Corrie: Steve McDonald

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Steve McDonald's complicated love live - we look back over the years
Olivia Buxton
13/03/2009
mirror.co.uk

No fear of Corrie's Steve McDonald getting cold feet about becoming a married man tonight - it's not like it's his first time. If his wedding to madcap Becky Granger goes ahead, this will be Steve's FOURTH "I do" in 20 years on the soap. Of course, this being Weatherfield, there is bound to be a hitch when it comes to getting hitched. The bride rips her dress and turns up late and drunk, and the ceremony descends into chaos. Well, it is Friday 13th.

"I think Steve is relieved when Becky does actually make it to the church, even though she is steaming drunk," says Simon Gregson, 34, who has played Steve since he was 15 years old. "He doesn't care that it's Friday the 13th either. Ultimately Steve is just glad Becky turns up. He wants to prove their doubters wrong."

Blushing bride Becky - played by Katherine Kelly - probably has a few doubts of her own. After all, Steve has been around the cobbles a few times. Simon laughs: "The lad has had his fair share but there is nothing wrong with that. Would I call Steve a ladies' man? He used to be before he got fat and bald. Most of the women Steve has been out with are completely insane. Becky is mad but I don't think she has got as many issues as some of his previous loves - for one, she is not a murderer and she's not prone to beating him up."

Out of the many beauties he has locked lips with playing Steve, who was the best? "Me! I have definitely been the best kisser," he jokes. "Although it took me a while to get the hang of it."

All Steve's weddings have also had an impact on Simon's own marriage plans with fiancee Emma Gleave, 26. Together since Christmas 2005, they have an 18-month-old son Alfie. He says: "After filming four weddings in cold and drizzly Manchester, ours would have to be somewhere hot. And I would have no excuse to forget my vows - imagine if I did!"

Here, Simon talks us through Steve's many lady loves.

1990 Joanne

The first girl Steve ever kissed was Joanne (played by Tania Rodrigues) when he stole his dad's bike and they ran off to the Lake District. Joanne was miles older than he was. "I was so nervous because it was my first screen kiss. Was it any good? I can't remember, it was so long ago. I've had a few pints of Stella since then!"

1995 Vicky

Alec Gilroy's posh granddaughter Vicky (Chloe Newsome) was besotted with Steve. But it wasn't ever that serious until she turned 18 and came into this massive inheritance. Steve then proposed and they eloped to St Lucia. The marriage ended when Vicky divorced him. When I look back at the young Steve McDonald, I think, "What on earth was going on with my hair?" I look like something out of a Duran Duran video.

1995 Maxine

After Fiona's fling with Steve's dad, Steve had a one-night stand with her friend Maxine (Tracy Shaw) to get back at Fiona. The fact that Tracy wasn't exactly ugly was a bonus, too. Trust me, it wasn't a hardship to film that scene. "All I do know is that I was a shy 16-year-old lad who was learning on the job. The only thing I'd done before I joined Corrie was a paper round."

1998 Fiona

Hairdresser Fiona (Angela Griffin) was Steve's real love - up until she went and slept with his dad Jim, that is. "I really enjoyed my romantic scenes with Ange. We did have a really good chemistry although we never did proper kissing. It was more about our lips connecting and moving about a bit."

2001/2004 Karen

Steve's relationship with feisty Karen (Suranne Jones) was based on a bet with Janice Battersby, who said she'd never get married. Steve proposed so Karen could win the bet and they went through with it. When they wed again in 2004 it was mortifying. Tracy Barlow revealed he was the father of her baby. It was a dramatic day and Steve got smacked by everyone, including Karen. "Suranne could throw things that went round corners. She'd pick up a plate and I'd duck, but I'd still get hit."

2003 Tracy

Although Karen was into Steve she couldn't handle his jealous outbursts and had an affair with her boss. As a result Steve had a fling with Tracy (Kate Ford) who got pregnant. "Kate always looked great. I remember those skin-tight jeans she wore. You have to have some chemistry with your co-star because if you think the person you're working with is vulgar it tends to show."

2005 Louise

After ending his relationship with Karen, Steve met single mum Louise (Nora Jane Noone) in the park after she got hit on the head with a football. "I think Steve gave her some cheesy chat-up line like, "Well, I'll have to take you out for a meal to apologise." And they went back to his place." The morning after he made her a bacon sandwich with brown sauce. He's a romantic so and so.

2005 Ronnie

It wasn't long before Steve met Street Cars employee Ronnie (Emma Stansfield). She was the estranged wife of a local gangster and he really fancied her. Everything was great until he was threatened by her husband and nearly got his head blown off. Then Steve realised maybe she wasn't the one for him. "It was great fun working with Emma, though. We used to get the giggles before we had to kiss."

2006 Kelly

When Ronnie tried to frame Steve for running over a pedestrian, he gave Kelly's name as an alibi after spending the night with her. Kelly (Tupele Dorgu) was another notch on Steve's bedpost. "They were both drunk and he was like, "Why not?" There was a big falling out as she was seeing his new business partner Lloyd (Craig Charles). I'm great mates with Craig and Tupele. We all love going on the town after work."

