Chesney Brown

Storylines

Chesney arrived in 2003 as the brother of Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) and son of Cilla Battersby-Brown (Wendi Peters). Cilla's boyfriend Les Battersby (Bruce Jones) takes them in and Chesney soon bonds with Les and sees him as the father figure he never had. Chesney also gets on well with Fiz's then boyfriend Kirk (Andrew Whyment) who is also a lodger at the house. In 2004, Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) once clips Chesney around the ear for repeatedly stealing sweets from her shop. However, Chesney falls against some shelving and hurts his head. He isn't hurt badly but when Cilla learns of the incident she spots an opportunity for compensation. She happily makes the most out of her son's injuries. The Battersby-Browns have Chesney checked up at the hospital, with Cilla prompting her son to complain of fake symptoms so that he would be certified with extreme concussion as a result of Rita's 'abuse'. Rita is arrested and charged with assaulting a minor and Cilla sets about trying to ruin Rita's reputation. Cilla coaches Chesney into saying the 'right' answers and Rita is ordered to pay £500 in damages to the family and £500 in court fees. Disappointed with the court payment, Cilla threatens Rita with civil court action if she does not pay a £3,000 out of court settlement. Rita puts the Kabin on the market and prepares to leave the area, but Les talks Cilla out of the compensation action and Rita stays in her rightful place. Rita continues to hate Cilla, but bears no ill will against Chesney, even taking him in one night when he has nowhere else to go and later employing him to do the paper round. Chesney attempts to run away after his mum leaves without him but Les takes him back in. He is given a pure breed Great Dane dog, Schmeichel, named after Danish footballer Peter Schmeichel, by the Duckworths. He also makes friends with Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent). Later that year, Cilla starts to abuse Chesney, such as threatening to hit him if he tells Les about her affairs and also running away with him as she taunts him that no-one loves him. Eventually, Cilla is good to Chesney.

In 2005, he cons several residents at Easter into giving him chocolate eggs. That August, Schmeichel is run over by a bus driven by Claire Peacock (Julia Haworth), leaving Chesney devastated, but his companion pulls through. Chesney accidentally walks in on Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) when she is in the shower. Chesney sought revenge on Les, after Les tells everyone about him seeing Sally, which threatens his friendship with Sophie. Nevertheless, Chesney and Sophie have remained close friends. In 2006, Chesney is saddened at the news that Cilla has cancer. He is disgusted at Cilla's exaggeration of her cancer and refuses a holiday with her. In the meantime he stayed with Fiz and Kirk. The next two years are hard for Chesney. In January 2007, Cilla returns and her and Les fail to make Chesney feel at home. In May, Les leaves Weatherfield to work as a roadie. Aside from the occasional phone call, he has no contact with Chesney. Chesney had often been closer to Les than anyone, and has a hard time adjusting to Les' absence. By October 2007, Cilla also chooses to leave Weatherfield for Las Vegas because she got forty-five grand from a necklace. Chesney was meant to leave with her but Cilla said he should join her at a later date. Chesney got £1,000, but was upset, but has become used to his mother always putting herself first. He spends a third of his money on an Xbox, angering Fiz as she wants some money because Cilla left her with nothing. In March 2008, Chesney is saddened that Les isn't returning at all. Later, Chesney is taken to a foster home as Kirk cannot take care of him properly. Claire later reveals that she reported them to the Social Services, in Chesney's best interests. Chesney is later enabled to return home after Fiz agrees to move into Number 5, though with much reluctance, as Kirk, who is her ex-boyfriend, is living there. Chesney later began to sense Les not coming home again, making him angry. Later, Chesney is dismayed to see the return of Fiz's ex John Stape (Graeme Hawley) who cheated on her with Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan). John buys Chesney a bike for his birthday which he rejects when he finds out who it has come from. In a fit of rage Chesney also breaks the wing mirror on John's taxi.

On Chesney's 14th birthday, he had picked up a post card from Cilla and 'Les Battersby' via post. Les had reverted to just Battersby and dropped the Brown at this point. They sent Chesney and Kirk invitations to join them in Sun City, North West. Kirk and Chesney agreed to go, however Fiz was dismayed at the decision. When they arrived at the airport, they found out that 'Les' was not their Les, but a South African fraudster. Cilla revealed that she had placed their names in a competition to win the "South African sunshine family" award and had got to the final, with a chance to win half a million South African dollars, angering Chesney as this was another scam. After Chesney announced that he was having a terrible time in South Africa, Cilla made a personal plea to her daughter to join them in South Africa. Fiz arrived and confronted Cilla about her scheme, but Chesney reveals that Cilla will 'return' to Weatherfield if they win, so Fiz agrees to help by dressing up as a nun. Later, his family got stuck in a bush surrounded by lions but were saved by Kirk. At the awards ceremony, Chesney announced that he was not really disabled after realising that Cilla had no intention of returning to Weatherfield after all and the Battersbys were disqualified. In 2009, Chesney notices one of Les' old Status Quo buttons. Chesney gives it away, finally accepting that Les is no longer part of his life. Later, Chesney is horrified to find out that Fiz has been consulting John Stape about his education, and regularly visiting him in prison. This leads to a falling out between the pair, as Chesney is angry that his sister cares more about a "psycho" than she does him. Chesney later finds out that Fiz and John are engaged and, in a fit of rage, he steals Fiz's engagement ring and crashes Rosie Webster's new car, nearly running over Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) in the process. In the end, Chesney goes to John and Fiz's wedding.

