Fiz Brown (also Stape and Dobbs) is a fictional character from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

ITV

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

''. Played by

Jennie McAlpine Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine (born 12 February 1984) is an English television actress, comedian and businesswoman. She is known for her roles as Michelle Morley in Emmerdale and Fiz Brown in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street' ...

, the character first appeared on screen on 20 April 2001. Initially appearing for five episodes, McAlpine's contract was soon extended and Fiz became a regular character. In May 2014, it was announced that McAlpine was expecting her first child and Fiz temporarily departed on 14 November 2014, returning on 19 June 2015. In November 2017, McAlpine took a break from filming to take part in the 17th series of the ITV reality show '' I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'' and her exit aired on 18 December 2017, she returned on 2 March 2018. In April 2018, McAlpine announced that she is expecting her second child; she took maternity leave from the show on 5 December 2018 and returned on 30 August 2019. McAlpine took maternity leave a third time in 2023 and returned in March 2024. Fiz initially appeared as a troubled teenager briefly fostered by Roy (

David Neilson David Neilson (born 13 March 1949) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as cafe owner Roy Cropper in the long running ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which he has played since 1995. Early life Neilson wa ...

) and Hayley Cropper (

Julie Hesmondhalgh Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh ( ;) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role she won "Best Serial Drama Performance" at the 20 ...

) at the age of 16. She later started working at the Underworld factory. Fiz was involved in a murder storyline in which her husband

John Stape John Stape is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Graeme Hawley. He made his first on-screen appearance during the episode airing on 6 May 2007. The character departed on 3 June 2011 after four years on ...

(

Graeme Hawley Graeme Hawley (born 25 February 1975) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Dave then as DC Martin Crowe in ''Emmerdale'' and John Stape in the British soap ''Coronation Street''. Career Hawley graduated from Manchester Metrop ...

) committed three

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

s and had Fiz help him bury the bodies. She had to implicate other people in order to cover for John. She gave birth to her daughter

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

prematurely, in the live 50th anniversary episode with McAlpine becoming the first actress to act out a birth live on a soap opera.

Creation

Fiz initially appeared as a troubled teenager briefly fostered by Roy (

) and Hayley Cropper (

) at the age of fifteen. She leaves and then returns to Coronation Street, and starts working at the ''Underworld'' factory. Her nickname is presumably due to her distinctive afro-like hair, however she was born as Fiona. Her mother,

Cilla Cilla is an English female given name, originally the diminutive form of Priscilla and less frequently Drusilla (name), Drusilla. People * Cilla Black (1943–2015), English singer, actress and entertainer * Cilla Fisher (born 1952), ex-member of ...

( Wendi Peters) and her little brother,

Chesney Chesney is an English surname or given name and a French surname It is derived from Old French ''chesnaie'' ("oak grove").Sam Aston) are introduced when they come to live on the street with

Les Battersby Les Battersby (also Battersby-Brown) is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', who appeared from 1997 to 2007, played by Bruce Jones (actor), Bruce Jones. T ...

( Bruce Jones). Fiz has a bad history with her mother, who has often left her in care and never prioritised her children. The character first appears onscreen during the episode broadcast on 20 April 2001. The character of Fiz is a good-hearted young woman who has made many puzzling decisions and is often unlucky in love. Actress

stated that she would prefer the character to stay unlucky in love because she enjoys portraying the rowing and screaming that comes with it rather than seeing her character living happily ever after. Fiz's personality has taken some rapid transformations over the years. Starting out as a dopey teenage tearaway, she is now responsible for her younger brother, constantly trying to do the right thing by him and sometimes failing. When interviewed about this on the soap opera's official website, McAlpine stated: "I like Fiz, I think she is a good person. I know she does get it wrong sometimes, but she is just trying, she's just trying to get it all right, she doesn't always but she does try." During the same interview she then said: "Oh, Fiz has changed over the years. Luckily she's changed because I don't think I'd be here if she hadn't because she started off being a pretty, pretty bad girl actually, causing loads of trouble for Roy and Hayley."

Development

In November 2012, ''

The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

reported that romance will blossom for the old flames as Fiz continues to support

Tyrone Dobbs Tyrone Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melo ...

(

Alan Halsall Alan David Halsall (born 11 August 1982) is an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Tyrone Dobbs in ''Coronation Street'', a role he has played since 1998. Early life Halsall was brought up in Walkden, Salford and attended W ...

