ITV Coronation Street's Carla Connor star's life from co-star romance to modelling career

Alison King has become a household name thanks to her role as Carla Connor in Coronation Street - but her life off the cobbles is far less dramatic than her character's

Alison King, known for her role as Carla Connor in Coronation Street, has become a soap legend. The actress has been a constant presence on the cobbles for 18 years, having joined the cast in 2006.

At 51, Alison has experienced numerous significant storylines during her tenure on Coronation Street, including being targeted by serial killer Stephen Reid, kidnapped, raped by her boyfriend Frank Foster, struggling with alcoholism, engaging in an affair, and even being suspected of murder. Her character is currently embroiled in a new romantic plot, with Carla growing increasingly close to DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) in recent months.

Fortunately, Alison's real life off the Cobbles is vastly different - and far less dramatic - than her character's. Born in Leicester, the actress relocated to Newquay at 18 to work in a surf shack.

A passionate surfer in her free time, she spent four years working as a dental nurse before joining the North Cheshire Theatre School at 22. In the subsequent years, Alison worked as a model in the late 1990s, becoming the face of Boddington beer and featuring regularly in Daz adverts.

Alison's initial significant acting role was in the soap Brookside, which made a comeback in 2023 following a two-decade break. She featured in two episodes of the Channel 4 soap as a hair salon stylist, reports the Mirror.

Her subsequent role and most recognised apart from Corrie is as Lynda Block in Sky One's Dream Team. She began dating her co-star Jim Alexander, to whom she got engaged, but they ended their relationship shortly after.

In 2004, she made an appearance in Corrie as a one-time character named Mrs Fanshaw, introduced to spice up Ryan Thomas' character Jason Grimshaw. After impressing the soap executives, Alison was cast as Carla Connor and made her first appearance on the cobbles in 2006.

Outside of the cobbles, Alison was previously engaged to Adam Huckett, a Coronation Street sound technician, with whom she has a teenage daughter Daisy.

The former pair never tied the knot and separated in 2012. Alison later embarked on a five-year relationship with Corrie co-star Philip Middlemiss, who portrayed Des Barnes.

In November 2018, Alison was spotted with a new 'mystery man', who she later revealed to be IT consultant David Stuckley when they announced their engagement in OK! magazine a year later. However, in May 2022 it was reported that the couple had parted ways after 'growing apart' during lockdown.

The actress has opened up about getting cosmetic work done to enhance her smile. Reflecting on her childhood habit, she shared how thumb-sucking had left her feeling insecure about her dental appearance.

It was during her drama school years that she chose to have corrective surgery. Although an initial treatment took place, in 2015 she confessed to seeking further enhancements.

Relaying her experience to dentistry.co.uk, she stated: "As an actress onscreen I'd begun to notice how my top and bottom front teeth had been pushed into the middle where my thumb had been. The inside bottom four teeth around the gum line were much shorter than the rest of the teeth. It was during my time at drama school that I decided to undergo cosmetic surgery at a dental practice in London. However, I wasn't completely satisfied with the final result and always felt there was room for improvement."