‘Coronation Street’ teen Amy Barlow to embark on shock new relationship

Coronation Street - Steve and Amy.
Amy is set to clash with her parents when she embarks on a new romance. (Image credit: ITV)

Coronation Street schoolgirl Amy Barlow is to get a new boyfriend in the coming weeks and let’s just say that her parents Steve (Simon Gregson) and Tracy (Kate Ford) will be in no hurry to invite him around for tea.

That’s because the lad in question is Jacob Hay, the wayward teen who memorably groomed Simon Barlow - Amy’s cousin -  into dealing drugs, which had horrific consequences for Si, Leanne, Nick, and, of course, little Sam.

Coronation Street Jacob

Tough love: Amy sees a new side to Jacob (Jack James Ryan), but will her parents see it, too? (Image credit: ITV)

Corrie boss Iain MacLeod spoke about the upcoming storyline at a recent press event and revealed that with Amy currently studying for her ‘A’ Levels, Steve and Tracy will worry that Jacob is going to lead her astray, and will resort to desperate lengths to try and nip the blossoming romance in the bud.

No doubt they will also be reminded of how Amy’s last relationship turned out - back in 2018, their daughter, who was then just 14, got pregnant after a fling with bad boy Tyler Jefferies.

Says Iain, “We thought ‘How would Tracy and Steve react to Amy suddenly ending up in a romantic relationship with possibly the most unsuitable boyfriend they've ever heard of?’ 

"Most parents with teenage children will completely relate to this, and it's very funny. 

“Steve and Tracy try with increasing vigour to strategise this and go, ‘Okay, what are we going to do?’ 

“They’re like ‘We'll try reverse psychology. We'll try freezing him out. We'll try cutting Amy off, financially.’

“But they just make things worse and worse, to much comic effect, so in the end, they kind of have to bite the bullet and try and get along with this lad.”

Coronation Street Tracy

Disapproving: Tracy (Kate Ford) and Steve (Simon Gregson) will attempt to get Jacob out of Amy's life. (Image credit: ITV)

Fortunately, it seems Jacob may not be such a wrong ‘un, afterall. In the best tradition of Coronation Street, he sets about trying to turn his life around, and viewers will see that he is less villain, more victim. Let’s not forget, he was groomed, himself, by gangster Harvey Gaskell.

Adds Iain, “The story we're telling from Jacob’s point of view is about redemption. We discover things about how he arrived into the drug gang we first encountered him in that will, I think, reframe people's view of him, and make you see him in a slightly different light. 

“It's about him trying to put the past behind him and rehabilitate himself and make amends, where necessary, to people like Leanne and Simon.

“It's a nice story about redemption that's got a nice rom-com feel at the start of it. 

“It's kind of ‘Meet the Parents,’ Coronation Street Style.”

Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITV Hub now.

Alison Slade
Soaps Editor
Alison Slade has over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist and has spent the vast majority of that time as Soap Editor of TV Times magazine.  She is passionate about the ability of soaps to change the world by presenting important, issue-based stories about real people in a relatable way. There are few soap actors that she hasn’t interviewed over the years, and her expertise in the genre means she has been called upon as a judge numerous times for The British Soap Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

When she is not writing about soaps, watching soaps, or interviewing people who are in soaps, she loves going to the theatre, taking a long walk or pottering about at home, obsessing over Farrow and Ball paint.