) through his domestic violence ordeal with girlfriend Kirsty Soames ( Natalie Gumede). It was reported that Kirsty would deliberately cause injury to Fiz's hand, according to the '' Daily Star'', Fiz would attempt to fix her machine at the factory when it breaks only to get her hand trapped when Kirsty switches the power back on. Fiz apparently needs emergency medical attention due to the bloody injury and soon starts spreading the word that Kirsty harmed her on purpose. She is quoted as telling Tyrone: "Kirsty said she didn't do it and you might believe her, but in your head I don't think you do. What's she going to do next? She injured you and now she's injured me. Who's going to be next, Ruby?" McAlpine spoke about the storyline and told ''What's On TV'': "Kirsty continues to look after Fiz and stays with her while she is treated at the hospital and even returns home with her. She is quite sinister and when she finally leaves, Fiz is quite shaken by Kirsty's behaviour. Fiz has now seen how scary Kirsty can be with her own eyes. Fiz is not soft, she has spent time in prison before, but she has now seen what Tyrone has to cope with when Kirsty gets angry." She added: "Fiz really cares about Tyrone. Fiz is also very stubborn and has a sense of justice. She will probably want to see this through to the end - she wants the truth to come out. She wants Tyrone to be happy and feels this can never be the case while he is still involved with Kirsty." McAlpine said that her emotional scenes with Hawley (John Stape) were very draining and very hard work. She told '' The Mirror'': "It's been very draining. Not emotionally, because I never take my work home with me, but genuinely physically exhausting. It's tiring having to cry continuously and I take a long time to recover from that. My face goes all red and my eyes sting for ages afterwards. I'm not a good crier!". She added: "I've always been a huge Corrie fan. Being a Northern girl it was always on in my living room. And even today, I love sitting down and catching up with what's going on. This is my dream job." McAlpine admitted that her wedding plans caused her to receive a mixed reaction from viewers. On '' This Morning'', McAlpine revealed: "It has divided the nation - some people think she's absolutely mad. But it's funny, before I proposed and did that big thing with the banner, everyone was saying, 'Oh, I think you should marry him', and now I've taken the decision into my own hands I don't think they like it now. I think people aren't happy about it now. They liked the idea but now they are worried." McAlpine added: "He didn't mean to do it for five weeks - he didn't mean to lock her up for that long, I know that. I do believe him."

Storylines

Fiz's first appearance was as a troubled sixteen-year-old fostered by Roy (

) and Hayley Cropper (

). Her boisterous attitude clashes with the pair and Roy gets angry with her when she starts a small fire in the flat while cooking chips. Fiz claims Roy hit her; the claim is quickly dismissed and Fiz is sent to another foster family. Fiz reappears a few months later, having dropped out of school, and gets a job as a machinist at Mike Baldwin's ( Johnny Briggs) factory. She is initially dismissive of Roy and Hayley, but when Hayley is held on remand for kidnapping Wayne Hayes (Gary Damer), a boy the Croppers were trying to save from his abusive stepfather, she changes her mind, recognising the Croppers are the only parental figures who truly cared for her, and takes it upon herself to look after Roy in Hayley's absence. Fiz made her interest in

(

) clear, kissing him. When his fiancé, Maria Sutherland ( Samia Ghadie), found out, she broke up with him, and Tyrone and Fiz became a couple. When Terry Duckworth ( Nigel Pivaro), the son of Tyrone's surrogate parents Jack (

Bill Tarmey Bill Tarmey (born William Piddington; 4 April 1941 – 9 November 2012) was an English actor and singer, best known for playing Jack Duckworth in the soap opera ''Coronation Street''. First appearing in the role in November 1979, he played ...

) and

Vera Vera may refer to: Names *Vera (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Vera (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) **Vera (), archbishop of the archdiocese of Tarr ...

(

Elizabeth Dawn Sylvia Ann Ibbetson (''née'' Butterfield; 8 November 1939 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Elizabeth Dawn or Liz Dawn, was a British actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera ''Cor ...

), is arrested on a false assault charge after coming out of hiding to take Jack to hospital, Fiz sells the story to the newspapers. The Duckworths are initially angry but it results in a witness coming forward to clear Terry. Fiz convinces Mike to use some designs she has done at the factory but she has accidentally plagiarised other designers and Mike sacks her. She stages a topless protest on the roof of the factory, which results in her getting her job back but sees Tyrone break up with her. Fiz is nearly arrested on a trip to

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

with Tyrone, Kirk Sutherland ( Andrew Whyment) and

Jason Grimshaw Jason Grimshaw is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Ryan Thomas, the character first appeared on screen on 25 December 2000. It was announced in October 2015 that Thomas had quit the role ...

(

Ryan Thomas Ryan James Thomas (born 10 June 1984) is a British former actor. He is known for playing the role of Jason Grimshaw on ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2000 until 2016. In 2018, he played Rafael Humphreys in Australian soap opera ''N ...

