Coronation Street fans spot soap icon in harrowing horror film as it’s shown for the first time in 28 years
CORONATION Street viewers were left open-mouthed as they spotted a very familiar face in the blockbuster.
The 1984 British apocalyptic war drama television film, which scored 100% on rotten tomatoes, was jointly produced by the BBC, Nine Network and Western-World Television Inc.
The grim drama told the story of a nuclear strike on Britain through the eyes of two families, tracing the events leading up to the war and the decade of devastation that follows.
Young lovers Ruth (Karen Meagher) and Jimmy (Reece Dinsdale) decide to get married after Ruth unexpectedly gets pregnant.
But their quiet lives in Sheffield, England, are threatened when the Soviet Union and United States go to war.
After a nuclear attack destroys a NATO base 20 miles from Sheffield, the town falls into chaos.
Ruth and Jimmy are separated as the fallout spreads.
Ruth must struggle to survive alone in the post-apocalyptic landscape.
Eagle-eyed Threads viewers spotted a Corrie legend in the opening scene.
A young Jane Hazlegrove, who plays Bernie Winter, was seen in a supermarket reading a magazine with headphones.
She wore a red leather jacket and her blonde fringe was swept to the side.
The supermarket worker told her to take her headphones off and not forget house number 24 before she went on her paper round.
Now, 28 years later, Jane has a different look and voice on Coronation Street.
Bernie is the mother of twins Gemma Winter-Brown (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and Paul Foreman (Peter Ash), assistant at Roy’s Rolls and Prima Doner and partner of Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin).
Real-life soap couples
Soaps are renowned for their sweet and scandalous romances – but it's not just in scripted storylines where love is blossoming. A number of our favourite small-screen actors have fallen for co-stars and soapland rivals when the cameras have stopped rolling.
Max Parker and Kris Mochrie
- Despite playing brothers Luke and Lee Posner on Emmerdale, the pair never actually shared any scenes together. But the pair still fell in love after meeting on set. Max and Kris got together in 2020, moving in together later than same year and got engaged in 2022. In a sweet Instagram post, the couple confirmed they’re planning a 2025 wedding.
Beth Cordingly and Ian Kelsey
- Beth, who plays Ruby Fox-Miligan, announced her love for her co-star Ian Kelsey, who played Dean Glover, shortly after she joined Emmerdale at the beginning of 2024. “I am very in love with Ian and very happy. I think it really does work him being an actor too. He has been so fantastic,” she gushed.
Laura Norton and Mark Jordan
- Kerry Wyatt and Daz Eden actors Laura and Mark met on the set of Emmerdale in 2014. The couple, who got engaged in 2018, told Loose Women they spent a long time deciding whether they should “just stay as friends.” Although it seems they were meant to be and the pair now share two children together.
Zoe Henry and Jeff Hordley
- Emmerdale favourites Zoe and Jeff, who play Rhonda Goskirk and Cain Dingle met at drama college in 1994 and have been together ever since. While working together might be too much for some couples, that’s definitely not the case for Zoe and Jeff. Zoe previously told The Sun: “Working on the same show as Jeff also helps because if one of us is having a bad day then the other will completely understand.”
Lesley Dunlop and Chris Chittell
- Lesley and Chris are another Dales romantic success story. Unlike some of the other soap stars, the pair who play Brenda Walker and Eric Pollard, are together on and off screen, officially tying the knot in 2016. They also adore working together, but have clear home-work boundaries. “We make a point of not talking about Emmerdale when we’re at home, though – that would be just too sad, wouldn’t it?” Chris revealed.
Sally Carman and Joe Duttine
- Abi Franklin and Tim Metcalfe actors Sally and Joe got together after meeting on the set of Coronation Street in 2017 and they tied the knot in July 2022. But unlike some of the Emmerdale stars, Sally and Joe prefer that their characters don’t interact much. Sally previously admitted it “would be horrendous” to work on a storyline with Joe because “he’s too funny.”
Anthony Cotton and Peter Eccleston
- Sean Tully may have been unlucky in love on the cobbles, but in real life Antony’s met his Prince Charming. The soap star started dating long-term partner Peter in 2005, after they met when he was working as an assistant props buyer on Corrie.
Jane Danson and Robert Beck
- Corrie favourite Jane Danson tied the knot with soap star Robert Beck in 2005. The actress, who plays Leanne Battersby, shares two children, Harry and Sam, with the former Brookside star. During their marriage, Robert has also done a stint in Weatherfield playing criminal Jimmy Dockerson.
Caroline Harding and Chris Gascoyne
- Chris, who played pub landlord Peter Barlow, married soap star Caroline in 2002. Although she is best known as an Emmerdale star, Caroline did visit her husband at work when she did a two-episode stint as doctor on the Manchester soap in 2020. The couple share a daughter called Belle, plus two children, Pip and Freddie from Caroline’s previous marriage.
Nadine Mulkerrin and Rory Douglas Speed
- Nadine Mulkerrin, and Rory Doulas Speed are known for their Hollyoaks alter egos Cleo McQueen and Joel Dexter. The loved-up pair got engaged on a December 2018 trip to Amsterdam – just over a year after they announced they were dating. They now share two kids, Reggie and Dougie.
Sophie Austin and Shayne Ward
- Former Hollyoaks star Sophie, whose best known for playing villain Lindsay Butterfield, was introduced to singer and ex-Corrie star Shayne through mutual friends. She gave birth to their daughter Willow in December 2016 and they welcomed a son in 2022.
She also recently rekindled a relationship with her son Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) who she gave up for adoption.
Taking to Reddit, one fan wrote: “Guess who I’ve just seen in Threads!” and attached a screenshot of Jane in the supermarket.
However, other fans failed to recognise her as they asked: “Who is that?”
They were then left stunned when they were told and said: “OMG, lol. I can totally see it now.”
Jane’s character Bernie is currently grieving for her son Paul who died of Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
After joining the ITV soap back in 2019, Bernie caused all sorts of trouble, including being sentenced to three months in prison for handling stolen goods.
In real life, Jane is married to fellow actress Isobel Middleton, known for her roles in Emmerdale and Harry Potter.
Despite tying the knot in 2015, the couple prefers to keep their relationship private.
In 2019, Jane opened up about her relationship with Isobel during an appearance on Lorraine.
She shared: “She’s sensational, a really beautiful woman. I am very obsessed.”
Jane humorously suggested that their relationship, which has spanned over 28 years, has endured because they have never shared screen time together.
Despite not having worked together in film, both have had roles in soap operas, with Isobel portraying three different characters in Emmerdale throughout the years.
EastEnders enthusiasts will also recognise her from her role as Sadie Banks on the show, and she lent her voice to several characters in the Harry Potter series.
Jane’s previous roles included London’s Burning, The Bill, Doctors and Holby City.