Inside Dancing On Ice Sam Aston's real life: famous siblings, tragic loss, roles before Corrie and marriage
Sam Aston has been a familiar face on our screens for decades and fans of the Coronation Street star will be able to watch as he trades the Cobbles for the ice rink as he begins his stint on ITV's Dancing on Ice tonight.
Dancing on Ice returns with a whole host of new celebrities hoping to stay on their feet long enough to impress viewers with dance routines alongside professional dance partners. Speaking about being a part of the show on This Morning, the actor renowned for his long-standing role as Chesney Brown said "I got a real buzz" when finding out.
The 31-year-old soap star said on the daytime TV show: "I can't say it was something that I always wanted to do. It came about, and it was just one of them. The press office mentioned it, we went for a chat and I got a real buzz just going in and experiencing it.
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"We just went for a chat, they explain how the show works and they stand you on the ice for five or 10 minutes just to get a basic sense of what you'll be like and that was it really."
Aside from being the widely-recognised Chesney on Coronation Street, Sam has appeared on other TV soaps and has a sister who has also appeared on television. He married his long-term girlfriend Briony Gardner in 2019.
The couple share three children, Sonny, four, Daisy, two and four-month-old Hazel. Below is everything you need to know about one of the early favourite to win the ITV dance show.
Sam Aston's TV career as Chesney and other roles
Sam has played the role of Chesney Brown for a staggering 22 years after first being cast in the soap back in 2003. At the age of ten the actor scooped the award for best newcomer at the National Television Awards. The following year, he won Best Dramatic Performance for a Young Actor or Actress at the British Soap Awards.
Like many child actors, Sam grew up on the show, tackling a range of intense storylines including being held hostage, frequent break-ups, and becoming a single father. Last year, his character grieved the death of his stepfather Les Battersby who died in a work accident.
While you may think Coronation Street marked the beginning of Sam's career he earned acting credits prior to his move to the Cobbles. He made his television debut at the age of five, as an extra in Eddie Mountain and also appeared in an episode of police drama The Bill.
With over two decades as a regular and much-loved Corrie character under his belt, Sam has rarely appeared elsewhere on TV. With scarce appearances on shows such as All Star Family Fortunes, joining the line-up for the much-anticipated return of Dancing on Ice will give fans a better insight into him outside of the fictional street.
Family life including soap star sister and marriage to long-term partner
Acting must run in the Aston family blood as Sam's older sister has also appeared on Coronation Street previously. Emily Aston played the role of Becky Palmer in the 90s from 1996 to 1997. She appeared in 51 episodes. Since then, she has starred in BBC's Doctors, This Is England '88, and Hollyoaks.
Upon discovering the actress' link to Sam fans discussed the similarities with one person observing: "Spit of each other ain't they." Another said: "She is so like him." His brother Joseph once took on the role of Tommy Duckworth back in 2000. And brother Thomas has also taken to the screen, appearing in episodes of Casualty and The Bill.
Sam has a large family with five sisters and eight brothers. He also has three children of his own now who he parents with wife, Briony. He married the yoga teacher and birth doula, Briony in Cheshire in May 2019. Sam proposed in summer 2017 at an annual charity golf dinner he hosts with co-stars Alan Halsall and Andy Whyment.
In November, the married couple announced they are expecting their third child but this announcement was bittersweet as they also shared tragic news too. The couple were expecting twins, but lost one of the babies to 'Vanishing Twin Syndrome'
The announcement from Briony and Sam followed two tragic miscarriages within four months of each other. The couple said while being pregnant is wonderful news, they still share a sense of loss.