), since unknown to the others Kirk has broken into the caravan they are using. When Maria leaves town, Fiz moves into her old room in the flat above the salon, sharing with Toyah Battersby ( Georgia Taylor), who soon becomes a close friend. She sleeps with Kirk but believes he would not be interested in a relationship; Toyah manages to convince the pair to become a couple. Maria returns and is unhappy to find herself not only sharing with Fiz but with Kirk in regular attendance. Fiz is caught in the middle when Maria becomes pregnant by Toyah's boyfriend John Arnley (Paul Warriner) and supports her when she has an abortion. Toyah leaves town not long afterwards, after saying a fond farewell to Fiz. Fiz subsequently finds herself called on to play agony aunt to a succession of unlucky in love flatmates: Maria, Candice Stowe ( Nikki Sanderson) and Claire Casey (

Julia Haworth Julia Haworth is an English actress. She is known for playing the role of Claire Peacock in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2003 to 2011. Early and personal life Haworth was born in Burnley, Lancashire. She attended St Christo ...

). Fiz becomes friends with

( Bruce Jones) and is one of the few people to believe he is innocent of assaulting corrupt policeman Mick Hopwood (Ian Gain). Les introduces Fiz and Kirk to his new girlfriend, who turns out to be Fiz's mother

( Wendi Peters). Fiz learns Cilla has left her younger brother

Chesney Chesney is an English surname or given name and a French surname It is derived from Old French ''chesnaie'' ("oak grove").Sam Aston) home alone and Les brings him to live on the street. When Fiz and Kirk break up, Tyrone declares his interest again. Fiz and Tyrone sleep together but are interrupted by Tyrone serenading her with "

The Real Slim Shady "The Real Slim Shady" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his third studio album ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' (2000). It was released as the lead single a month before the album's release. The song peaked at number four on the ''Billboard ...

". Both Kirk and Tyrone propose: Tyrone hires a horse to do so on horseback, while Kirk steals an expensive ring from a jeweller's. When Fiz finds out, she enlists Tyrone to return the ring secretly and Kirk is let off with a caution. Despite not getting engaged, Fiz reunites with Kirk. Kirk's parents emigrate and sign their kennel business over to him. He and Fiz move into the adjacent house but Fiz is not happy looking after dogs and soon moves out. Kirk instead employs Molly Compton (

Vicky Binns Victoria Jane Binns (born 27 August 1982) is an English actress, known for her two roles in the two veteran ITV soap operas ''Emmerdale'' and ''Coronation Street''. She had a lead role in ''Von Trapped'' opposite Caroline Quentin and also appea ...

), a girl Fiz bullied at school to cope with being bullied herself. Molly considers taking Kirk off Fiz as payback but ends up dating Tyrone instead. When first Cilla and then Les leave the area, Fiz moves into No. 5 with Kirk and Chesney. Eventually, Fiz is reacquainted with her first boyfriend,

(

), who is now working at Weatherfield High School. Fiz leaves Kirk, declining his proposal of marriage, and starts dating John, moving back into the salon flat with him. When John begins an affair with student,

Rosie Webster Rosie Webster is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. The character has been played by two actresses: Emma Collinge from 1990 to 1999, and Helen Flanagan from 2000 to 2012, and from 2017 to 2018. Rosie is the e ...

(

Helen Flanagan Helen Joyce Flanagan (born 7 August 1990) is an English actress, model, and television personality. She is best known for playing the role of Rosie Webster in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2000 to 2012; she returned to the rol ...

), Fiz thinks he is having an affair with Rosie's mother, Sally (

Sally Dynevor Sally Jane Dynevor (née Whittaker; born 30 May 1963) is an English actress, she is best known for her role as Sally Metcalfe in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she has played since 1986. In 2022, Dynevor competed in the fourt ...

), whom he has been teaching. However, the truth is revealed on Christmas Day 2007, when John inadvertently mixes up Fiz and Rosie's presents. When Fiz returns, she is shocked to learn what has happened but bravely decides to move on with her life and applies to be Chesney's guardian. Chesney and his beloved

Great Dane The Great Dane is a German list of dog breeds, breed of large mastiff-sighthound, which descends from hunting dogs of the Middle Ages used to hunt bears, wild boar, and deer. They were also used as guardian dogs of German nobility. It is one o ...

