Simon Gregson has played Steve McDonald in Coronation Street since 1989 – but the actor’s real life couldn’t be more different
Coronation Street fans have loved the character of Steve McDonald since Simon Gregson took on the role in 1989. The character, a staple of the ITV soap, has had a history of unsuccessful love affairs – but his life off screen is completely different.
His most memorable stories have often centred around his romantic entanglements with characters such as Vicky Arden, Fiona Middleton, Karen Phillips, Ronnie Clayton, Becky Granger, Tracy, Michelle Connor and Leanne Battersby.
Other significant storylines include Tracy giving birth to their daughter Amy, his struggle with depression, and the heartbreaking loss of his two sons, Ruairi with Michelle and Oliver with Leanne.
Steve, portrayed by Simon Gregson, first graced the Corrie streets over three decades ago. The former rebel has been involved in numerous shady activities but has evolved into a more humorous character over time.
His poor judgement could be a reason for his multiple marriages on the show – having tied the knot seven times with five different women, some of whom are mentioned above, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Actor Simon Gregson in the dock in a scene from the television soap opera Coronation Street (Image: Granada Television)
However, Simon’s real life is a far cry from his on-screen persona. The actor was discovered at The Kingsway School in Stockport and was cast as Steve.
His debut on Corrie was on December 6, 1989, when he was just 15-years-old, alongside his on-screen twin brother Andy Mcdonald, portrayed by Nicholas Cochrane. The duo played the troublesome teenagers who wreaked havoc on their neighbours.
Simon has since grown up in the public eye, remaining on the show. However, fellow actor Nicholas, 49, had to exit the soap along with other notable characters when a new producer took over in 1997.
Simon, now 49, was initially credited under his birth name – Simon Alan Gregory – but later adopted the stage name ‘Gregson’ once he was old enough to join Equity, the trade union for British actors. He chose Gregson as there was already a member with his real name, and it has stuck ever since.
In a similar vein to his character, Simon has also battled health issues. The I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here 2021 runner-up disclosed that he suffered ‘up to 12 panic attacks a day’ and had to make an emergency call to his boss when he struggled to get to work for his role as the cab driver in the long-standing soap.
Coronation Street star Simon Gregson and wife Emma Gleave (Image: MEN)
He further revealed how ITV had enlisted a psychiatrist, who had worked with the Royal Family, to assist him after he confessed to struggling with the illness which he admitted he ‘didn’t know what it was’ prior to his diagnosis.
Simon, known for his work on the small screen, tied the knot with former Hollyoaks actress Emma Gleave in 2010. The couple are proud parents to three boys – Alfie, Henry, and Teddy.
The family of five resides in Cheshire, where Simon has previously shared tales of their home being haunted. He even invited ghost hunter Barri Ghai, psychic medium Ian Lawman, and paranormal researcher Jayne Harris to his residence in an attempt to banish the ‘woman in white’ he claims to have seen.
In an episode of Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted, Simon detailed sightings of a shadowy female figure wandering the corridors of his home, situated in a wealthy suburb of Cheshire often referred to as ‘celebrity central’. “It went from right to left across one of the landings upstairs,” he recounted.
Moreover, after his appearance on ITV’s reality show I’m A Celeb, Simon revealed the heart-wrenching journey he and his wife underwent to create their family. He emotionally disclosed that Emma had suffered 11 miscarriages, with one baby girl tragically passing away at 21 weeks.
On The Likely Dads podcast with Tim Vincent, Simon shared: “We lost 11 along the way. It was horrific. The first one was 21 weeks. When Emma lost Georgia, she was 21 weeks, and what had happened was Emma’s tubes were twisted, but Georgia stayed alive long enough to untwist the tubes which they said it was amazing how she survived all that and then went.”
“But that paved the way for Alfie you see, so we always think of her as like an angel. But then we lost loads along the way. I think it’s because Emma can’t carry girls for some reason.”
Simon Gregson speaks candidly about his personal anguish and how life seemed to imitate art when a Coronation Street storyline had his character face baby loss a painful reflection of his and co-star Kym Marsh’s real-life experiences. “I think the worst thing was when they made it into a storyline. They didn’t know what had happened with me,” Simon revealed about the sensitive plot.
“It was with Kym, and Kym had lost a child. So of course, you know, they asked her whether she would do the storyline and of course, she didn’t want to see it’s a prosthetic baby and it’s amazing and it was dressed exactly the same as he was, you know, which I think is what she requested because she wanted the emotions to be real, but it was like this is a one take at a time.”
