Jane Danson has played Leanne Battersby on and off for over two decades on Coronation Street and has been married to fellow soap star Robert Beck for 25 years

Jane Danson, known for her role as Leanne Battersby in Coronation Street, has been a staple on the ITV soap for over two decades. She first joined the show in 1997 and, despite a brief exit in 2000, she returned four years later and has remained a key character ever since.

However, what might surprise some is that her husband, fellow soap star Robert Beck, also had a stint on the popular ITV soap. He joined the cast in 2008, playing the role of Jimmy Dockerson, Tony Gordon’s (played by Gray O’Brien) henchman, for a year, reports OK!.

Jane is married to fellow soap star Robert Beck (Image: Instagram/Robert Beck)

The 56 year old actor, who has also appeared in Brookside, Hollyoaks, and Emmerdale, met Jane at the inaugural British Soap Awards in 1999. Speaking to OK!, Robert revealed: “We met at the first ever Soap Awards back in 1999. I was in Emmerdale at the time. Jane came over and introduced herself.”

Jane added: “I’m not the world’s most confident person but I’d had a crush on Rob since I was 15, so I thought, I have to speak to him, it’s fate.”

She continued: “Rob’s absolutely my best friend in the world. We’ve only had about two rows in twenty years. I’m not saying we don’t get on each other’s nerves sometimes but we’re a strong team and we’ve always allowed each other to be individuals.”

After years of friendship blossomed into romance, the couple exchanged vows in 2005 and started a family with the arrival of their first child, Harry, just a year later. In 2009, they welcomed their second son, Sam. However, in a heart-wrenching interview with OK! in 2018, Jane opened up about the devastating miscarriage of their third child, revealing: “Sadly we lost our third child a few years ago – I found out I’d miscarried at the three-month scan. It was heartbreaking and it took us a long time to get over it – I don’t think you ever do.”

Jane said she’d had a crush on Rob since she was a teenager (Image: Instagram/Robert Beck)

“There will always be that sadness there and there’ll always be that desire, but we’re getting older now and the boys are growing up. Sometimes you just have to appreciate what you have.”

Robert recently reprised his role in the soap as Damon ‘Harry’ Harris, the father of Chloe Harris, played by Jessie Elland, but his character met a tragic end at the hands of Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, during a dramatic Christmas storyline. Jane celebrated Robert’s return to the show with a heartfelt Instagram post, writing: “Happy birthday my love @robertbeck529. And congratulations on your @emmerdale return – I owe Emmerdale a lot -24 years of us – I love you, darling.”