, Schmeichel are allowed to return home after Fiz moves into No. 5. Initially, she clashes with Kirk's girlfriend, Julie Carp ( Katy Cavanagh). While she is happy that Kirk has moved on, she is unhappy with Julie's attempts to be Chesney's carer, feeling that it is her job. After a few months, they become friends. Fiz receives numerous unknown phone calls. She discovers that it is ex-boyfriend, John, seeking a reconciliation, but declines his requests. He takes a job with ''StreetCars'' so he can be close to her, and buys Chesney a bike for his birthday. Fiz and John become friends again and she soon agrees to give him another chance. However, Fiz ends things when she realises that he wants them to move into his grandmother's house in the countryside. Fiz becomes worried when he constantly claims that he has to go to his grandmother's house to 'feed the cat' and eventually discovers that he is holding Rosie hostage there, supposedly for ruining his relationship with Fiz. Fiz releases Rosie, and John is arrested for kidnap and false imprisonment. John continues to send Fiz cards and letters while he is on remand, and is eventually sentenced to 2 years in prison. Soon after John's kidnapping of Rosie is revealed, Fiz receives some bad news about Chesney. He and Kirk are visiting Cilla in South Africa (their adventures are shown in ''Coronation Street: Out of Africa'') and Cilla tells Fiz that Chesney has been in an accident. When Fiz arrives, she is very upset to see Chesney in a wheelchair. She is relieved, yet angry, when they tell her that it is a scam to win a Sunshine Families competition with a £500,000 prize. Fiz later returns to Weatherfield. Fiz decides that she still loves John and wants to marry him. She proposes to him by writing a message so that she is allowed into the prison, after talking about him being on

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

watch. Fiz is allowed to see John briefly and as he is led away, Fiz asks him if he will marry her. John instantly agrees. John later sends Fiz his grandmother's engagement ring and a visiting order. She sees him and he places the engagement ring on her finger. Fiz and John marry on 28 September 2009. The wedding is held in the prison chapel but Fiz cannot go through with the ceremony without Chesney's support, revealing that all of their friends and neighbours are against the marriage. John does his best to persuade Fiz to go ahead regardless but she refuses, walking out and collapsing in tears outside the prison. Just as it seems that Fiz's big day is doomed, Chesney arrives with Roy and Hayley. He apologises to Fiz and he is there when Fiz and John marry. Fiz is shocked to hear of the letters that John has written to the Street residents, informing them that he will soon be released and asks for their backing to live there with Fiz. The street is split down the middle: for instance, the Croppers agree, but

Eddie Windass Eddie Windass is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Steve Huison, the character's first appearance on-screen was broadcast on 14 November 2008. On 5 December 2010, it was announced that Ed ...

(

Steve Huison Steve Huison (born 2 December 1962) is a British actor who is mostly seen on television and occasionally in films. He is best known for his roles as “Lomper” in the film ''The Full Monty'' (1997), Steve Greengrass in the Victoria Wood situa ...

) (despite never having met John and baked his and Fiz's wedding cake) is against it. When Sally learns of the letters, she is left fuming and angrily organises a protest meeting in The Rovers for that evening. At the meeting, Sally gives a speech against John, wanting residents to write back and refuse his request, which

Dev Alahan Dev Alahan is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Jimmi Harkishin, the character's first appearance was broadcast on 10 November 1999. He i ...

(

Jimmi Harkishin James "Jimmi" Harkishin (born 19 March 1959) is an actor best known for his role as shopkeeper Dev Alahan in ''Coronation Street'', which he has played continuously since 10 November 1999. He also played Ranjit in the film '' Bhaji on the Beach ...

) completely backs. However, Roy fights John's corner, with Ken Barlow ( William Roache) pointing out that John is entitled to live wherever he wants and

Graeme Proctor Graeme Proctor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Craig Gazey, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 18 April 2008. The character is also noted for his e ...

(

Craig Gazey Craig Gazey (born 24 February 1982) is a British stage and television actor, best known for his portrayal of Graeme Proctor in the ITV soap ''Coronation Street''. Early life Gazey attended Our Lady's Roman Catholic High School in Royton, Old ...

) outright supports him, to the disgust of

Blanche Hunt Blanche Hunt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She was originally played by Patricia Cutts; however, the actress died by suicide after appearing in just two episodes in August 1974. Maggie Jones ...

( Maggie Jones). As

Norris Cole Norris Gene Cole II (born October 13, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Osos de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall point guard, he is a two-time NBA champion, winning back-to-b ...

(

Malcolm Hebden Malcolm Hebden (born 21 December 1939) is an English retired actor. He is known for portraying the role of Norris Cole in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' on and off between 1994 and 1997, regularly from 1999 to 2017, and intermitten ...

) expresses his neutralness, Fiz gives an impassioned speech about how John is sorry and wants to set things right, pointing out how Sally and Rosie have been compensated for John's actions. Fiz's speech is applauded by the majority of residents, much to the disgust of Sally and Dev. The residents all write back, with the overwhelming majority agreeing to let him return to Weatherfield. In mid-November, John is released. Sally, furious that John has moved back to the street, paints the windows of No. 5 black during the night. Fiz, furious, wants to phone the police - particularly after Sally admits what she has done in front of witnesses - but John refuses. He and Fiz spend the day scraping the paint off and accept Graeme's help in repainting the upstairs of the house to match. Rosie does not seem to care that he is living across the street until, swindled out of her compensation by Luke Strong (

Craig Kelly Craig Kelly (born 29 September 1963) is an Australian conservative politician who represented the division of Hughes as a Liberal Party (and later United Australia Party) MP from 2010 until his defeat at the 2022 federal election. Kelly in ...

