Coronation Street’s Sam Aston isn’t the only soap star in ‘big family’ of nine siblings
For Sam Aston, Coronation Street is literally a family affair. Not only has he been a fixture on the ITV soap for 22 years, but he also happens to be one of nine siblings in his family, some of whom are also soap stars.
Over the years, viewers have witnessed his character Chesney Brown involved in numerous storylines, from hostage situations to becoming a father of quadruplets. But despite making his Weatherfield debut in 2003, this wasn’t Sam’s first rodeo.
Now aged 31, the new Dancing On Ice champion made his TV debut at aged five in the TV show Eddie Mountain. He also had roles in Where the Heart Is and The Bill before landing his role on Coronation Street when he was 10.
Just a year into his time on the cobbles, Sam won Best Newcomer at the National Television Awards. His sister Emily also had a stint on Corrie as Becky Palmer from 1996 to 1997, while his brother Joseph played Tommy Duckworth in 2000.
Sam joined Coronation Street in 2003 aged 10 (
ITV)
Another brother, Thomas, has appeared in episodes of Casualty and The Bill.
Sam has previously spoken about his experience of growing up in a large family, revealing to the same publication: “Because I grew up in a big family, I’ve always been used to the chaos. I’ve got five sisters and three brothers so I’m used to a lot of people being around in the house, children and all sorts…”
Sam is married to Briony, a yoga teacher and birth doula. The couple exchanged vows in a beautiful Cheshire ceremony in May 2019 at Stock Farm near Tatton Park, with Sam expressing his gratitude at being “the luckiest man alive”. Sam proposed to Briony in 2017 at a charity golf dinner at the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel in Salford.
The couple first met as teenagers, initially connecting on MSN Messenger. Sam shared with the Mirror in 2019: “Briony and I met when I was about 15 or 16. We got together, but we were very young.”
His sister Emily played Becky Palmer in the mid-1990s (
ITV)
Although Sam ended the relationship, they reconnected years later at a drama workshop. He recalled: “Three or four years later we were both helping out at the same drama workshop. Carol Godby’s acting school, which is where I started as a youngster.
“I was teaching and Briony was in the room next door. I think she might have given me a funny look when I first walked in, but we soon got past that and straight away we got talking. We went for a meal that night at a country pub and that was it. We’ve been together ever since.”
After tying the knot, they were blessed with three children. Their son Sam’s Sonny James made an early entrance into the world on August 11, 2020, while their daughter Daisy Josephine followed in May 2022.
The couple also experienced immense heartache, suffering two miscarriages within just a four-month period.
His brother Joseph played Tommy Duckworth in 2000 (
ITV)
Briony previously opened up about one particularly painful loss caused by “Vanishing Twin Syndrome”, a condition where one twin stops developing and is absorbed by the mother’s body.
A midwife uncovered the presence of non-identical twins, each in separate amniotic sacs, after finding the leftover amniotic sac during a scan.
Briony remarked on the discovery: “If we hadn’t had the early scan, I wouldn’t even have known. But it does explain why I was so sick and tired this time around compared to my other pregnancies.”
In 2024, Sam and Briony shared the joyous news that they had welcomed another baby girl to their family. “Welcome to the world… Hazel Marie Aston. 07.05.24 8lbs 15oz,” they announced on Instagram, alongside touching photos from Hazel’s birth, including Briony’s water birth in a birthing pool.
One heartwarming picture showed big siblings Sonny and Daisy participating in a special ceremony, holding a candle near the umbilical cord and placenta, as they greeted their new little sister.
