Who is Coronation Street’s McDonald family? Everyone from Steve to Liz McDonald explained
THE McDonald family arrived on the Corrie cobbles back in 1989.
Since then most of them have come and gone (and come back again), but one member of the family is still a permanent fixture on the Street.
Jim McDonald
Jim is played by Charles Lawson and made his first appearance on Coronation Street with the rest of the McDonald family in October 1989.
He appeared as a regular character from 1989 to 2000.
Since 2003 he has made guest appearances on the soap.
Jim was introduced along with his wife Liz and their twin sons Andy and Steve McDonald.
His storylines have often revolved around his family relationships and various crimes, which have resulted in several stints in prison.
Jim was jailed for the manslaughter of drug dealer Jez, after he killed him in revenge for attacking his son Steve.
Later storylines included Jim escaping from prison, Liz divorcing him for a second time, and then being sent back to prison for a bank robbery.
Liz McDonald
Actress Beverley Callard made her first appearance in Corrie in 1984 as Brian Tilsley's friend..
She then returned with the more significant role of Liz McDonald on October 27, 1989.
She remained on the soap until November 1998.
Actress Bev had brief stints on the soap after leaving, but returned on a permanent basis in October 2013.
The Corrie character is the mother of twins Steve and Andy.
Liz is probably best known for working in the Rovers - she started off as a barmaid in 1991 but became landlady and licensee in 2006 when Steve bought the pub.
After a stint as a receptionist at the medical centre, she's returned to pull pints at the Rovers.
However Bev left the show for good in 2019.
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Steve McDonald
Steve is the longest running McDonald charcter in Corrie.
He is played by Steve Gregson, and he joined the soap like the rest of the family in 1989.
In September 2015, Simon announced a break due to personal reasons and Steve was off-screen from November 2015 to April 2016.
Steve's storylines include his many many failed relationships and marriages.
Andy McDonald
Andy played by Nicholas Cochrane is Steve's twin - although in real life the actor and his on-screen brother Simon were actually a year apart.
He was seen as the "brainy and conscientious" twin.
Andy worked his way up to assistant manager at Bettabuy supermarket before going back to university in 1994.
In 1997 he had enough of them and left for a new life in Barcelona, where he became an English teacher.
He has made occasional returns to the Street, most recently for Steve's wedding to Becky Granger in 2009.
Who else is in the McDonald family?
Additional members of the family include Steve's many many wives.
The pub landlord has so far got five women to marry him.
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His wives and children include:
- Vicky Arden, played by Chloe Newsome, was Steve's first wife. They were married from 1995-1997.
- Karen Phillips, played by Suranne Jones, arrived in Weatherfield in 2000.
- She was married to Steve twice - from 2001-2003 and 2004-2006.
- Becky Granger, played by Katherine Kelly, was married to Steve from 2009-2011.
- On the day of the their wedding Becky was so drunk that they had to postpone the ceremony.
- Tracey Barlow, played by Kate Ford, wed Steve in 2012, got divorced and remarried in 2017.
- Michelle Connor, played by Kym Marsh, was married to Steve from 2015-2017.
- Emma Brooker - Daughter with Fiona Middleton.
- Amy Barlow - Daughter with Tracey Barlow.
- Oliver Battersby - Son with Leanne Battersby.