 |
Christopher Quinten | |
|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Bell 12 July 1957 Middlesbrough, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouses | |
| Partner(s) | Alison Slater Robyn Delabarre (2019–present) |
| Children | 2 |
Christopher Quinten (born Christopher Bell; 12 July 1957) is a British actor, best known for his role as Brian Tilsley on Coronation Street , which he played from 1978 to 1989.
Quinten started his career as a dancer in West End productions, including the Victoria Palace with Cilla Black and Jimmy Tarbuck. [1] He turned to acting and had his first role in the 1978 film International Velvet , starring Tatum O'Neal. This appearance led to small parts in television series including Quatermass and Hazell , and was also noticed by the Coronation Street casting offices, who gave Ivy Tilsley, the oft-seen Baldwin's worker, a son. Quinten was then signed to the programme, for which he worked for over a decade. His pairing with Gail Potter (played by Helen Worth) proved very popular for the serial in the 1980s.
In 1989, Quinten told the casting office that he was going to move to the United States to marry his fiancée, American talk show host Leeza Gibbons. The couple had met in 1988 in New Zealand while appearing on a Telethon and Quinten had been hoping to stay in Coronation Street as a part-time character, but the producers rejected his offer to stay on part-time. [2] At the end of 1988 the decision was made to kill the character off. His final episode was aired on 15 February 1989, when Brian Tilsley was stabbed to death by a gang of teenagers outside a nightclub. Once settled in the United States, Quinten and Gibbons worked together on the film RoboCop 2 (in which he played a reporter), and had one daughter, Lexi Quinten. The couple divorced in 1991. Quinten married Paula Holmes in 1992, but they later separated.
Quinten returned to Britain and appeared on various chat shows. In 1994, he played Mr. Barraclough in an episode of the ITV comedy series Surgical Spirit . [3] In 1998, it was reported that he was now touring the country with a one-man comedy rock act, and was also working as an after-dinner speaker. [4] In 2000, he briefly returned to television acting with a guest role in the BBC soap opera Doctors .
Quinten has had a long career in pantomimes. In 2010 he played Abanazar in the Consett Empire's production of Aladdin, [5] and Ramsbottom in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre in 2011. [6]
He appeared in Peter Kay's "Sit Down for Comic Relief" sketch alongside Rustie Lee & Bob Carolgees. In 2016 it was reported that Quinten now works at Stringfellows erotic nightclub in London. [7] In April 2020, he appeared in an episode of Hollyoaks as Mark Kelly, father of regular character Kyle Kelly, played by Adam Rickitt who previously also played Quinten's onscreen son Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street.
Quinten was married to American talk show host Leeza Gibbons from 1989 to 1991. They had a daughter together in 1989. [8] With partner Alison Slater (ex-Stringfellow's dancer), he has a daughter Sydney (b. 2005). [8] In August 2005, Quinten was accused and charged with rape. [9] Following his trial in June 2006, he was unanimously found not guilty by the jury. [10] On 10 June 2019, Quinten became engaged to his dancer girlfriend, Robyn Delabarre, on her twenty-first birthday. [8] [11]
Coronation Street is a British television soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced street in the fictional town of Weatherfield in Greater Manchester. The location was itself based on Salford, the hometown of the show's first screenwriter and creator.
Peter James Stringfellow was an English businessman who owned several nightclubs.
Peter Dudley was an English character actor best known for his role as Bert Tilsley in the ITV television series Coronation Street; a role he played from 1979 until his death in 1983.
Leeza Kim Gibbons is an American talk show host. She is best known as a correspondent and co-host for Entertainment Tonight (1984–2000) as well as for having her own syndicated daytime talk show, Leeza (1993–2000). In 2013, her book Take 2 became a New York Times bestseller and she won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Host in a Lifestyle or Travel program for the PBS show, My Generation. On February 16, 2015, Gibbons was named the winner of Celebrity Apprentice; while on the show she raised $714,000 for her charity Leeza's Care Connection.
Beverley Jane McEwan is an English actress, known for her role as Liz McDonald in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street and Flo Henshaw in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
Martin Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Sean Wilson. His major storylines were a relationship with Gail Tilsley following the death of her husband Brian and the birth of their child David ; a feud with Gail's former mother-in-law Ivy Tilsley ; the adoption of Brian's children Sarah and Nick ; affairs with Cathy Power and Rebecca Hopkins ; his relationship with 16-year-old Katy Harris ; and his involvement in the rescue of Gail from her killer husband Richard Hillman. He left on 9 November 2005. In January 2018, it was confirmed that he would be returning for a short period. He returned on 22 March 2018 and left on 26 March 2018 to go to New Zealand with Robyn and Charlotte. In 2024 Wilson filmed scenes as part of Gail's exit storyline, which were scrapped after he left the role prematurely.
Alan Bradley is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Mark Eden. He first appeared on 15 January 1986 and became the show's main antagonist until the character was killed off on 8 December 1989.
Nick Tilsley is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. He was born off screen during an episode broadcast on 31 December 1980, but made his first appearance on 5 January 1981. He was played by Warren Jackson from 1981 until 6 September 1996. Adam Rickitt took over the role on 15 October 1997 until 21 April 1999 but returned for three separate stints between 2002 and 2004 and made his final appearance as Nick on 11 July 2004. Ben Price took over the role on 21 December 2009. Price announced his intentions to leave the serial on 26 January 2017, before making his on-screen departure on 2 June 2017. However, on 23 April 2018, it was announced that Price would reprise his role as Nick, and he returned on 12 October 2018.
Lynne Perrie was an English actress, singer and television personality, best known as Mrs Casper in Ken Loach's 1969 film Kes, Mrs Petty in the television series Queenie's Castle, and as Ivy Tilsley in Coronation Street.
Percy Sugden is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Bill Waddington. He appeared between 1983 and 1997.
Bill Webster is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Peter Armitage. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 February 1984 and remained in the show until 1985 when Armitage decided to leave. The character was reintroduced in 1995 but he was again written out two years later. Armitage returned once again in 2006 and appeared frequently until late-April 2010 when the character suddenly appeared only a recurring basis. It was reported in 2011 that Bill was going to be axed completely, however, he continued to make appearances on a recurring basis. His last appearance was broadcast on 29 December 2011, where Bill was in attendance at youngest granddaughter Sophie's wedding to her fiancée Sian Powers. Armitage died on 30 November 2018, therefore ruling out a future return for the character. The character was killed off-screen in April 2023.
Ivy Joan Tilsley is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street. Played by Lynne Perrie, Ivy first appeared on-screen on 14 June 1971, initially on a recurring basis, before becoming a regular in 1979. As the character continued development, Ivy's stringent religious beliefs would become a synonymous part of her storylines on the show.