He’s swapping the cobbles for the ice!
Dancing On Ice has signed up soap legend Sam Aston for the 2025 series. Best known as Chesney Brown on Corrie, Sam has become a telly favourite over the years. But now, he’s set to swap the cobbles for an ice rink for next year’s series of Dancing On Ice.
But who is his wife? How much did he earn when he was a youngster on Coronation Street? And what advert did he star in before his soap fame? Keep reading to find out…
Who Dancing On Ice star Sam Aston is
Sam Aston is a British actor, best known for playing Chesney Brown on Corrie. He joined the soap in 2003, when he was just 10 years old, and has remained ever since.
Despite his baby face, Sam is actually 31 years old, and was born on June 7, 1993.
Where Dancing On Ice star Sam Aston and his famous sister are from
Sam Aston was born in Burnley, England. But he’s not the only entertainer in his family. His sister, Emily, was born on February 26, 1982, and is an actor too.
She appeared on Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit back in 1990. Emily also had roles in Casualty, The Bill, Doctors and The Other One.
What’s more, between 1996 and 1997, Emily appeared on Coronation Street as Rebecca Palmer.
Sam Aston’s iconic advert role before Corrie
Prior to his stint on Corrie, Sam’s first-ever role was for an advert for George at Asda. He then bagged a role in a Warburtons bread advert in the 1990s – something Sam said is the one that people still remember over 20 years later.
“My famous line in it was: ‘Don’t be stupid, it’s pouring down with rain!’” the star told OK!.
Who is Sam Aston’s wife?
Sam Aston’s wife is yoga teacher Briony Gardner. The pair have known each other since they were teenagers and started chatting on MSN.
“Briony and I met when I was about 15 or 16. We got together, but we were very young,” he previously explained to The Mirror, revealing he then decided to split from Briony.
However, years later, the pair found a way back to each other. He added: “Three or four years later we were both helping out at the same drama workshop. Carol Godby’s acting school, which is where I started as a youngster.
“I was teaching and Briony was in the room next door. I think she might have given me a funny look when I first walked in, but we soon got past that and straight away we got talking. We went for a meal that night at a country pub and that was it. We’ve been together ever since.”
Sam Aston and Briony’s wedding
In 2017, Sam and Briony got engaged. Fast forward to 2019, and the pair tied the knot at Stock Farm in Cheshire.
For their first dance, Sam and Briony decided to incorporate yoga and acrobatics into the routine, performed to John Legend’s Stay With You. However, it almost ended in tears as Sam nearly “dropped” his wife at the end.
At the lavish do, Sam’s Corrie co-stars were in attendance, including Katie McGlynn, Brooke Vincent and Colson Smith.
Sam and Briony also opted for a fish and chip supper at their wedding. Guests were treated to the British staple, which came in traditional chip shop boxes.
Sam Aston is a proud dad to three children
Sam and wife Briony have three adorable kids.
In August 2020, the pair welcomed their first child Sonny – who was born six weeks early. Sam and Briony then welcomed a baby girl in May 2022, called Daisy Josephine.
The couple previously shared the sweet meaning of their second child’s name. She told OK!: “Josephine is a nod to Sam’s brother Jo and my grandad Joe. Daisy is also the French name for Marguerite and my mum’s mum is called Margaret, so it was a way to have both grandparents in there.”
And in May 2024, Sam and Briony welcomed their third child, a daughter called Hazel.
Sweet way Sam found out he was becoming a dad
In 2020, Briony revealed the sweet way she told Sam he was going to be a dad to their first child.
Briony told OK!: “We hadn’t been trying for long but I bought a board you serve eggs on which had ‘Daddy you’re a good egg’ etched into it. I wanted a nice way to tell Sam when I did fall pregnant and I always make him dippy eggs. Luckily for us, as soon as I could do my first pregnancy test, it was positive.”
Sam added: “I came down for breakfast and the fire was on, the highlights of Match of the Day were on TV; it felt like it was my birthday! Briony put the board down and I started eating and I didn’t even notice the message, as I was too busy watching Burnley play. After a few minutes, I saw it and was so excited. I kept saying ‘really?’ It was very surreal.”
Baby loss heartbreak
Sam and Briony have been open about having suffered two tragic miscarriages within four months of one another.
In July 2023, Briony posted a picture on her Instagram account of a pregnancy test kit that had been edited to read: “Not pregnant any more.”
She captioned her post: “This is a difficult thing to share, but in the interest of breaking the taboo, I’m miscarrying again, the second time in four months… It’s heartbreaking and it’s unfair, BUT I’m not seeking sympathy. I feel well supported and want others to feel supported too.
“And that’s why I wanted to post this today, because having people you can talk to and receiving comfort from those who have been through something similar makes the world of difference.”
Sam and Briony also opened up about the miscarriages during an emotional appearance on Loose Women in 2023.
Briony said: “We never reached 12 weeks with either of them. I told family and close friends, then with the next one I thought I might not tell them to save myself the heartbreak in case, but we did tell them.”
Vanishing twin syndrome
In 2023, while expecting Hazel, the couple were sadly told they had been expecting twins but lost one due to vanishing twin syndrome. This happens when one foetus stops growing and the mother’s body absorbs the embryo.
“It was very bittersweet – that’s exactly how I’d word it. We were excited and thankful, because we always wanted a baby that was healthy. Then we started thinking, we could have had two… Will the living twin always wonder, what if? We found ourselves questioning what could have been, while feeling grateful for what we’ve got,” Briony told OK!.
Are Mikey North and Sam Aston related?
No, despite both having red hair, Sam is not related to Mikey North. Mikey is also a Coronation Street star, best known for playing Gary Windass.
How Sam Aston earns on Corrie
Back in 2004, aged just 11, Sam reportedly signed a huge £40,000 contract to stay on the ITV soap.
According to Digital Spy, a Corrie insider told The Sun at the time: “They are lining up more strong storylines for him and will make him into an even bigger star.”
Meanwhile, a few years later, it was reported a 13-year-old Sam had landed a six-month £30,000 contract by the soap.
