Tracy Barlow

Coronation Street's Tracy Barlow will put her relationship before her own daughter as she tries to secure more commitment from boyfriend Rob Donovan.

Tracy decides that she wants to live with Rob (Marc Baylis) next week, but she knows that he may need some convincing as he is not ready to be a stepfather to Amy.

Viewers will see that an interfering Peter (Chris Gascoyne) is responsible for planting the idea in Tracy's head, questioning why she hasn't moved in with Rob now that they have a business together.

Kate Ford, who plays Tracy, told itv.com: "It definitely strikes a nerve when Peter says that Rob will never see her that way and only cares about himself.

"Tracy is willing to do anything to move in with Rob, even if it means palming Amy off on Steve and her mum more often.

"She knows one of the reasons Rob's reluctant to move in with her is because he fears he won't be a good stepdad to Amy, and that's not really the life he wants right now.

"So to solve this problem, she persuades Steve to have Amy four nights a week and Deirdre the other three."

Ford added: "Tracy is very good at twisting people round her finger. Rob's got everything she wants in a man - he's ambitious and driven, he shares her ruthless streak."

Coronation Street continues tonight (July 29) at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.

Coronation Street star Kate Ford has admitted that she doesn't know whether there is a genuine love between her character Tracy Barlow and boyfriend Rob Donovan.

The pair have been dating for most of the year and are now mixing business with pleasure as they launch their own second hand shop.

However, asked whether Tracy really loves Rob, Ford replied: "I think she thinks she does. He's got everything she wants in a man - he's ambitious and driven, and he shares her ruthless streak.

"Life with Rob is exciting, he's a bit dangerous and of course he's easy on the eye. He's a challenge, he's exciting and I think they're a good match for each other.

"Whether they truly love each other rather than the lifestyle, only time will tell."

She continued: "Rob is certainly a match for Tracy and he gives as good as he gets, which I think she needs, otherwise she'd get bored. Deep down, though, I wonder if she does want someone who's more ready to settle down and take an active role in Amy's life, which is why she obsessed over Steve for so long.

"Although if she ever got what she wanted I'm still not sure she'd be happy. Tracy always wants more and she thinks she deserves more out of life than she's had. At least this time she's prepared to do some work for it."

Ford promised that fans can expect much more drama to come for Tracy as she and Rob continue to feud with Peter and Carla.

The couple will also face off in a power struggle of their own, with Tracy determined to prove that she is Rob's equal at the shop rather than his employee.

Ford said: "There's a lot more to come with this storyline. There's the power struggle between Rob and Tracy, but also between Rob and Tracy and Peter and Carla as well.

"Then there's the business, which isn't very popular in some people's eyes, and when the ethics of their business is called into question, Tracy comes out fighting. She's determined that no-one is going to ruin this for her and she'll take on anyone who challenges her to protect her business."

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Coronation Street star Kate Ford has suggested that her character Tracy Barlow is jealous of Tina McIntyre.

It was revealed earlier this week that Tracy would start a feud with Tina (Michelle Keegan) after she rips off Dennis Tanner in Barlow's Buys.

Ford said: "They have never really seen eye to eye! I think Tracy is maybe a little bit jealous of Tina because of course she's young and pretty and Tracy feels very threatened by that and worries that maybe Rob might fancy her.

"Tina's also really mouthy and doesn't back down if she's got a bee in her bonnet and Tracy's very much like that too. When it comes to pretty, feisty females Tracy can get quite rattled!

"I think she just gets frustrated because Tina's a fair bit younger than she is and Tracy probably doesn't feel as attractive as she once did. Tracy can be really jealous! There is more to come I think."
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Tina has to deal with a gloating Tracy.
© ITV
Tina has to deal with a gloating Tracy.


Ford also revealed that Tracy still harbours feelings for her ex-husband Steve, saying: "She will always love him. She's not as bothered by him now as her focus is elsewhere.

"Tracy's getting attention elsewhere and has this new business venture to crack on with. But she'll always have a soft spot for Steve. He's the father of her child and her feelings for him were genuine. Having Rob is helping, though."

