The most recast soap characters ever – from EastEnders’ Ben Mitchell to Coronation Street’s Peter Barlow
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?
Peter Barlow (Coronation Street)
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.
Peter Beale (EastEnders)
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 characters who've been recast
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.
- Tracy Barlow: Kate Ford took on the role of Corrie legend Tracy Barlow in 2002. Before Kate, three other actresses had played Tracy – most notably Dawn Acton from 1988 to 1999.
- Nick Tilsley: Ben Price has been playing Gail’s oldest child in 2009, but the former Footballers’ Wives star is the third actor to take on the part.
- Sarah Platt: Although Tina O’Brien debuted as Sarah Platt in 1999, she is the third actress who has played the iconic role of Sarah Platt.
- David Platt: Completing the line-up of Gail’s children, David was initially played by Thomas Ormson for a decade before Jack P. Shepherd took over.
- Daniel Osbourne: For almost a decade, the role of Ken Barlow’s son Daniel has been portrayed by actor Rob Mallard. Before Rob joined, two other actors had previously played Daniel.
- Bethany Platt: Fans know Lucy Fallon as Bethany nowadays but before her, three other actresses had stepped into the character’s shoes.
- Kirk Sutherland: Before Andy Whyment took on the role of Kirk, he played by an uncredited actor in his very first appearance.
- Todd Grimshaw: Gareth Pierce stepped into the role of Todd back in 2020, becoming the second performer to play this part.
- Summer Spellman: Harriet Bibby became the second actress to play Summer, taking over the role from Matilda Freeman in 2020.
- Ryan Connor: Ryan Prescott currently plays the long-running character, but Ben Thompson and Sol Heras had earlier portrayed the role.
- Martin Fowler: Although Martin was the first baby born on-screen in EastEnders, he hasn’t always been played by the same person. His current portrayer, James Bye, is the third actor to star as the character.
- Peter Beale: Seven actors have portrayed Ian Beale’s elder son, with the current actor, Thomas Law, in his second stint as the character.
- Ben Mitchell: Ben has been played by a total of six actors – with Max Bowden bowing out of the role in March 2024.
- Bobby Beale: Before Clay Milner Russell, Ian’s younger son had been played by four other actors.
- Freddie Slater: Bobby’s best mate, Freddie Slater, had been previously played by twins Alex and Tom Kilby before Bobby Brazier took over in 2022.
- Chelsea Fox: Former Coronation Street actress Zaraah Abrahams took over the role of Chelsea in 2020. The character had been first played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010.
- Lauren Branning: Jacqueline Jossa took on the role of Lauren in 2010, succeeding Madeline Duggan who’d played her from 2006 to 2010.
- Johnny Carter: Johnny has been played by three actors since debuting in 2013 – most recently, Charlie Suff has taken on the role.
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 Tate (Emmerdale)
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?
Ben Mitchell (EastEnders)
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.
Amy Barlow (Coronation Street)
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.
Bobby Beale (EastEnders)
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).
Tracy Barlow (Coronation Street)
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.
Sarah Sugden (Emmerdale)
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.