Soap stars often form strong bonds while filming long-running shows, and it's no surprise that they frequently liken each other to family.
Devoted viewers who have followed the actors for years may be unaware that several stars have real-life family ties away from our television screens.
Popular soaps such as Emmerdale, Coronation Street, and EastEnders are home to many family members who work together or appear on rival shows but continue to support each other. Just in time for the festive season - commonly a dramatic time on screen - several stars are preparing for a busy time both off screen and on together, starting with the Swash siblings.
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Joe and Shana Swash Joe Swash, a former king of the jungle, first made a name for himself in Albert Square. He was well known for his role as Mickey Miller from 2005 to 2011 on EastEnders and shared the screen with his real-life sister Shana, who played his on-screen sibling Demi.
The Flanagan family is one of the largest and best-known real-life soap families. Isabella and William Flanagan are real-life twins, although they play cousins Hope Stape and Joseph Brown on Coronation Street.
Meanwhile, their older sister, Amelia Flanagan, plays April Windsor on Emmerdale. The talented acting trio's proud parents often praise their children on social media and provide a glimpse into their lives away from the soaps, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In the fast-paced world of soap operas, Nick and John Pickard are definitely one of the most recognisable sibling duos. Nick has been wooing audiences as Hollyoaks' hunky Tony Hutchinson for years, while his real-life bro, John, played Tony's on-screen brother Dom until 2010.
Over in Emmerdale, there's a mini family affair happening with Sebastian and Gabrielle Dowling who've been bringing the drama as Cathy and Heath Hope since they were children in 2007. Tragically, 2024 saw Sebastian's character Heath meet a devastating end after a dramatic New Year car crash, rocking the Dales.
Coronation Street is keeping it in the family too, with actor Peter Ash starring as Paul Foreman and his cousin Will Ash stepping onto the cobbles over in Emmerdale as Caleb Milligan in 2022. Peter was excited for his cousin's new gig, writing on X: "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!"
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Brooke Vincent, known for her role as Sophie Webster on Corrie since 2004, took a break from the show in 2019. Her cousin Ellie Leach went on to star in the soap. Brooke was thrilled when her younger cousin Ellie joined the Coronation Street cast as Faye Windass in 2011, a role she played until 2023. Ellie, 23, clinched the strictly-come-dancing>Strictly Come Dancing title last year with Vito Coppola.
Charley Webb, who played the iconic character Debbie Dingle from 2002 until 2021, has since appeared in several shows, such as The Long Shadow. But she's not the only famous soap star in her family.
Her real-life brother Jamie Lomas has portrayed Hollyoaks legend Warren Fox since 2006 but left the Channel 4 soap earlier this year. Jamie also participated in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
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