Coronation Street Tracy Barlow star Kate Ford's life off screen including famous ex

ok.co.uk:

Kate Ford’s Coronation Street character has a very different life to her own.Tracy Barlow, who Kate plays, has been embroiled in a huge amount of scandal, drama and criminal activity during her decades on the cobbles.The character was first introduced back in 1977 and Kate took on the role for the first time back in 2002.Tracy has blackmailed longtime resident Roy Cropper, been convicted of murderer (and murdered several people, including her then boyfriend Charlie Stubbs) and been caught stealing other residents’ credit cards in order to scam them.The resident villain has certainly made a name for herself, but what about the actress who plays her?

Here’s what you should know. Kate, 46, originally hails from Salford in Greater Manchester and first had a taste of the spotlight at the age of 19 when she starred in the music video for The Beatles song Free as a Bird.

She then picked up small parts in show including a one episode stint on EastEnders and Doctors, before becoming the fourth actress to play Tracy Barlow in 2002.

She left the soap for a while when her character went to prison in 2007 and, before making a dramatic return in 2010, appeared in one episode of Blue Murder and had another small part in series Missing.