), the acting owner of Underworld whom she had been having a fling with, she tells John that she has decided to return to college and study to be a doctor. She asks him for £50,000 to fund this and is stunned when he refuses so she tries blackmailing him, claiming that he had grabbed her and locked her in ''Roy's Rolls'', where he is now working. Sally and Kevin call the police and John is arrested but released pending further inquiries. That night in the pub, he challenges Rosie about her version of events and, when unable to answer his questions, she reveals that she has lied. Furious, Kevin orders her to apologise the next day and withdraw her statement to the police. Sally also apologises to John and Fiz and asks them not to press charges. John agrees but Fiz is openly angry. The Stapes and the Websters both agree to stay out of each other's way. John meets one of his ex-teacher colleagues, Colin Fishwick (

David Crellin David Crellin (born 1961) is an English actor. Crellin, who was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, is known for roles in ''Emmerdale'' as Billy Hopwood, BBC 2's BAFTA Award-winning series '' The Cops'' as Alan Wakefield, and ''Coronation St ...

), in the café, who invites him and Fiz to his leaving party before he emigrates to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Whilst at the party, Colin makes it clear to John that he wants to stop teaching. John thinks up a plan to start teaching again himself, by stealing Colin's identity as he has a clean CRB. Fiz is initially incredulous when John tells her about his plans but, because she loves John, she soon weakens and agrees to go along with his plan. They both agree to keep the truth from Chesney, who has not been particularly fond of John since his affair with Rosie. Eventually, Fiz sees what risk John is taking and they begin to row. Fiz later leaves to go on holiday, alone. Fiz returns from her holiday and announces that she is 12 weeks pregnant with their first child. The couple make up and John promises to never lie to her again. Fiz goes into labour only six months into her pregnancy following injury in the explosion of

Nick Tilsley Nick Tilsley (also Platt, also known as Nicky) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He was born off screen during an episode broadcast on 31 December 1980, but made his first appearance on 5 January 1 ...

( Ben Price) and

Leanne Battersby Leanne Battersby (also Tilsley and Barlow) is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Jane Danson. It was announced in February 1997 that a "fam ...

's (

Jane Danson Jane Danson (born Jane Elizabeth Dawson, 8 November 1978) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Leanne Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', between 1997 and 2000, and from 2004 onwards. Her other television ...

) bar, The Joinery, so she is sent to hospital and gives birth to a baby girl, whom she names Hope. Straight after her birth, Hope is transferred into an incubator as she is three months premature. Due to her prematurity, her immune system is failing and is diagnosed with an infection. Fiz is told that Hope will need a transfusion in order to fight the infection. John has a breakdown following his involvement in three deaths, unbeknownst to Fiz. Fiz is left at home alone with baby Hope, who has now been allowed to leave the hospital. Joy Fishwick (

Doreen Mantle Doreen June Mantle (22 June 1926 – 9 August 2023) was a South African-born British actress who played Jean Warboys in '' One Foot in the Grave'' (1990–2000). She appeared in many British television series since the 1960s, including '' The Du ...

), Colin's mother, asked her solicitor to track down her son before her death, and "Colin" is tracked at Number 5. Horrified, Fiz forces herself to pretend to be Mrs. Fishwick. The solicitor informs Fiz of Joy's death and that she has left her fortune to Colin. John returns home in March 2011 and things seem to look up, but John realises all of the new things that Fiz has bought, which she dishonestly explains are from money she received when the factory girls had a whip-round for her. In April 2011, John decides to stop taking his medication, despite Dr. Matt Carter's (

Oliver Mellor Oliver Mellor is a British actor and former personal trainer, playing the role of Dr Matt Carter in ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2010 to 2013. Career Between 2003-2005 Mellor appeared many times on stage, starring in productions su ...

) objection. Joy's solicitor turns up at No. 5, with Fiz having to pose as Mrs. Fishwick again. The solicitor reveals that Joy's house had been sold and the money is to be transferred into Fiz's (i.e. Mrs. Fishwick's) bank account. John is furious with Fiz for what she has done, thinking it is all over for him. John suffers another breakdown, locking himself in the bookies, after which he runs away. Peter Barlow (

Chris Gascoyne Chris Gascoyne (born 31 January 1968) is an English film, theatre and television actor. He is best known for his role as Peter Barlow in the soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Making his first appearance in December 2000 during a live, 50 minut ...

