Coronation Street in numbers after 60 years of the world's oldest soap opera

07122020 - Coronation Street 60th - Granada
Coronation Street's 60th Anniversary Credit: Granada

A lot can happen to a community in 60 years and Coronation Street has probably covered it all.

Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, world records and one tram crash have all happened in the soap opera.

Let's take a look at just how many.

Since 1960, there have been at 131 weddings - and dozens that have failed.


Gail Platt actor Helen Worth discusses 60 years of the show

The first was in 1961 and the last was in Tim and Sally Metcalfe's in October. Gail Platt has been married to five men. She married Brian Tilsley twice.

Some 48 babies have been born including David and Sarah Platt who have appeared in the show since their birth.

Many tears have been shed over the 196 deaths, although some will be missed more than others.


Coronation Street in numbers

  • Years on television: 60

  • Number of episodes (as of Wednesday morning): 10,101

  • Weddings: 131

  • Births: 48

  • Deaths: 196

  • Cars in the canal: 3

  • Tram crashes: 1

  • Guinness World Records: 3


Many will have mourned the death of Hayley Cropper in 2014 after she took her own life to avoid the pain of terminal pancreatic cancer and died in her husband', Roy's, arms.

Fewer people will have missed Richard Hillman, the businessman turned serial killer who did everything he could to protect his new life, only for his wife Gail to find out.

After all was revealed, he attempted to kill her and her children by driving them all into the canal, but he was the only one to die.

There has only been one tram crash, but it is one the whole nation remembers.

During the first live episode to celebrate the 50th anniversary an explosion at The Joinery Bar caused the viaduct above to collapse, leading to a tram to derail and crash into several buildings.

The explosion and subsequent crash killed two characters and led to turmoil and hardship for many others.

The dramatic events was watched by almost 15 million people, the highest audience numbers in seven years at the time.

It's not all doom and gloom, there have been 131 weddings during Coronation Street's 60 year history.

Gail Rodwell and Steve McDonald are the most-married characters, each having walked down the aisle six times.

Six couples have married each other twice: Brian and Gail Tilsley (left), Jim and Liz McDonald, Kevin and Sally Webster, Steve and Karen McDonald, Ken and Deirdre Barlow, and Nick and Leanne Tilsley.

The most enduring marriage on the Street was that of Jack and Vera Duckworth, who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary weeks before Vera’s death in January 2008.



The show has also holds three Guinness world records, one for becoming the longest-running soap opera in the world in 2010.

The second is for the longest-running serving cast member for William Roache, who has been on the show since its debut in 1960.

The final one is the the longest gap between TV appearances. Philip Lowrie who played Dennis Tanner returned to the show after a 43-year absence in 2011.