WE take a look at the most recast characters in soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale.
Soap characters are often recast, with EastEnders‘ Ben Mitchell and Coronation Street’s Peter Barlow being prime examples.
Ben has had over six actors portraying him since his debut, each bringing a new dynamic to the character’s evolution.
Similarly, Peter Barlow has been played by multiple actors over decades, shaping his storyline through various interpretations.
But which characters have had the most amount of recasts in soapland?
Currently played by actor Chris Gascoyne, the character was born on screen in 1965 and has been recast six times.
John Heannau played baby Peter until he was 5, with little Chris Dormer briefly taking over in 1970 for a year.
After Peter’s mother Valerie passed away in a tragic accident involving a hairdryer in 1971, Ken struggled as a single father.
He sent Peter and his twin sister Susan to live with their grandparents in Scotland.
During Peter’s sporadic appearances as a child on Coronation Street, he was portrayed by various actors, including Mark Duncan (1971), Linus Roache (Ken Barlow’s real-life son, 1975), and Joseph McKenner (1977).
Off-screen, Peter joined the navy and didn’t appear as an adult until 1986 (played by David Lonsdale) when he popped back for Susan’s wedding to Mike Baldwin.
Chris Gascoyne joined the ITV soap for its 40th-anniversary live episode in December 2000.
Since then, he has portrayed Peter Barlow as the definitive version of the character, captivating audiences on and off for nearly two decades with his nuanced performances.
Currently played by Thomas Law, the character was born in 1993 and has been recast six times.
The baby version of Peter was played by Francis Brittin-Snell between 1993 and 1996. Then EastEnders viewers were introduced to Alex Stevens (1997-1998), Joseph Shade (1998-2004) and James Martin (2004-2006).
Soap operas are staple viewing for many people, but even some of the most famous characters have been played by different actors. Here are some examples from over the years.
Thomas Law played Peter from 2006 until 2010, until the character was written out.
Ben Hardy took over from 2013, playing the character through the memorable ‘Who Killed Lucy?’ storyline.
But he left in 2015 to break into Hollywood, since then he has starred in X-Men: Apocalypse. and the Queen documentary film Boeheim Rhapsody as drummer Roger Taylor.
Following a five-year break, the BBC soap brought back Peter again this year, casting Dayle Hudson in the part.
Thomas Law was the brought back in June 2023 reprising his role, and being at the center of some major storylines involving the Beales and reuniting with girlfriend Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).
Jamie appeared in Emmerdale as a young child in the ’90s and has been recast five times.
Between 1996 and 1999, he was portrayed by a number of different young actors which included Jake Meays, Elliott Suckley, Sam Silson, Oliver Carroll and Bradley White.
Jamie left the ITV soap with his mother Kim Tate in 1999 as a toddler.
Two decades later, in 2019, he returned to the village as an adult, taking a job at the local vet’s surgery and stepping into new storylines that reconnected him with his family’s dramatic legacy.
Jamie left the show in 2021, faking his death in a car accident. Weeks later he returned to screens before being AWOL ever since.
Kim was devastated that her son wanted nothing to do with her, despising her.
Has the hatred of his mother left him seeking revenge and a return to the Dales?
Soap fans have pointed out how the character has had many faces over the years, but has only been recast five times.
Ben was born on-screen in 1996 and was played by Matthew Silver, until Morgan Whittle took over from 1999 to 2001.
Ben returned in 2006 to Walford from South Africa following the apparent death of his mum Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth).
Charlie Jones played him until 2010, and then Joshua Pascoe took over as the storylines took a darker direction, such as the accidental murder of Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison).
After serving time behind bars, he was released from prison in 2014 and was played by Harry Reid, until he was written out in 2018.
The most recent Ben actor Max Bowden took over from 2019 and was praised for his harrowing storylines, such as his rape and Lola Pearce’s (Danielle Harold) cancer.
However, the actor was axed and the character is now serving time in an American prison for fraud.
Steve McDonald and Tracy Barlow’s daughter, Amy Barlow, has been recast five times, with Holly Bowyer and Rebecca Pike initially sharing the role when she was born in 2004.
The first recast came in July 2005 with Louisa Morris, with twins Rachel and Sarah Corker taking over for a couple of episodes.
Madison Hampson the stepped in from 2005 to 2006, and then Amber Chadwick until 2010.
Corrie bosses then recast Amy again, after the death of her great-grandmother Blanche and Tracy’s return from prison.
Elle Mulvaney has portrayed Amy for over a decade where viewers have seen her mature into a young adult and tackle harrowing storylines from rape to Rowan’s (Emrhys Cooper) cult story.
Son of Ian and Laura Beale, Bobby Beale was born in 2003 and has been recast five times.
He was originally played by Kevin Curran, until Alex Francis took over from 2007 to 2012.
In 2013, Rory Stroud stepped in, but only stayed for a year.
In 2014, Eliot Carrington became Bobby for the ‘Who Killed Lucy?’ storyline, and shocked viewers when he was revealed as her killer.
Bobby was written out in 2016, when his character was locked away for murdering his sister.
He was released in 2019 and returned to Walford with actor Clay Milner Russell taking over the role.
His storylines included the character’s desire for redemption after his crime and his relationship with newcomer Anna Knight (Molly Rainford).
Bobby left in September this year to move to the Cotswolds with his step mum Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), after discovering his girlfriend affair with his best friend Bobby (Freddie Brazier).
Born to Deirdre and Ray Langton, Tracy Lynette Barlow was born in 1977 and has been recast three times, initially played by Christabel Finch when she was only 15 days old, and for the next six years.
The character’s early absence on Coronation Street was humorously explained by her parents as her being upstairs “playing tapes.”
After two years, she reappeared in 1985, portrayed by Holly Chamarette as a sweet, pigtail-wearing child.
Dawn Acton took over in 1988, shaping the mildly rebellious character until 1999.
Kate Ford inherited the role in 2002, evolving Tracy into the iconic, scheming villain fans recognise today.
Daughter of Andy Sugden and Debbie Dingle, Sarah was born in 2005 and has been recast three times.
As a baby, she was played by Lily-May Bartley and Lucy Warren, until Lucy went on to portray the role solely.
Emmerdale recast Sarah in 2006 when Amber Child-Cavill took over the part, and a second recast came the following year when Sophia Amber Moore stepped in.
In 2017, Katie Hill stepped into the role, taking the character into more mature storylines.
Since then, she has become a staple on the show, with Sarah continuing to stir drama, particularly among the Dingles.
Her portrayal suggests that Sarah’s knack for causing trouble is far from over.