Coronation Street's Tracy Barlow has a tough decision to make next week after she learns of Rob and Tina's secret kiss.

Tracy is naturally furious to learn of her boyfriend's betrayal, but she is soon given food for thought when everyone advises her not to let Rob (Marc Baylis) go so easily.

Here, Kate Ford - who plays Tracy - reveals how her character reacts to the bombshell.

Is Tracy happy with how her relationship with Rob is progressing?
"I think this is probably the most successful relationship Tracy has ever had. They don't seem to argue much apart from their little bickering. They do seem to get on really well and Tracy really likes Rob. They laugh a lot and they seem to get each other.

"At the moment Tracy doesn't have a clue that Rob has betrayed her. He's exactly the same and behaves in the same way, so she doesn't have any inkling that Rob has kissed Tina. The first time she has any reason to doubt Rob is when Norris mentions it, as he's overheard Tina talking about it."

How does Tracy react when Norris breaks the news to her?
"She just can't believe it. She can't believe that she could be going back to square one. Every relationship that she's had so far hasn't gone well for her, so she doesn't want to even consider that this man who she thinks is better than the rest could have betrayed her. Tracy gives Rob the benefit of the doubt, because she wants to think that he wouldn't do that to her."

Does Tracy have any reason to doubt Rob?
"She becomes really worried. Rob tells Tracy that he doesn't fancy Tina, so that makes her question him even more. Who wouldn't fancy Tina? She's gorgeous! If he'd just said that he found her attractive but didn't do anything, then Tracy may have believed him. The fact that he tells her he doesn't find Tina attractive makes her think that he's lying."

What happens when Tracy confronts Rob about this?
"She's in Barlow's Buys, he looks at her and tells her that no-one else does it for him and that she's the one. I really believe he's being honest with her as well. Rob snogged Tina because she's pretty, but he does really care for Tracy and she does do it for him.

"But perhaps Rob should have been honest with her and told her that. Instead, he tells her that he didn't kiss Tina, but this makes Tracy unsure. She goes to The Rovers and tricks Tina into confessing. She loses it at this point and throws drinks in both Rob and Tina's faces. She's completely heartbroken."


Does Tracy mean it when she chucks Rob out and tells him it's over?
"Yes, I think she does mean it, but Deirdre asks her if she's being too hasty. Rob is a good guy, he hasn't slept with Tina and he's obviously into her. Even Tina says that Tracy is making a mistake if she lets Rob go. I think people can see that Rob obviously does like her and Tracy is overreacting. She really likes him too and I think she's definitely met her match with Rob."

After the break-up, Carla starts trying to play matchmaker between Rob and Tina. Is Tracy aware of that?
"She's not aware. She walks into the Bistro and finds Rob and Tina sat with Carla and Peter and she's so angry. She can't believe that he would be sat having dinner with Tina after everything he'd said to her about her being the one. But Rob had no idea Tina was going to be there. He thought he was going for dinner with Carla."

Does Rob make it clear that he wants to get back with Tracy?
"He does. Rob really wears his heart on his sleeve and he's so sad to think he might lose her."

Does Tracy cook up some revenge for Rob?
"She's not exactly cooking up revenge, but she does try to sell his stuff at Barlow's Buys. I think this is her way of getting back at him for hurting her. Afterwards, Rob's very angry at her for selling his things. She has overreacted, but you don't cross Tracy. Rob warns her that he won't spend his life apologising for one stupid mistake, and this does make Tracy think.

"Rob has kissed someone so Tracy does feel completely in her rights to behave the way she has, but she also doesn't want to lose him, so she does forgive him after a while."


Why does she forgive him?
"She really likes him and I think she wants all the drama of her past relationships to be just that, a thing of the past. She's had nothing but ups and downs in her relationships and this is the one that has been the most peaceful."

Do you think Tracy will have less trust in Rob now?
"Yes I think it will make her trust him less. I think any woman would trust their partner less if they'd snogged someone else. But Tracy can either forgive and forget or not. If she chooses not to, she could lose Rob and she really doesn't want that to happen."