) and Dr. Carter suggest that they call the police, but Fiz, knowing the potential imprisonment of both her and John, decides to wait and see if he returns. The police arrive at Fiz's home to notify her and Chesney that John had been caught on CCTV boarding a ferry at

Holyhead Holyhead (; , "Cybi's fort") is a historic port town, and is the list of Anglesey towns by population, largest town and a Community (Wales), community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales. Holyhead is on Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island ...

. Eventually, Fiz confesses her role in the crime and so the police arrest Fiz for Colin's murder. At the police station, Fiz is interviewed for the murder. She is taken into custody but is released and then attends

magistrates' court A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several Jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) ...

. The incident is deemed too serious, so she is sent to

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

. Fiz is charged with three murders after John flees the country to

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Fiz is remanded in custody and faces trial at Crown court. Fiz is denied bail and is sent straight to prison to await trial. Fiz struggles with life in prison and to cope without Hope, who has been left in the care of Roy and Hayley. She is offered a place in the Mother and Baby unit, but refuses as she feels it is no place to bring her baby up. She becomes even more distressed when she is forced to do some cleaning in the mother and baby unit, as seeing other mums with their babies upsets her and reminds her of her daughter. Fiz soon changes her mind and requests a place in the unit, but is forced to wait. Horrified when she finds her cellmate, Ginny Portis (Ashley McGuire), unconscious from a

drug overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. Retrieved on September 20, 2014.

, Fiz is shocked to discover that her friend Ruth Walsh (

Rebecca Callard Rebecca Jayne Callard (, born 3 June 1975) is an English actress and writer. Early life Callard was born Rebecca Jayne Atkinson, the only surviving child from her mother Beverley Callard's first marriage to Paul Atkinson. Her parents divorced ...

) has supplied the drugs. When Fiz plans to reveal Ruth's drug supply to the governor, Ruth threatens to make her life a misery. Fiz eventually gets a place in the mother and baby unit, but is beaten up by Ruth and other girls when Ruth is removed from the unit for dealing drugs. Ruth and her friends continue to torment Fiz. After Ruth trashes her room, Fiz stands up to her and tells her to keep away from she and Hope. Upon learning the date of Fiz's trial, it is revealed to the audience that John has returned. Spotting Rosie from his car, who is trying to sell her boyfriend Jason's flat, he poses as a potential buyer named Mr. Chips. He turns up at the flat and ties Rosie up, insisting that it is all her fault that he and Fiz are so miserable and trying to force her to turn up at the court and tell them that it is John who is responsible for the deaths, allowing him to release Fiz but not go to prison himself. His plan fails, however, and he has to drive away at a high speed and crashes his car. Fiz's trial begins and she provides her evidence before the jury leave to consider their verdicts. Fiz is found not guilty of the murders of Joy and

Charlotte Hoyle Charlotte Hoyle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Becky Hindley. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 9 April 2010 and departed on 10 December 2010 after bei ...

(

Becky Hindley Rebecca "Becky" Hindley (born 11 August 1965) is an English television, stage and radio actress based in Lancaster, England. She is best known for her eight-month stint in ''Coronation Street'' as Charlotte Hoyle in 2010; her performance as th ...

), but the jury find her guilty of Colin's murder. Fiz later learns that John has returned, but is in a critical condition in hospital after his car accident. Fiz goes to the hospital and tells John that she forgives him for everything he has done. John gives the police his statement and he then dies from his injuries. Fiz then breaks down in tears and whispers to him that he will always be "her John". Unfortunately, John was too late. Fiz is sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 15 years. Fiz and Chesney are devastated. Fiz asks Chesney to organise John's funeral. He initially refuses, but after his girlfriend, Katy Armstrong (

Georgia May Foote Georgia May Foote (born 11 February 1991) is an English actress and model. She is best known for playing Alison Simmons in the BBC school drama series ''Grange Hill'' from 2005 to 2008 and Katy Armstrong in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation St ...

), convinces him to, he agrees. Chesney later receives a phone call from Fiz saying that she has been granted bail before her review. Fiz later begins a feud with Kirsty Soames ( Natalie Gumede) after she nearly slices Fiz's fingers off at work using a sewing machine. When Kirsty later attacks Fiz in her own home, Fiz realises that Kirsty is beating up her fiancé Tyrone. Fiz helps Tyrone through his dilemma with Kirsty but ends up developing feelings for him and they begin an affair. When Kirsty beats up Tyrone again, Fiz advises Tyrone to marry Kirsty so he can gain custody of his daughter

Ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...

. Kirsty accepts Tyrone's proposal but discovers Fiz and Tyrone's affair the day before the wedding. She humiliates the pair at the church, as many of the residents watch as Kirsty reveals Fiz is Tyrone's mystery lover. During an argument at the top of the stairs, Kirsty attempts to hit Tyrone again but ends up falling down the stairs. Fiz, Tommy Duckworth ( Chris Fountain),

Eileen Grimshaw Eileen Grimshaw (also Phelan) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000. Her storylines have often incl ...