In 2010, Chesney meets Katy Armstrong (Georgia May Foote) and is instantly attracted to her. He has since been seeing her, much to the annoyance of Katy's father, Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies). In December 2010, Fiz gives birth early after a Tram Crash, Chesney supports Fiz through the birth. Fiz names the baby Hope. In early 2011, Fiz and Chesney discover that baby Hope has a hole in her heart and are shocked by this but eventually, she is cured. Chesney comforts Fiz after John goes into hospital after a breakdown. In March 2011, Hope comes home and Fiz tells Chesney he will have to get rid of Schmeichel, so he and Katy move out and Katy suggests they have a baby of their own. While cooking dinner for Chesney, Katy tells an estatic Chesney that she is pregnant with his baby, and they decide to keep it a secret. Chesney begins to grow suspicious of John Stape (Graeme Hawley), so goes to see Charlotte Hoyle's (Becky Hindley) parents, who tell him that John (who they call Colin) was engaged to Charlotte, and he made the decision to switch her life support machine off, much to Chesney's horror. He later confronts John, who denies any involvement in Charlotte's death and Joy Fishwick's (Doreen Mantle) suspicious death. John, realising that Chesney is starting to work out the truth, takes him to The Hoyle's house, to sort it out, but it is revealed that John is holding them hostage in their cellar, and before Chesney can run, John ties him up too. John lies to pregnant Katy that Chesney has run away, leaving her devastated. Chesney manages to untie himself and The Hoyles a few days later, after the bar they were tied to breaks. They try to break the door down, but John locked it. Dorothy Hoyle (Jean Fergusson) suggests that maybe John has left, but unknown to them, he has dug up the body of Colin Fishwick (David Crellin), which he buried a few months earlier. Chesney later escapes after his sister, Fiz, works out the truth about John and follows him to the Hoyles, and Fiz reveals to a horrified Chesney that Katy is about to have an abortion, and Chesney races to stop her, he gets there just in time, and he apologises for his absence, and the police arrive to arrest John, who attacks Maria Connor (Samia Ghadie) while she is looking after baby Hope. In November 2011, Schmeichel gets poorly and is diagnosed with liver cancer. Chesney doesn't want to put him to sleep, but the vets say he has no choice but to put Schmeichel to sleep. Chesney then says goodbye to his partner, devastated. On 23 December 2011, it's a race against time for Chesney after he finds out from his Fiz that Katy has gone into labour at the nativity play, so Anna Windass has to deliver the baby. Chesney was stranded in the middle of nowhere with Gary Windass (Mikey North) after they had cut down some Christmas trees to be delivered. After stealing some bikes that aren't properly locked up, Chesney manages to make it in time to see the birth of his son, Joseph Peter.

In 2012, Katy begins to struggle with looking after Joseph so she keeps abandoning him. On one occasion, she goes to the bank without Joseph and Chesney returns home, just after Katy rushes back. After talking things through, Chesney says that Katy is a good mum and tells her to stay, to which she agrees. In August, Katy's sister, Izzy (Cherylee Houston), has a miscarriage, so Katy wants to be a surrogate mother. This angers and hurts Chesney a lot, that he almost falls out with the Armstrong family. Eventually, Chesney and Katy's family have second thoughts and they all call a truce. Days later, he intends to see Cilla and her new boyfriend, but can't, due to his minor problems. Chesney ends his relationship with Katy, when she has an affair with Ryan Connor (Sol Heras). Katy moves in with Ryan, taking Joseph with her, which devastates Chesney. Chesney begins dating Sinead Tinker (Katie McGlynn). However, she ends their relationship when she realises that he still has feelings for Katy and that he is probably using her to spite Katy. In turn, Katy ends her relationship with Ryan, for the same reason and attempts to reunite with Chesney. However, he refuses, stating that she shouldn't expect him to forgive her after taking their son away from him and moving in with another man. Chesney eventually attempts to give Sinead another chance at their relationship. She turns him down, but then continuously orders him not to take advantage of her. Sinead eventually forgives him and the pair start their relationship again. When Fiz moves in with Tyrone, Sinead starts to spend more time in the house with him. Chesney has to give up his market stall when his stock is stolen and he forgets to insure it. However, Dev Alahan allows him to manage his kebab shop. Sinead later moves in with Chesney and they are joined by Beth and Kirk shortly after. When Beth attacks a man that was trying to mug her friend from bingo, she receives a £5,000 reward. She then takes the family to Mexico for two weeks.