Would you be upset if Tracy and Rob did split up?
"Personally yes. I really love working with Marc. He's great and we have such a laugh together, but I also think the chemistry between the two characters is really good. I can believe the relationship between them and I really think they suit each other."

Should Tina watch her back now that she's crossed Tracy?
"Tina's always had to watch her back with Tracy. She's never been particularly fond of Tina, as she's probably a bit jealous of her to be honest!

Coronation Street's Kate Ford has opened up about the breakdown of her marriage to TV producer Jon Connerty.

Following their separation last year, Ford - who plays Tracy Barlow in the ITV soap - and Connerty are divorcing after seven years of marriage.

In an interview with The Sun, Ford said that the separation was "incredibly painful", but acting in Coronation Street helped her to move on.

"When Jon and I first parted it was quite hard to put my personal life aside," Ford explained.

"But then it became therapeutic to concentrate on my job. People call it 'Doctor Theatre' - when you're acting, you can't worry about things."

She continued: "We really tried hard to make it work. But it came to the point when we knew we had to get a divorce.

"Things had changed and it wasn't what it was. But it was incredibly painful. For a while after we split, I found it hard to get out of bed.

"I wasn't at work at the time, and I'd drop Otis off at school and go back to bed until I picked him up.

"And now, 14 months on, what happened doesn't consume me as much as it used to. It used to consume me every minute of every single day."

Ford also spoke about her character's upcoming wedding to Rob Donovan, explaining how she'll miss working opposite Marc Baylis.

"The wedding planning scenes didn't upset me because I didn't draw the parallel with my own life," she said. "I could switch off from it. I was going through it as someone else. The scenes were still quite emotional, though, because they meant the end of me acting opposite Marc.

"I've loved working with him because he's such a great guy and so much fun. We laughed all the time. I will really miss him a lot."

Ford also admitted that because of Tracy's past, she's unsure whether viewers will feel sympathy with her character at the conclusion of the Tina McIntyre murder storyline.

Tracy Barlow was recently named 'Best Bitch' at the Inside Soap Awards.

At least it was not all over the papers. Sad that more and more marriages are failing. Lots of pressures out there

Coronation Street is lining up more trouble between Tracy and Carla Barlow as the animosity between them is only just beginning.

The two characters have never seen eye-to-eye and relations between them will hit an all-time low following the departures of Rob Donovan and Peter Barlow.

Tracy and Rob's wedding day arrives next week, but the couple are not destined for a happy ending as the truth about Rob's murder of Tina McIntyre will soon come to light.

Show bosses are keeping tight-lipped about whether Rob manages to tie the knot with Tracy before the truth is revealed. However, it has been confirmed that Carla will ultimately do the right thing by reporting her brother and securing Peter's freedom after she hears the truth from Rob.

Coronation Street's producer Stuart Blackburn commented: "Peter and Rob are two men who are drawn back to the memory of Tina McIntyre. They're two men who have done really terrible things in their own way. The soap gods will have their justice eventually, it's just when that justice comes and what form it takes.

"Obviously at the centre are Carla and Tracy too - two women bound together by their shared love of Rob and their absolute hatred of each other. Think Mike Baldwin and Ken Barlow back in the day! This story is going to run and run between those two, long after the wedding episodes are over."

Kate Ford, who plays Tracy, added: "The thing with Tracy is that when she's hurt, then she becomes quite vicious. When she's in a good place she's actually quite a nice person, but most of her behaviour is reactionary so because she's so hurt, you're going to see her bitchy side come out. You don't want to cross her.

"Tracy 100% blames Carla. She cannot understand how it is anyone else's fault but Carla's. She feels like Carla should have kept her mouth shut. Tracy doesn't care that Carla has got Peter out of prison.

"She just sees Carla having everything and this woman has taken away her chance of happiness. Carla's business is booming, Tracy's hits the skids and their lifestyles are very different. Tracy resents her for it. She is out for revenge. She wants to take away her happiness."

I read that Tracy will have a new man in her bed by Christmas so who could it be, Tony, Kal's son, Callum or Michael's son

Tony