(

Sue Cleaver Susan Owen (née Cleaver, born 2 September 1963) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she played from 2000 to 2025. In 2024 Cleaver became a pan ...

Sean Tully Sean Tully is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Antony Cotton. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 July 2003. Following that appearance, the character returned f ...

(

Antony Cotton Antony Cotton (born Antony Dunn; 5 August 1975) is an English actor and comedian, known for portraying the role of Sean Tully in ''Coronation Street'', as well as portraying Alexander Perry in the original '' Queer as Folk'' series. In 2007, C ...

) and Paul Kershaw (

Tony Hirst Tony Hirst (born 21 January 1967) is an English actor, theatre director and narrator best known for playing Mike Barnes (Hollyoaks), Mike Barnes on the soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' and in ''Coronation Street'' as Paul Kershaw, the love interest of ...

) race round to the house to see what has happened, and Kirsty tells the police that Tyrone has been abusing her for months. Tyrone is arrested, which devastates Fiz. Tyrone's court hearing arrives, and Kirsty's mother Alison (Dawn Hope) tries to persuade Kirsty to tell the truth, but she refuses. After Kirsty assaults Julie, Kirsty confesses to the jury that she has been beating Tyrone. Tyrone is freed and Kirsty is sent to prison. Fiz is later distraught to hear that Hayley has been diagnosed with

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

. There is further devastation when Fiz is told that Hayley's tumour is terminal, and only has six to twelve months to live. Fiz promises Hayley that she will take care of Roy after she has died. Fiz and Tyrone are present at Roy's birthday party in The Rovers on 20 September 2013, and Fiz asks Hayley and Roy whether they would like to spend more time with Hope and Ruby, which they both accept gladly. Fiz is puzzled when Hayley walks out on Roy and moves in with her and Tyrone. Unknown to Fiz, Hayley has recently told Roy that when her cancer spreads, she intends on ending her own life. While Fiz and Tyrone are at work, Hayley collapses at home and when Fiz returns, she calls for an ambulance. She accompanies Roy to the hospital and is told that Hayley has an infection. Following the incident, Hayley moves back in with Roy. In January 2014, Fiz is devastated when she learns from Anna Windass ( Debbie Rush) that Hayley has died. Fiz is unaware, however, that Hayley committed suicide after drinking a lethal cocktail. She and Tyrone rush over to the café flat, where Fiz finds Hayley's corpse on the bed with Roy's arm around her. Chesney later arrives, and he, Fiz, Tyrone, Anna and Carla Connor ( Alison King) all try to help Roy through his grief. A few days later, Roy is struggling to come to terms with Hayley's death, but Fiz learns that Hayley killed herself, and angrily confronts Roy and shouts at him. Anna tries to get through to Fiz that it is what Hayley wanted and that it was not assisted suicide, but Fiz only listens to Carla. On the day of Hayley's funeral, Fiz, Carla, and Anna try to persuade Roy to attend, as he is refusing. He eventually attends, but in the middle of Fiz's eulogy, Roy stands up and interrupts her speech. He tells the upset residents that Hayley was the love of his life and that he will miss her dearly, which relieves Fiz, Carla, and Anna, as they all thought he was going to tell them about Hayley's suicide. Following the funeral, Roy leaves Fiz and Anna a note explaining that he has gone to visit his mother Sylvia Goodwin (

Stephanie Cole Patricia Stephanie Cole (born 5 October 1941) is an English stage, television, radio and film actor, known for high-profile roles in shows such as '' Tenko'' (1981–1985), ''Open All Hours'' (1982–1985), ''A Bit of a Do'' (1989), '' Waiting ...

) for a while. The pair start to panic, however, when a pipe bursts at the café and realize that Roy has been away for 10 days. They call Sylvia, but her sister Jean answers the phone and explains that she hasn't heard from Roy is six months and that Sylvia is in Tenerife. Fiz calls the police, and they explain Roy's situation, without revealing Hayley's suicide. When the police leave, Fiz and Anna have many arguments about his whereabouts, as Tyrone tries to calm the bickering women down. When they get home, Fiz reveals to a stunned Tyrone that she believes that Roy is dead. In mid-February, Roy returns with no explanation of his whereabouts. He later explains that he has been stopping in a hotel by a steam museum. Fiz is later concerned when Roy doesn't come out of his flat, and that he keeps making continuous trips to the toy shop. It is revealed that he is building a model railway track, which puzzles Fiz, but fascinates Tyrone and Chesney. In October 2014, Cilla returns to the street and reveals that she is seriously ill, suffering from

osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk. It is the most common reason f ...

