ITV Coronation Street and Emmerdale stars who are related in real life - from twins to cousins

Many viewers have been following their soap favourites for years, but may not be aware that several stars have real-life family connections

Coronation Street and Emmerdale cast members often liken their co-stars to family - and for some, this is literally the case. Many fans have been following their favourite soap characters for years, but might not know that several stars have genuine family ties on these beloved ITV shows.

With acting in soaps clearly a family affair, Coronation Street and Emmerdale host many real-life family members, from twins to cousins. Some family members even appear in rival soaps.

Here, we explore all the real-life family members from our favourite soaps...

The Flanagan family

The Flanagan family is one of the largest and most well-known real-life soap families. Isabella and William Flanagan are actual twins, although they portray cousins Hope Stape and Joseph Brown on Coronation Street.

Their older sister, Amelia Flanagan, plays April Windsor on Emmerdale. The talented acting trio's proud parents frequently praise their children on social media, offering a glimpse into their life away from the soaps, the MEN reports.

Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling

Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling are another set of soap twins, having played real-life twins Cathy and Heath Hope in Emmerdale. The siblings took on the roles of Viv and Bob Hope's children back in 2007.

However, earlier this year, in a tragic twist, Heath was killed off in a heartbreaking New Year car crash storyline. Cathy still remains on the ITV soap.

Will and Peter Ash

Coronation Street's Peter Ash was recently awarded the National Television Award for Serial Drama Performance following his compelling performance as Paul Foreman, who tragically succumbed to motor neurone disease (MND) in the latest episodes. Celebrating alongside him would have been his real-life cousin, Emmerdale's Caleb Milligan actor Will Ash.

Peter shared his excitement on Twitter when Will joined Emmerdale in 2022: "Yes! This is my cousin, Will! " "He's an absolutely fantastic actor, and was one of my big inspirations for getting into acting myself! Can't wait to see him do his stuff in #Emmerdale! " Soap fans were surprised by the revelation, with comments such as, "No way, I had no idea he's your cousin, well fantastic acting definitely runs in the family x," and, "I actually thought you were brothers coz you look so alike! ".

Brooke Vincent and Ellie Leach

Brooke Vincent, known for playing Corrie's Sophie Webster from 2004 until her departure in 2019, welcomed her younger cousin Ellie Leach to the cast in 2011. Ellie portrayed Faye Windass until 2023, and at age 23, she claimed victory on Strictly Come Dancing last year alongside Vito Coppola.

Charley Webb and Jamie Lomas

Charley Webb, recognised for her enduring role as Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale from 2002 to 2021, has continued her career path, starring in productions like The Long Shadow.

However, she's not the only soap star in her family. Her real-life brother, Jamie Lomas, has portrayed Hollyoaks legend Warren Fox since 2006, although he left the Channel 4 soap earlier this year.

Ryan Thomas and Adam Thomas

Ryan Thomas and Adam Thomas are another pair of siblings in the soap world. Ryan Thomas first appeared on Coronation Street as Jason Grimshaw on Christmas Day in 2000, a role he played until 2016.

His younger brother, Adam Thomas, joined Emmerdale as Adam Barton in 2009, a role he held until 2018. The brothers also have another famous sibling, Scott Thomas, who was a contestant on Love Island in 2016.

Greg Wood and Matt Milburn

Coronation Street fans were surprised to learn that two characters who never interacted on the show, Tommy Orpington and Rick Neeson, are actually brothers in real life. Tommy Orpington, a famous footballer for Weatherfield County who had an affair with Tracy Barlow earlier this year, is portrayed by actor Matt Milburn.

His real-life brother, Greg Wood, played the villainous loan shark Rick Neeson on the show.