Coronation Street star's sister lands role in Doctors

Former Coronation Street actress is heading to Doctors

Coronation Street connections: Emily Aston is heading to Doctors. (Image credit: BBC)

The sister of Coronation Street star Sam Aston, who plays Chesney Brown, has landed a guest role in Doctors.

Emily Aston will pitch up in Letherbridge later this month as Vikki Baxter, the mother of a sickly schoolboy, Killian, who Daniel deduces is either undernourished or suffering from a food intolerance.

Doctors Emily Aston Vikki Baxter — Struggling mum: Vikki Baxter (Emily Aston) takes her poorly son Killian to see Daniel (Matthew Chambers) (Image credit: BBC)

As Vikki retorts that her son is always well fed - even if she goes hungry as a result - it emerges that she is strapped for cash and having to rely on food parcels from the local council.

Daniel is horrified as Vikki and Killian then reveal the measly contents of the packages, which clearly aren’t providing them with adequate nutrition. And, he gives Vikki a referral to a food bank.

39 year old Emily, who is one of nine Aston children, is no stranger to acting. She made her TV debut at the tender age of seven when she was cast as young Jess in BBC2’s adaptation of Jeanette Winterson’s best-selling novel Oranges are Not The Only Fruit.

Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit Emily Aston Young Jess — Young star: A seven year old Emily Aston as young Jess in Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, pictured with co-star Geraldine McEwan, who played Mother. (Image credit: Alamy)

Her performance earned her a nomination in the ‘Best Actress’ category at the 1991 BAFTA TV awards, and she remains the youngest person ever to be nominated for a BAFTA.

She went on to star in Coronation Street from 1996 to 1997 as Becky Palmer, the daughter of Des Barnes’ girlfriend, Claire Palmer. She has also appeared in shows including Heartbeat, Holby City and The Bill, and has previously played three other guest characters in Doctors - in 2018, 2013, and 2008.

Coronation Street Emily Aston Becky Palmer — Street life: Emily Aston as Coronation Street teen Becky Palmer. (Image credit: ITV)

She and brother Sam aren’t the only Aston siblings to have appeared on the small screen. Brother Joseph starred as Coronation Street’s Tommy Duckworth, grandson of Jack and Vera Duckworth, in 2000, although has since quit acting.

In an interview with TVTimes magazine back in 2013, to mark his decade on Coronation Street, Sam Aston revealed that Emily - the middle child in the Aston line up - was the first in the family to do any performing.

“She did ‘Oranges’ when she was seven; that’s where it all kicked off,’ said Sam.

“None of us had ever done acting before that.

“It was such a big bang because a big director came into her school and said she was looking for people in the local area.

“Emily ended up getting the part, and got nominated for a BAFTA.”

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is still hailed as a powerful coming of age drama.

In 2010, the Guardian newspaper ranked it the eighth best television drama series of all time, with The Sopranos claiming the top spot.

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.