Simon Gregson has played Steve McDonald in Coronation Street since he was just 15 years old, going from the twin teenage son of Liz and Jim to a serial womaniser

Coronation Street’s Steve McDonald has been through a lot since he arrived on the ITV cobbles aged just 15 – and fans won’t recognise him.

Simon Gregson has played Steve since he was just a teen himself, selected to play one of two twin sons of Liz and Jim McDonald. Steve originally grew up in army lodgings before relocating to Weatherfield in 1989, alongside his brother Andy.

Things quickly spiralled out of control for Steve when he was sent to prison for handling stolen goods; he messed up his first marriage to rich wife Vicky when he tried to blame her for the crime. Steve of course went on to marry Karen Phillips, Becky Granger, Tracy Barlow and finally Michelle Connor – before getting back with Tracy and breaking up with her again.

He’s also faced plenty of tragedy, losing his son Oliver when he was just three years old, and welcoming stillborn son Ruairi with Michelle – getting Leanne Battersby pregnant shortly after.

From discovering he had a secret daughter in Emma Brooker to buying the Rovers Return and establishing Street Cars, Steve has been a staple of street life since he was 15 years old. But fans won’t even recognise him in his first ever soap appearance.

In his first year of work, Simon was credited under his real name – which isn’t actually Gregson. He was born Simon Alan Gregory, but later switched to Gregson as a stage name. He adopted the name when he was old enough to join the actors’ union Equity, as there already existed a member under the name Simon Gregory.

Simon landed his Corrie role while still studying at The Kingsway School in Stockport, along with his fellow pupil Nicholas Cochrane, who played his twin brother.

In his early years on the soap, his character Steve rocked a full head of curls – and could be mistaken as a lost member of boyband Take That. Rocking oversized shirts in true nineties style, his youthful appearance was complemented by leather jackets and his cheeky blue eyes.

But in real life, Simon struggled to cope with his newfound fame, admitting of his first experience with the spotlight: “It was really negative – getting beaten up, spat at. It was shocking.”

He told The Mirror back in 2014: “Me and my mates would get dangerously drunk. We were really stupid. I went completely wild. I’d pay for everyone to stay in hotel suites. I’d go through a bottle of Scotch at 4 or 5am after the pub. I was spending all my salary going out or on cars.

“Sometimes I’d be two hours late for work. Other times I’d not be there at all. I didn’t take it seriously and I didn’t want to be there. I hated being famous. I’m not proud of my behaviour, but getting wasted was a way of forgetting.”