. Although Fiz is sympathetic towards her mother, Chesney cannot forgive her for the way she treated him as a child, especially when his son,

Joseph Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

(Lucca-Owen Warwick), suffers a minor injury, whilst in her care. When Cilla reveals that she has been advised to attend a clinic in

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...

, so that they can help her recover, Fiz decides to go and look after her mother, leaving Hope and Ruby in Tyrone's care. On Christmas Day, Tyrone, Hope, and Ruby go to stay with Fiz and Cilla for a few days and on his return, Tyrone reveals that Hope and Ruby will be staying with Fiz, for a while. In October 2015, it is revealed Hope is suffering from a type of

childhood cancer Childhood cancer is cancer in a child. About 80% of childhood cancer cases in high-income countries are being able to treat with modern treatments and good medical care. Yet, only 10% of children with cancer live in high-income countries where pro ...

called

neuroblastoma Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands but can also develop in the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or Vertebral column, spine. Symptoms may include ...

, plunging Fiz and Tyrone into panic. Hope was eventually cured, but Fiz and Tyrone's insistence to provide a perfect Christmas to her in case it turned out to be her last. This later gave them financial issues. In August 2019, Hope is referred to a specialist school due to her disruptive behaviour and is home taught by care worker Jade Rowan, who moves in with Fiz and Tyrone. Jade begins to orchestrate incidents with the intention of letting the blame fall on Hope in order to cause a rift between her and Fiz, while manipulating Hope into thinking she is on her side. Jade is later revealed to be the daughter of John Stape and has been attempting to avenge his death, feeling that Fiz caused his downfall and that Hope is not safe with her as a result. She enlists the help of social services in order to have Hope taken away, lying that Hope has been physically abused by Fiz at home. Fiz is subsequently investigated by social services and Hope and Ruby are removed from Fiz and Tyrone's home while they investigated. They were allowed to move back in after a short while so long as Fiz wasn't living in the same home as them. This caused a lot of turmoil for the family, who were desperate to get their lives back on track. Eventually, Tyrone finds a phone that Jade gave to Hope with evidence of Jade manipulating her. Tyrone takes this to social services and after an investigation, the allegations against Fiz are dropped and she is allowed to move back in. In March 2021, Tyrone confessed to Fiz that he was in love with Alina Pop. They tried to make their relationship work but ultimately they split the following month, with Tyrone moving in with Alina at 2a Coronation Street. The following months were difficult for Fiz, having to deal with Tyrone introducing Alina to their children, her and Tyrone fighting for custody in a short-lived custody battle, Hope setting fire to Tyrone and Alina's flat which resulted in Alina miscarrying and then the stress of Hope's conviction and trial. In July, Fiz met Phill Whittaker ( Jamie Kenna) in a chance encounter at the furniture shop and after hitting it off, they went out for a few dates. Despite liking each other, Fiz decided that she wasn't ready to date again which Phill understood. After Hope sets fire to Tyrone and Alina's flat, Fiz finds out that the parents of children in Hope's school have set up a WhatsApp group petitioning for Hope's removal. This deeply upsets Fiz, who feels that no one is fighting her corner or protecting her. Phill re-emerges and suggests that they go and get something to eat to take her mind off it and again they hit it off, but Tyrone seizes the opportunity to gatecrash the date to profess his love for Fiz while Phill is in the loo. This disgusts Fiz, who reminds Tyrone that he is engaged to Alina and that she has moved on and wants a new start. In May 2022, Fiz and Phill get engaged to be married. They got married in July 2022 but following the wedding, at the reception Fiz ends her marriage with Phill having realised that she loves Tyrone and maybe never loved Phill, but thought she did. She and Tyrone reconciled shortly thereafter. Fiz and Phill's marriage ended in

annulment Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning alm ...

just a few weeks after and later that year, Fiz and Tyrone married.

Reception

For her role as Fiz, McAlpine was nominated for "Best Actress" at the 2007 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. In 2016, Laura-Jayne Tyler from ''

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly soap opera and television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom. The magazine is currently released every Tuesday. It covers storylines featured in British and Australian soap operas that are broadcast in t ...

'' criticised Fiz' constant "nagging", writing "We do like Fiz, but it was one of those weeks where were thankful for the volume button". In 2021, McAlpine was longlisted for "Best Actress" for the ''Inside Soap'' Awards for her role as Fiz.

References

External links

Fiz Brown
at

itv.com itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 13 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers the ITVX streaming service, with sections for ITV News, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Fiz Coronation Street characters Fictional factory workers Television characters introduced in 2001 Fictional waiting staff in soap operas Fictional machinists British female characters in soap operas English female characters in television Fictional salespeople