Sally is best known for playing Corrie’s Jenny Bradley – and she was stunned to discover that is related to another Coronation Street legend, who starred alongside her on the soap
Sally Ann Matthews became famous for playing Coronation Street’s Jenny Bradley, a role she first played in 1986. During her appearance on Coronation Street’s DNA Secrets, she was astonished to learn she was related to another member of the ITV soap.
The show focused on members of the ITV soap’s cast learning about their family history through research and DNA testing.
Sally Ann took part back in 2018 and discovered ancestry from as far away as Russia. But she was even more surprised to learn that she was distantly related to another soap star.
At the beginning of the show, Sally was told that she and a mystery cast member had great, great, great grandparents in common on her mum’s side of the family.
Sally was stunned when she found out that it was none other than Amanda Barrie, who played the role of Alma Halliwell from 1981 to 2001, when her character died of cancer.
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The two ladies worked together for four years in the soap, and they were clearly delighted by the discovery.
“I’m so surprised but thrilled in a bizarre kind of way. Of course, it was Amanda,” Sally declared.
Meanwhile, Amanda jokingly said she hoped Sally could help her with her health in the future. “I always liked you. The fact with our DNA – and I’m so old – you might have organs to spare,” she quipped.
The actress then sweetly added: “Funnily enough, I always felt close to Sally Ann. Now I feel extremely close and extremely proud.”
As the episode aired, Sally took to Twitter to share a picture of herself with Amanda, which she captioned: “Me and my cuz! X.” She also posted a photo of a jug that Amanda had given her when she was 18, writing: “Amanda gave me this when I was 18 and it’s been with me in every house I’ve ever lived in.” Amanda, meanwhile, wrote: “So proud of my cuz. And I think there’s a family likeness.”
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It comes amid reports tensions are boiling over behind the scenes at Coronation Street, with accusations of preferential treatment sparking major discontent among the cast.
Sources claim a growing divide has formed after stars Samia Longchambon and Sair Khan were chosen for lucrative brand collaborations – opportunities others on the show claim they were denied.
Samia, 42, recently appeared in a promotional video for Marks & Spencer, promoting seasonal treats from its café alongside her husband, Sylvain Longchambon, best known from Dancing on Ice. Meanwhile, Sair, 37, showcased a high-end Bertazzoni oven worth £2,500 in a slick Instagram post.
While ITV enforces strict restrictions on external endorsements for its soap stars, requiring all commercial activity to pass executive approval, not everyone seems to be playing by the same rulebook, as disgruntled insiders on the soap have claimed that other cast members are fed up.
Frustrated actors say the rules are inconsistently applied, with some actors allegedly blocked from even the smallest form of brand deals.
One cast member, who claims two of her endorsement opportunities were vetoed this year, didn’t hold back when speaking to The Sun: “It’s one rule for the polished PR favourites, and another for the rest of us. If you’re not part of the golden circle, forget it,” they said.
An ITV spokesperson told The Mirror: “We do not discuss individual cases, but the cast are aware that all requests for commercial deals go through an approvals process and are dealt with on a case by case basis.”