Cilla returns to the street and she tells Chesney and Fiz that she has a serious illness. Chesney refuses to support his mother, after years of being neglected by her as a child. Cilla later leaves. In 2015, Chesney discovers Sinead was involved in a bus crash with several other residents, including Steve McDonald, who was responsible for the accident. Chesney tells Steve that if Sinead never walks again, he will blame him. Sinead slowly recovers in hospital and tries to adjust to getting back on her feet again, while Chesney and her family support her. Chesney finds out that Katy plans to move to Portugal with Joseph. Chesney demands that he will contact a solicitor in order for Joseph to stay with him, but Katy reconsiders her options. Feeling guilty, Chesney tells Katy that Joseph should go to Portugal with her, so that he can have a new, but different life. Chesney shares a close goodbye with Joseph and the two depart the street for good, but visiting Sinead in hospital before they leave permanently.

Creation

Sam Aston was chosen to play Chesney after training at a local drama group, Carl Godby’s Theatre Workshop. It was revealed by producers that he was named after 1990s icon Chesney Hawkes.

Aston's siblings have also appeared in the show his sister Emily Aston played Becky Palmer from 1996 till 1997 and his brother Joseph Aston played Tommy Duckworth in 2000.

While his upbringing was not as traumatic as Fiz's early years, Chesney was often left home alone and had to put up with the many "uncles" Cilla brought to their flat. Chesney found some stability with Les Battersby (Bruce Jones), but Les abandoned the family after a few years, with Cilla soon following. An increasingly bitter Chesney was left to be taken care of by Fiz, but her relationship problems often overshadowed her duties as guardian.

Development

In July 2010, it was announced that Chesney will hook up with newcomer Katy Armstrong (Georgia May Foote) in a storyline which will involve the 17-year-old losing his virginity. A spokesperson for Coronation Street said "We have all seen Chesney grow up so it’s going to be a huge milestone for him and the viewers. We all remember that sweet little kid who first arrived in the Street with his mum Cilla. But that was seven years ago and he’s about to become a man. The storyline will be handled responsibly and the two characters will discuss what contraceptives to use."

In February 2011, it was announced that Katy Armstrong will decide that she wants a baby with Chesney in a forthcoming storyline. Katy (Georgia May Foote) will make the suggestion of starting a family to Chesney in the weeks ahead - leaving him shocked as he believes they are too young for parenthood. However, after Katy continues to push the idea, Chesney (Sam Aston) is expected to change his mind and begin looking for a flat that he can rent with his girlfriend. Discussing Fiz's reaction, a Coronation Street source said "After just having a child herself she knows how hard it is. She doesn't want him ruining his life by becoming a dad when he's still a kid." But they have a baby boy called Joseph anyway.

In September 2011, it was revealed that Chesney's dog Schmeichel would be put to sleep in an upcoming storyline. "It will be heartbreaking for Chesney - and for viewers," a Corrie source told The Sunday Mirror. "But bosses think the time is right for Schmeichel to leave the show." In response to complaints about Schmeichel's fate, a Coronation Street spokesperson told The Mirror: "Great Danes do not live forever and the storyline has been decided upon." Speaking to Soaplife, Aston admitted that he will miss scenes alongside the Great Dane. He explained: "Having his beloved dog put to sleep is not an option Chesney is willing to consider. Schmeichel has always been there for him; when Cilla, Les and even Fiz let him down, Schmeichel was always there. Chesney would do anything it takes to help out his faithful pal. He would go thousands of pounds into debt if he has to." Paying tribute to Schmeichel, Aston added: "I will [miss him]; he has been such a massive part of Chesney's character. The first thing people want to know when I'm out and about is where my dog is. He's probably one of the most popular characters on the show. It's horrible because I've grown up with him."

In February 2013, it was announced that former Waterloo Road actress Katie McGlynn has been cast as Sinead Tinker a relative of established characters Beth (Lisa George) and Craig Tinker (Coleson Smith) and as a new love interest for Chesney. A statement on the soap's official website teased: "As Katy struggles to resist the temptation of smooth talking Ryan, Chesney faces a heartbreaking few months. Will new girl Sinead be his light at the end of the tunnel?"

Speaking to Digital Spy, Aston said: "Sinead is a very different character and I think her and Chesney would be quite well-suited." However, Aston also hinted that, despite Chesney starting up a new relationship, he believes his alter ego will always love Katy: "I think Chesney's heart will always belong to Katy! But that might just be my own personal take on it rather than the way the story is going!" Aston also admitted that he helped Katie McGlynn, who will be playing Sinead, find her feet on her first day on set: "I've been showing her around the set. Katie knows what she's doing anyway - she knows how it works because she was on Waterloo Road before this. But she was a bit lost on the first day, so I tried to be as helpful as possible!"

Reception

Sam Aston was chosen to present the Queen with a bouquet of flowers at ITV's 50th anniversary in 2005. The actor has revealed in an interview that since he has joined the show, he seems to not get much attention from girls. He claims that as Chesney is more of a geeky character, women over 65 stop him in the street and offer to look after him. Aston won the nomination for the Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress in 2005. In 2007, he was nominated for Best Young Actor, though Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle Dingle from Emmerdale, won the award. Sam was also nominated for the Best Child Actor in 2008, though yet again did not receive the award.