on the show, from the end of primary school and all through my teenage years, to getting married and having children.”
He points out that he’s on a yearly contract for the role and celebrates every time it gets renewed, adding, “I don’t take it for granted.”
And the proud parents are...
Two of Sam’s former Coro colleagues have recently welcomed new members to their families. Catherine Tyldesley, 38, who played barmaid Eva Price, gave g y e. And Shayne Ward, 37, who appeared
a b h A n T a w Hollyoaks actress Sophie
