| Jerry Morton | |||||||||||||
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| Coronation Street character | |||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Michael Starke | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 2007–2008 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 18 March 2007 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 29 September 2008 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Steve Frost | ||||||||||||
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Jerry Morton is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street , played by Michael Starke. He was introduced in March 2007. It was announced in April 2008 that Jerry and the rest of the Mortons would leave the show later in 2008. [1]
Jerry arrived in Coronation Street with his family in March 2007, moving in and opening a new takeaway shop on the street. He immediately clashed with next door neighbour Gail Platt as he was constantly playing his music at full volume. He relied heavily upon his eldest daughter Jodie to care for his younger children – Darryl, Mel, Kayleigh and Finlay – and run the kebab shop, leading to her departure in November that year. He began a romance with Eileen Grimshaw, which ended after several months when she told him she felt she was becoming a surrogate mother to his children, and had no desire to assume that role.
Jerry suffered a heart attack in May 2008, prompting Kayleigh to call his estranged wife Teresa Bryant. At first Jerry was horrified to see her but eventually conceded that he needed her help. Teresa moved in, much to Mel's displeasure, but soon outstayed her welcome. In a bid to ensure Jerry would not force her to leave, she took control of his medication and deliberately kept him ill, so he would rely on her. By August 2008, Teresa's tampering had taken its toll and Jerry collapsed, banging his head on the coffee table as he fell and knocking himself unconscious. He was taken to hospital, where his family learnt that he could die but he came round at the beginning of September and Teresa confessed to Jerry. He was horrified by her betrayal. Jerry now refuses to see Teresa and this led to Mel arresting Teresa for attempted murder but Jerry refused to make a statement so Teresa could not be charged. On 26 September 2008, Jerry told his family that he wanted them to move to Spain. After the scandal with Teresa, he yearned for a new start for the sake of his kids and his health. Mel and Darryl chose to stay as she had recently qualified as a police officer and he did not want to leave his friends and wanted to run the chip/kebab shop. Disappointed about their decisions but fully understanding, he left Coronation Street on 29 September 2008 with his younger children Kayleigh and Finlay, bound for a new life.
On 14 November, Dev Alahan phoned Jerry in Spain and made him an offer on the Kebab shop and within a week, their transaction was complete. On the day the sale of Kebab shop went through, it was revealed Jerry had rented Number 6 to Eddie, Anna and Gary Windass, much to the chagrin of Darryl and Teresa.
In February 2007, it was announced in various British media, that actor Michael Starke, best known for playing Thomas "Sinbad" Sweeney in the Channel 4 soap Brookside , would be joining the cast of Coronation Street as part of a new family, the Mortons. [2] Jerry Morton – the single father of four children – was being introduced as the owner of a fast food takeaway restaurant. The family has been described as "a brash bunch" and it was reported that a "lot of thought [went] into making them a hit family with the viewers...Everyone is always excited when a new character comes into the show but a whole family gives the writers opportunities and we're sure viewers will love the Mortons.... There’ll be some explosive episodes as the Mortons work their way into the hearts, minds and pockets of Weatherfield’s finest. They’re loud, brash and fun and will bring madness and mayhem to the cobbles." [3] The rest of the Mortons are Jerry's eldest daughter Jodie (Samantha Seager); his teenage twins Darryl and Mel (Jonathan Dixon and Emma Edmondson); youngest Kayleigh (Jessica Barden); and Grandad Morton (Rodney Litchfield).
Commenting on the role, actor Michael Starke said, "There are going to be parallels between them and other families but the show is so unique I'm hoping we'll create our own niche". [3] He has revealed that getting the part on Coronation Street at this stage in his career was "a dream... I pinch myself every morning. I think how many people would like to be playing my character? I'm the luckiest actor I know". [4]
Jerry Morton has been described as "a hard-working man who dotes on his family and has no qualms on dodging the taxman." [2] In an interview, actor Michael Starke has said that Jerry is very outgoing, pushy and totally in charge of his family, "what he says goes." [3] He goes on to say "His kids are the be-all-and-end-all and he'll do anything to support them and keep them going. He has his own set of morals in that respect.... He's not a put upon character... he's a go-getter. He thinks he's a lot younger than he is and he's got an idea of himself that no one else has – that's his talent, he uses it to the best of his ability." [4]
Brookside is a British television soap opera, set in Liverpool, England, which began on the launch night of Channel 4, 2 November 1982. It ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003. It was produced by Mersey Television and conceived by Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Phil Redmond.
