Mel Morton | |||||||||||||||||
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Coronation Street character | |||||||||||||||||
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Portrayed by | Emma Edmondson | ||||||||||||||||
Duration | 2007–2008 | ||||||||||||||||
First appearance | 18 March 2007 | ||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | 3 October 2008 | ||||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
Created by | Jonathan Harvey | ||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Steve Frost | ||||||||||||||||
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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. [1]
During the casting for the character of Mel Morton different actresses were called in for auditions for the role. Actress Emma Edmondson revealed in an interview with Digital Spy that she kept being called back into each stage of auditioning where hopefuls had to audition as sets of twins. Emma constantly met fellow actor Jonathan Dixon who plays her onscreen brother Darryl Morton. In the final audition, the two were paired up and went on to be cast as twins Mel and Darryl. [2]
Mel was the more responsible member of her roguish family, and ITV described her as 'gobby, serious-minded but sensible.' During Emma Edmondson's interview with the media website Digital Spy she said the same of her character's personality:
Mel is definitely a Morton in that she's brash and gobby, but out of the whole clan she's the most sensible. Definitely more sensible than Darryl. They're very close, but very different, I think Darryl brings out a bad side of Mel [2]
On 26 April 2008 it was announced that the character of Mel, along with most of the Morton family, was axed by new producer Kim Crowther, but the character would play some dramatic plots to fill the storyline arc before leaving. [3]
Some of the character's earlier minor storylines involved David Platt developing a crush on Mel, but she stood him up. To get his revenge, he spread gossip that he had slept with Mel, but was forced to apologise by his mother.
In February 2008, Mel became WPC Morton, joining her friend Abi Sharpe in the police force where she began training to become a full-time Police Constable. At the time, the storyline also saw her onscreen grandfather put his obituary into the local paper, thinking that Mel's chances of joining the police force would be improved if the local police thought he was no longer alive to get involved in dodgy dealings.
Mel later argued with her mother Teresa Bryant upon her return in May 2008, portraying the rocky relationship between mother and daughter. After Mel returned from holiday in August 2008, she discovered that Teresa had been lying in a deliberate attempt to lengthen her stay in the house. This prompted Mel to make her father choose between herself and her mother. When Jerry chose her mother, she went to stay at Abi's.
It was later announced that the character of Mel would be involved in a controversial storyline that would depict the violence that is currently on the streets of Britain. More so, that the storyline reflected an attack that happened in Rochdale when thugs booted an unconscious man in the head. In the soap opera, the latter was depicted happening to fellow character Abi Sharpe, who came to Mel's assistance during the fight.
The episode was screened on 3 September 2008. Mel and Abi went out on the town to celebrate the end of their police training. Outside the bar, they witnessed a gang of girls fighting on the street. Abi called the police and told Mel to stay out of it as they were both off duty but she intervened. Upon seeing her friend being punched and kicked by the girls, Abi attempted to break up the fight but sustained a blow to the head from a glass bottle and received blows to the head after being stamped on. The attackers could not be charged due to lack of evidence, seeing Mel trying to take the law into her own hands. [4]
Later in the week, Mel tried to seek revenge on the girls but instead she was confronted by Teresa and they reconciled. Later, she got the revenge she needed as Teresa went behind her back and followed one of the girls into the ladies toilets in the bar where the attack happened. Teresa gave her a blow to the head with a heel of her shoe. Teresa and Mel later fell out yet again after Mel discovered Teresa's scheme and arrested Teresa for attempted murder. Mel was furious when Jerry refused to back up her story, which not only freed Teresa, but damaged Mel's reputation on the force.
Jerry, Kayleigh and Finlay left the street on 29 September for Spain; however, Mel didn't want to go as she had only just qualified in police force. She departed on 3 October when she saw Darryl bringing a drunken Teresa back to the house. Unable to cope with the situation, she left to stay with Abi.
Ian Wylie of Manchester Evening News said upon the axing of the Morton clan he had become to like the character, even though she and her onscreen family 'failed to fit the Weatherfield jigsaw'. [5] Various blog sites ran polls to get the public's opinion over who was the best character in the Morton clan, Corrie Blog writer stated that Mel was the character with most potential comparing her to former teenage characters Katy Harris, Lucille Hewitt and Jenny Bradley. [6] The review centre said that Mel and her family were full of wooden actors. [7]
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Bethany Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was born on-screen during the episode broadcast on 4 June 2000. She was played by Mia Cookson in 2000 and by twins Amy and Emily Walton from 2000 until 30 December 2007, when the character departed. The character was reintroduced with Lucy Fallon taking over the role, and Bethany made her return on 20 March 2015. On 2 May 2019, Fallon announced that she had quit the show. She filmed her last scene on 16 January 2020 and Bethany departed on 4 March 2020. In August 2023, it was announced that Fallon would be reprising the role after three years away. Bethany returned on 31 December 2023.
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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.
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.
Jonathan Dixon, known professionally as Jonny Dixon, is a British television actor, best known for role as Darryl Morton in Coronation Street Andy in Not Going Out and playground bully Matthew "Mooey" Humphries in long-running CBBC show Grange Hill.
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.
Emma Edmondson is a British television actress, best known for playing Mel Morton in Coronation Street. She joined the soap in March 2007. Prior to this she had a small role in the first series of BBC drama The Street. In 2008, it was announced that the Morton family had been axed from Coronation Street as part of a revamp by the new producer and they would no longer feature as of August.
Tara Mandal is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Ayesha Dharker.
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