2007 Michelle

Steve was head over heels in love with Michelle (Kym Marsh). "I think he thought he was punching well above his weight - but they even got engaged! Working with Kym is brilliant. We both have a wicked sense of humour and we would often fool around and crack jokes before our kissing scenes. At times it was really hard to keep a straight face when we knew we were meant to be serious."

2007 Shania

I don't know how Steve gets himself into these situations but on holiday in Malta he snogged an attractive woman called Shania (played by Anthony Berry), who he later found out was actually a transvestite. He was even more humiliated when Michelle displayed a photo of him and Shania kissing in the Rovers. "I was so embarrassed filming this scene - it took bit of Dutch courage! Although our lips connected in the shot, my hips are 700 miles behind me, there couldn't have been a bigger gap."

2009 Becky

Becky's Jordan-esque dress and tiara might seem over the top but Steve thinks she looks wonderful. Their relationship is very physical. "I don't know if Steve will live very long - it's all too much exercise for a man of his age. Me and Katherine are always jumping on top of each other.

What about Steve and Becky's long-term prospects? You'll just have to wait and see...

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Steve McDonald celebrates 20 years on the street
By Amanda Killelea
4/12/2009
mirror.co.uk

By 'eck, time really flies when you're having fun. This week it's exactly 20 years since Steve McDonald first walked down the Coronation Street cobbles as a fresh-faced teenager with a full head of floppy, streaked hair. Since then hapless Steve has been down the aisle five times, had a spell behind bars and now, as the wisecracking landlord of the Rovers Return, is still one of Weatherfield's best-loved characters.

Actor Simon Gregson, 35, says he enjoys his role as the hen-pecked ladies' man so much that it only seems like yesterday when he first appeared as a 15-year-old schoolboy. He laughs: "It doesn't seem like 20 years at all. It's great fun - I just love going to work. I feel fortunate to still be here. It feels like going to school and having a laugh with my mates instead of going to work. It's a great job."

Here Simon takes us through some of Steve's most memorable Corrie moments...

1989 - The McDonalds arrive in Street

Strangely, we weren't nervous at all. I had just turned 15 and I think me and Nick Cochrane, who played Andy, were just too young or too cheeky to be nervous. I even remember my first line from that opening scene: "Eh, our Mam, why do we have to have the back bedroom?"

1989 - How I got the dream job

I think Granada just went round a few secondary schools in Manchester looking for two boys to play these twins. One day we were in assembly when some people from the company turned up and asked if anyone was interested. It was the telly so loads of us volunteered. We had to have our pictures taken and went to Granada to do some improvisation. I had no acting experience but a week later I'd got the job. Even now, 20 years on, my mum reckons it could all end tomorrow. I've grown up on Coronation Street, though.

1990 - Running away with Joanne for the first of many kisses

I remember finding those scenes really daunting because I was only 16 and the actress who played Joanne was in her mid-20s. I was thinking "Oh, God, I've got to do all these snogging scenes". It was pretty good but it was such a big thing because I had never acted before. I remember that I was told off by the director for chewing gum during the kissing scenes.

1992 - Convicted of theft

We went to a real magistrates' court to shoot these scenes - and it still had the gallows underneath from the days when there were hangings. I remember me and Nick being two very excited teenagers thinking that there might be ghosts in there.

1994 - Me and pal Angela Griffin

It was good working with Angela as we've always got on well. Steve went out with Fiona before she had an affair with his dad, Jim.

1994 - Honeymoon in the car park

I think we were meant to be on honeymoon but the pictures were from the Granada car park. Steve and Vicky were supposed to be in St Lucia but it was freezing Manchester.

1995 - Alec had me in stitches

Working with Roy Barraclough - Vicky's grandad, Alec Gilroy - was hard as he made me laugh all the time. I just couldn't keep my face straight. And I didn't really know what I was doing. It took me about 14 years to learn how to become an actor. I often got stick off people who said I wasn't very good. I had to learn in front of millions of people.

1997 - Steve accused after fight with Jim on scaffolding

There was this big thing at the time and everyone said Steve pushed Jim off the scaffolding but that wasn't true. Jim actually tripped and Steve put his arm out to try to save him.

1999 - So cross in Brighton

This was for an after-hours special we filmed in Brighton. We used this tatty old van that Steve and Vikram had to drive up a street. We were parked when a chap came out of his house and started shouting and swearing and banging on the windows. It turned out he'd had half the paving stones nicked off his drive and thought we were the thieves coming back to finish the job.

2000 - Steve and Vikram set up Streetcars

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Man admits assaulting Coronation Street star
Simon Gregson was punched in the face

A man has admitted common assault after Coronation Street star Simon Gregson was punched in the face in a nightclub in Cumbria. The actor, who plays Steve McDonald in the ITV soap, got into a row with Reece Barnes, over an empty seat in the Wheelhouse Club in Bowness on 29 May.

Magistrates were told that Barnes, from Windermere, hit Mr Gregson in the face. The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to common assault and was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge. He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs, £100 in compensation and given a six-month banning order from the nightclub.

South Lakeland Magistrates' Court was told that Mr Gregson had sat down on a seat which Barnes said he was saving for a friend. Witnesses reported that Barnes threw the first punch, and the pair had to be separated. He was then ejected from the venue.