Betty Williams is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by former music hall star Betty Driver. Driver was cast as Betty in 1969, after first auditioning for the role of Hilda Ogden, which was given to Jean Alexander. The character arrived in Coronation Street to help her sister Maggie Cooke run the corner shop, and since then had a number of storylines which saw her become twice widowed, and mother to an illegitimate son.
Eileen Grimshaw is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000. Her storylines have often included her relationships with Dennis Stringer, Ed Jackson, Pat Stanaway, Jerry Morton, Jesse Chadwick, Paul Kershaw, Adrian Mortimer and Michael Rodwell, as well as her marriage to serial criminal mastermind Pat Phelan.
Weatherfield is a fictional town based on Salford, Greater Manchester, which has been the setting for the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street since its inception in 1960. Much of Weatherfield has been seen by viewers throughout the years, though the primary focus from the viewer's perspective is the eponymous Coronation Street, a cobbled street where many of the programme's characters live. Weatherfield areas are often shot on location around Salford and the neighbouring large city of Manchester, as its filming studios, the Granada Studios complex on Quay Street in Manchester city centre and its replacement set MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, only house the outdoor sets of Coronation Street and its immediate surrounding streets.
Dev Alahan is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Jimmi Harkishin, the character's first appearance was broadcast on 10 November 1999. He is the ex-husband of Sunita and father to Amber Kalirai, Aadi Alahan and Asha Alahan. Dev departed on 13 February 2015, after Harkishin asked for an extended break from the show, and returned on 1 June 2015. On 6 April 2019, it was announced that Harkishin would take a two-month break.
Michael Starke is a British actor and singer from Liverpool, England. He was best known for his role as Thomas 'Sinbad' Sweeney, which he played for sixteen years in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside.
Lloyd Mullaney is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Craig Charles. He made his first on screen appearance on 20 June 2005. The character departed on 23 July 2006, while Charles was suspended from work. He returned on 12 February 2007. Charles took a temporary break from the show in autumn 2011 to film new episodes of Red Dwarf, with Lloyd departing on 15 December 2011. After a seven-month absence, Lloyd returned on 2 July 2012. Charles announced his departure from the show in May 2015. Charles' final scenes aired on 25 September 2015 after Lloyd departed for good after 10 years alongside his pregnant fiancée, Andrea Beckett when they left the street together to move to Jersey.
Amber Kalirai is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nikki Patel, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 9 November 2005. In May 2011 it was announced that Patel had returned to filming and Amber appeared again from 11 July 2011. Patel made her final appearance as Amber on 23 March 2012.
Rodney Litchfield was an actor known for Early Doors (2003), Sunshine (2008) and Grow Your Own (2007).
Darryl Shane Morton is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by former Grange Hill actor Jonathan Dixon, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 18 March 2007.
Melanie Jade 'Mel' Morton is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. The character was portrayed by Emma Edmondson from the character's inception into the episode airing on 18 March 2007 until her departure on 3 October 2008.
Jonathan Dixon, known professionally as Jonny Dixon, is a British television actor, best known for playing playground bully Matthew "Mooey" Humphries in long-running CBBC show Grange Hill.
Vincent Earl is an English singer, comedian and actor most famous for his portrayal of the character Ron Dixon in the soap opera Brookside, a role which he played from 1990 until the show's demise in 2003.
Teresa Bryant is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Karen Henthorn. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 28 March 2007. She made her final appearance on 14 May 2010, when she leaves Weatherfield after a failed relationship with Lloyd Mullaney.
Eddie Windass is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Steve Huison, the character's first appearance on-screen was broadcast on 14 November 2008. On 5 December 2010, it was announced that Eddie was to leave Coronation Street in spring 2011 after being axed by producer Phil Collinson. Huison made his final appearance as Eddie on 25 April 2011. This was Huison's second role in the soap; he previously played criminal Andy Morgan in 2003.
Thomas Sweeney, commonly known as Sinbad, is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Michael Starke. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 18 September 1984. Sinbad was originally only supposed to feature in a couple of episodes but continued to appear on a recurring basis until Stark was promoted to the show's regular cast in 1990.
Beth Sutherland is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Lisa George. She made her first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 5 August 2011.