Tracy Barlow is arguable one of Coronation Street’s most iconic characters and Kate Ford has played the role for more than two decades

Coronation Street is set for a shock return as Tracy Barlow arrives back on the cobbles amid a new storyline involving her dad, Ken Barlow.

Tracy, played by Kate Ford, seemed to have left Weatherfield for good when she fled to sunnier parts with her lover Tommy Orpington, leaving ex Steve McDonald and her family behind. Actress Kate admitted she found her passionate affair tricky at first. She said: “I haven’t had a storyline as meaty as this for quite a long time. Me and Simon haven’t done any kissing scenes for about 10 years, so I was a bit nervous. There’s that initial thing of ‘oh, gosh, I’ve only known this person for five days, this is quite strange.’ Once you’ve done it then you feel OK but I’ve had to come out of my comfort zone a little.”

She explained to The Mirror: “It’s not easy turning on Tracy’s sexy side. I think that’s a lot less challenging to play in your 30s… I’m trying not to be too vampy with it because that would be a bit too much.” Now Tracy is back she’s been left shocked that Ken has employed Cassie to be his carer. Cassie takes offence with Tracy’s comments and Ken is curious why she is back. She says she’s just there to be with Amy, but Ken senses there might be something else she is hiding – but what is it?

Despite drama seeming to follow Tracy around, it could not be more different for Kate. The star has been open in the past about her devastating health condition and her famous ex. Kate has told her fans about how she suffers from endometriosis. Endometriosis is a long-term condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Symptoms of endometriosis include pain in your lower tummy or back (pelvic pain), severe period pain and pain during or after sex.

She spoke to her Instagram followers last year, sharing a selfie in her ITV filming jacket. Writing to her thousands of followers, Kate said: “Filming #itvcorrie this was a few weeks ago at a time that I was struggling with my #endrometriosis. Luckily got lots of support x just sending a hug out to all those struggling with similar.

Kate previously mentioned her endometriosis diagnoses during the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020. She tweeted: “As someone with grade four endometriosis, I realise how much I rely on my massage therapy to help with this. Due to COVID I’ve not been able to visit my therapist for three months. My body is sore, I’ll never take this therapy for granted again xx.”

Kate’s marriage to TV producer Jon Connerty came to an end in 2015. The former couple, who share one son together, Otis, married in 2007 before divorcing eight years later. In an interview with The Sun she said that the separation was “incredibly painful”, but acting helped her to move on. Kate said: “When Jon and I first parted it was quite hard to put my personal life aside. We really tried hard to make it work. But it came to the point when we knew we had to get a divorce.

“Things had changed and it wasn’t what it was. But it was incredibly painful. For a while after we split, I found it hard to get out of bed. I wasn’t at work at the time, and I’d drop Otis off at school and go back to bed until I picked him up. But then it became therapeutic to concentrate on my job. People call it ‘Doctor Theatre’ – when you’re acting, you can’t worry about things.”

Kate was previously in a brief relationship with BAFTA-nominated actor Bart Ruspoli, who had a brief stint on EastEnders. Kate wasn’t the first person to play Tracy Barlow in Coronation Street. The controversial character was first portrayed as a baby and toddler by Christabel Finch until late 1983 before Holly Chamarette took on the character from mid-1985 to 1988, with Dawn Acton following in the 90s. Kate then took on the role.