Inside Coronation Street’s Harris family – from Tommy to Katy
THERE’S stiff competition when it comes to being crowned soap’s most dramatic family, but the Harris brood have easily earned that accolade.
The Coronation Street family stormed onto the soap back in November 2002 and the ripples of their theatrics still haunt fans today.
But who are the members of the Harris family? Here’s everything you need to know.
Tommy Harris
Patriarch Tommy was played by Thomas Craig from 2002 to 2005 initially a mysterious mechanic with a secret he’d have to protect with his life.
Tommy went to work at Kevin Webster’s garage but had to hide that he was previously known as Nelson which caused serious problems when he was accused of a stealing a wallet which belonged to his alias that only his immediate family knew about.
Before moving to Weatherfield, he lived in Sheffield but moved with his wife Angela and their children Katy and Craig under the witness protection scheme.
Their true identities were exposed after five months and Tommy was shot in the arm as he defended daughter Katy from gangsters, the Morgan brothers. After this the family reverted to their real names and they could relax again.
Tommy could at times be a hero, his defining moment was when he helped Martin Platt rescue his family when they were held hostage by serial killer Richard Hillman.
Tommy meddled in his daughter’s love life and when Katy started a relationship then aged 16 with 35-year-old nurse Martin Platt he cut contact until she ended things. Around this time he briefly split with Angela over the estrangement.
In 2005 Tommy did all he could to destroy Katy and Martin’s relationship and set up rumours that Martin was having an affair with Sally Webster prompting Katy to abort the child she was expecting with Martin who then ended the relationship.
On discovering the truth, Katy hit Tommy in the head with a wrench and killed him instantly. It was a truly dramatic end.
Angela Harris
She had one of the most tragic storylines in soap history, and for Angela, played by Kathryn Hunt, the drama started before she even arrived on the Street.
Angela previously worked in a pub then went on to be a machinist at the Underworld factory, but the women there turned against her when Tommy was accused of stealing a wallet at the garage where he worked.
Her family were forced into witness protection after she saw a murder in a pub and gave evidence against the accused Tom Morgan who went to prison for murder after she testified against him.
Following the ordeal, his gangster brothers were after revenge and hunted her and her family following daughter Katy when she went to meet friends in Sheffield. It took them year to track her down and reach number six Coronation Street, holding Katy at gunpoint.
Their secret past was out and the neighbours began to warm to Angela and her family after that.
When Katy started her relationship with Martin it drew a wedge between Angela and Tommy as she could not cope with being estranged from her daughter. When Katy believed Martin had been unfaithful and wished to terminate her pregnancy Angela took her back in and supported her.
In 2005 when Katy killed Tommy, Angela tried to cover it up so that it appeared it was a robbery. She made a false confession to the killing and was later found guilty of perverting the course of justice and has remained in prison.
Katy Harris
A natural rebel and rule breaker, teenager Katy brought to life by actress Lucy-Jo Hudson had a tragic time in Corrie.
Landing in Weatherfield with her family as part of witness protection scheme, Katy was responsible for blowing their cover when, after just five months in, she spoke to her old friends in Sheffield.
Gangster brothers Andy and Nick Morgan tracked the family to number six and held Katy hostage and then shot her dad, Tommy.
However, after a stand off with police the family were free to reveal their true identities and began to be accepted.
When Katy discovered she was diabetic in 2003 she fell in love with local nurse Martin Platt who had been helping her. He was 20 years her senior and the pair began a relationship. This was much to the heartache of her dad, Tommy, who branded Martin a pervert. Katy became estranged from her parents which destroyed their marriage.
When Katy became pregnant Tommy fabricated a story that Martin was having an affair. Heartbroken, she aborted the their child. When she later found out the truth she confronted her dad only to go into a rage when he didn’t show any remorse and she bludgeoned him to death.
Her mum Angela tried to take responsibility and was arrested, but overcome with guilty Katy took her life by drinking water mixed with sugar which proved fatal with her diabetes.
Craig Harris
Craig was just 12 when he became a key character in Corrie, played by Richard Fleeshman, he was a true romantic and outlived his entire family on the Street.
He moved to Weatherfield with his family under false identities after escaping gangsters who were looking for revenge after his mum witnessed a murder and gave evidence against the accused.
After his sister’s relationship with Martin tore his family apart and caused his parents to temporarily split up. Craig attempted to have his own revenge and tampered with the brakes on Martin’s car.
But Katy got into the car with Martin and Craig and Tommy raced to the rescue.
In 2005 he lost his entire family when sister Katy murdered their father, Tommy, and later killed herself and his mum was sent to prison for covering up the crime. After this, Craig remained at the family home under the care of his grandfather, Keith Appleyard.
His central storyline oscillated around a dramatic love affair with Rosie Webster and they have a sexual relationship while underage and were both goths. Her parents Keith and Sally made multiple attempts to separate them but their teen bond was unbreakable.
Craig even stayed on the Street after his grandfather moved to Bournemouth moving in with Roy and Hayley Cropper.
However it ended in heartache in 2006. Craig and Rosie planed to run away to Berlin but at the lats minute she bailed, leaving him to elope alone.