All you need to know on the soap serial killer.
Poor Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) was left horrified in Monday’s Coronation Street (16th May) when a friend of her partner Phill Whittaker (Jamie Kenna) recognised her from a traumatic time in her life.
The man, Graham, revealed he had been the prosecutor at her trial back in 2011 when she was charged with the murders that were actually committed by her then-husband John Stape (Graeme Hawley). Fiz was shaken by Graham’s enthusiasm when discussing the sensitive subject and headed outside for some air.
Fiz later confided in her ex, Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall), about the fact that she hadn’t told Phill about her past with John. Tyrone offered her support, and Phill arrived to reassure her that he already knew everything, and it didn’t change anything between them.
With this reminder of a storyline that aired over a decade ago, you may be in need of a refresher course in all things John Stape. So here’s all you need to know…
Who was John Stape in Coronation Street?
John was the husband of Corrie mainstay Fiz and the father of her troublesome daughter Hope (Isabella Flanagan). When John first arrived in Weatherfield, he was a teacher at the local high school. There, he encountered Fiz, who he had previously dated offscreen. They resumed their relationship, but it wasn’t long before John embarked on an affair with teen Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan) behind Fiz’s back.
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Fiz was heartbroken when she learned the truth but later chose to forgive him – although, of course, his teaching career was over. John blamed Rosie for all that had happened, and in the first glimpse of his truly sinister side, he kidnapped her and locked her away from his grandmother’s house for several weeks. Fiz came to Rosie’s rescue and John was sentenced to two years in prison.
Eventually, Fiz decided to visit John after hearing he was in a bad way behind bars. Deciding she still loved him, Fiz agreed to marry John and they tied the knot while he was still an inmate. Upon his release, John attended the leaving party of an ex-colleague, Colin Fishwick (David Crellin) who had given up teaching, and stole his identity so he could go back into the profession…
Who did John Stape kill in Coronation Street?
John’s plan was foiled when he was blackmailed by Charlotte Hoyle (Becky Hindley) and the real Colin returned. Colin confronted him, but soon collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage. John and Charlotte disposed of Colin’s body, and John later killed Charlotte when she tried to attack him with a hammer. In the midst of all this, Fiz gave birth to their baby girl, Hope.
John managed to convince people that Charlotte was a casualty of the tram crash but later admitted what happened to Colin to his mother Joy (Doreen Mantle) who had an angina attack. Desperate to silence her when someone approached the house, John put a hand over her mouth, and Joy died soon after.
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Fiz’s brother Chesney (Sam Aston) and Charlotte’s parents discovered that John was an imposter of Colin, and John held them all hostage. Fiz initially tried to help John when he revealed his part in Colin’s death, but when she discovered what he had done to Chesney and the Hoyles, the police were called. John went on the run while Fiz was arrested for his crimes, but he later returned to help free her. Ending up in a car crash, John was forgiven by Fiz as he made a statement to the police before dying from his injuries.
Several years later, young Hope Stape began acting out in a big way, leading Fiz to worry that she was taking after dad John. A woman called Jade Rowan (Lottie Henshall) arrived in Weatherfield, claiming to be John’s daughter and Hope’s half-sister. Jade attempted to run away with Hope but eventually left the Street when Hope rejected her.
Now the spectre of John has reared his head again and Fiz must cope with more people learning about her distressing history. And that’s not all she has to worry about…
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