Michelle Connor

Michelle Sinead Connor (played by Kym Ryder) is a fictional character from the British ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street.

Overview

Michelle first appeared on April 3 2006 - April 9 and again from 13 August 2006 when she successfully auditioned for a place in Vernon Tomlin's band, she began working in the bar of the Rovers after the drummer landed her the job. Her family was later introduced.

Steve McDonald fell for Michelle instantly when she began work behind the Rovers bar. Despite Steve's feelings for her, Michelle was immediately disliked by his mother, pub landlady Liz McDonald.

Relationship with Vernon Tomlin

Vernon clearly had a crush on Michelle. He flirted with her, but she was disgusted by his behaviour. As he blatantly propositioned Michelle, she tricked him by falsely claiming to feel the same. Michelle proceeded to humiliate Vernon in public.

Michelle loses her job

Vernon twisted the situation to make Michelle appear to be the guilty party and Liz sacked Michelle. When the truth was exposed, Liz shamed Vernon to the whole of Weatherfield and threw him out, although they are now back together.

Liz subsequently offered Michelle her job back and she has now returned to the Rovers.

Relationship with Sonny Dhillon

She began dating the manipulative Sonny Dhillon, and their relationship went swimmingly. Steve still loved Michelle and tried to split them up. But Michelle's loyalties lay with Sonny. They were briefly engaged, much to Steve's anger. When Steve discovered that Sonny was bisexual, having witnessed him kiss Sean Tully, he informed Michelle of the truth about her fiancé. Michelle refused to believe Steve's accusations and both Sonny and Sean denied their affair but when Michelle eventually uncovered their lies, she was devastated. She confronted cheating Sonny in an angry showdown in her flat and called off the engagement. Michelle ended her friendship with Sean following his betrayal, but their friendship repaired a few months later. Ever since Michelle ended her relationship with Sonny, he hasn't been seen.

The truth behind Dean's death

When Carla hinted that Paul and Liam were hiding something from Michelle, she confronted her brothers. Paul denied Carla's accusations, but Liam eventually confessed the truth about her beloved partner Dean's death to Michelle, revealing that Paul had been behind the wheel during the car accident which claimed her boyfriend's life. She lashed out violently at her brothers on discovering their attempts to cover up Paul's crime.

Michelle struggled to forgive her brothers and never told the truth to her son Ryan. After brother Paul's death, she gradually made up with Liam.

When her brother Paul was seriously injured in a car accident involving him kidnapping Leanne Battersby, Michelle didn't know how to react, as she was unable to forgive him for killing her beloved Dean. She refused to visit Paul in hospital, but after much persuasion from Steve, Michelle had a change of heart and decided to visit her dying brother. However, by the time she arrived at the hospital, Paul was already dead. Michelle was hysterical.

Relationship with Steve McDonald

After a brief kiss months previously, Michelle was again propositioned by Steve when she confided in him about the true circumstances of Dean's death. Although she had feelings for Steve, his timing wasn't good and Michelle rejected his advances. However, they eventually agreed to start a proper romance and they have finally become a couple.

Steve suggested that Michelle and Ryan should live with Steve at the Rovers. The two moved out of their flat and lived at the pub. As well as Steve and his daughter Amy, Michelle and Ryan began living with Steve's mum and stepfather, making it hard for so many of them to live under the same roof. However, the couple were pleased how they were now like a 'proper family.

Michelle's son: Ryan Connor and Alex Neeson?

Ryan's stalker

At the beginning of December 2007, Ryan was followed many times by a man in a blue car. He appeared when he was waiting for his school bus, whilst at school and even on the Street.

Ryan became scared and wondered why the man was following him. He told his mother, Michelle, who told boyfriend, Steve and brother Liam, but at first the claims fell on deaf ears.

On December 9, whilst walking along the Street, the blue car pulled up beside him and the driver began to talk to him, using his name. Ryan ran into the Rovers and told his mother and uncle, resulting in Liam to run after the stalker. However he managed to escape. He again reappeared on December 17, but this time he was followed to a home in the suburbs where the Connors all arrived.

Introduction to Alex Neeson

Michelle went to ring on the doorbell to confront the stalker when she was introduced to another 15-year-old, Alex. She took one look at the teenager and burst into tears. The teenager standing before her is the spitting-image of her deceased husband, Dean. Her worst fears are confirmed - Alex is Michelle's biological son but Ryan is still her legal son.

A week later, Michelle's parents came to stay for Maria and Liam's wedding and asked Ryan about the boy who had wandered into the ceremony; Ryan answered "he's just some weirdo."

After Michelle and Liam's Mum and Dad left for Ireland Alex was shown to be hiding behind a wall eavesdropping on Michelle and Steve.

Alex on the Street

Alex later appeared in the Kabin talking to Norris Cole about how his mother was Michelle Connor and that she would pay for the sweets he had bought. Later that day the news spread about Ryan not being Michelle's son and Ryan did not find this funny when Amber commented on the news.

In the Rovers the police came with Alex who had being shoplifting asking whether Michelle was his mother or not claiming Alex had told the police that she was and that the Rovers was his home. Michelle told them that she was his mother and that he was safe to stay at the Rovers.

When Michelle was discussing a matter with Alex she walked away to get something from the kitchen but Alex called her back using "Mum" as her name to a shocked Michelle.

Alex has been staying with Michelle for the past couple of weeks, causing tension between Ryan and Alex. He 'lost' Amy and barricade himself in the pub and has driven Ryan to go and live with Liam, but Michelle can't bring herself to tell him to go back and live with Wendy.

She has again met up with Alex and has taken him to Ireland to meet his grandparents for a few weeks.

Fallout with Steve

Their relationship began to crumble when Steve locked Dan Mason down the cellar and Dan got his ruptured spleen. Steve had a one night stand with Becky Granger and Steve obviously did not tell Michelle, she began to get suspicious when he acted nervous several times in front of Becky. Surprisingly, Michelle did not suspect Becky, Liz told Michelle that Steve gets on very well with Leanne Battersby, a new barmaid in the Rovers and a former prostitute, she blamed her when she suspected Steve had slept with someone. After confronting Lloyd when Steve went to visit his twin brother, Andy, Michelle 'fired' Leanne despite having no authority to do so, after spotting her talking with Lloyd. Leanne told Dan to confront Michelle, Dan stood up for Leanne and claimed that she was with him and worrying when Dan was in hospital.

Lloyd lied that Steve had planned a proposed marriage to Michelle and Andy is best man, and that he want to get married in a spanish castle, so he subsequently went to see Andy because of this. When Steve returned to Weatherfield, Michelle kept quiet, but Lloyd and Steve argued, and this resulted in Steve actually proposing;Lloyd, unaware of this, told Michelle the truth although Michelle still kept quiet. On 16th July 2008, Michelle chose her engagement ring, and chose the most expensive in the shop, and when Steve properly proposed, Michelle snapped out that she is never going to marry him. She smacked him in the mouth, and left to go back with Carla to her house, leaving Steve with a bleeding lip. The following day Michelle demanded to know what happened on the night he was out, Steve confessed that he had stayed at a girls house, whom he claimed he met at a disco, and that he'd slept on her sofa and nothing happened, Michelle threw the expensive ring in a skip, although Steve managed to get it back. Michelle told Liam to thump Steve, although Liam stayed calm, when Steve returned, Michelle threw him out. Steve told Michelle the next day to play happy families in front of Amy, in an attempt to weedle his way back into Michelle's affections.

Portrayer

On 19 June 2008, Ryder signed a £100,000 contract to stay on the soap for at least another year.