Coronation Street star Faye Brookes played Kate Connor in the show.
She was at the heart of the drama on the cobbles as Kate, as a member of the Connor family. Kate had a romance with Rana Nazir that proved so popular with fans that the couple were known as Kana.
Faye left Weatherfield back in 2019 and has been busy treading the boards in theatre, and wowing audiences in Dancing On Ice since then. So what’s her story? And is her off-screen love life as eventful as her alter ego’s?
Where is Faye Brookes from?
Faye was born in Stretford in Manchester, which means she is a true local in Corrie terms! She was born in September 1987, making her 35 years old.
Is she married to Gareth Gates?
Faye’s career began on the stage and in 2012, while starring as Elle Woods in a production of Legally Blonde, she met and fell in love with Pop Idol runner up Gareth Gates, who was playing Elle’s ex-boyfriend Warner.
The pair were smitten with each other and even launched their own stage school, called Fates Academy.
But in 2018, after six years together, they split.
They rekindled their romance a few months later, and Gareth proposed to Faye, serenading her with a song he’d written for the occasion.
But though they were making wedding plans, the pair split for good in 2019.
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Now Faye is happily dating personal trainer Joe Davies and often shares loved-up posts on her Instagram. Aww!
Who did Faye Brookes play in Corrie?
Faye joined Corrie as Kate Connor in 2015. Feisty, smart Kate was engaged to Caz Hammond and waiting for her to return from the army, when she made a life for herself in Weatherfield.
But when Caz came home, the pair split over her possessive behaviour, and Kate instead found love with Rana Nazir.
Though their romance wasn’t easy – Rana was married to Zeedan Nazir for a start – they eventually got engaged and planned their dream wedding.
But before they made it down the aisle, Rana was killed in the factory roof collapse (hard stare at Gary Windass) and Kate was heartbroken.
Six months later, she left the cobbles behind to travel the world. Kate is mentioned fairly regularly by big sister Carla, and dad Johnny was planning on joining her before his untimely demise. But she’s not been back to Weatherfield since.
Why did Faye leave Corrie?
Faye’s departure from Weatherfield came as a shock to fans because a few months earlier – after Bhavna Limbachia, AKA Rana, left – she’d declared she was going nowhere.
But a few months later she announced her time on the cobbles was up. Though the door was left open for her to return one day.
What is she doing now? Could she return to Corrie?
After a successful stint in the 2021 series of Dancing on Ice, where she came second, Faye’s gone back to her first love – theatre.
She’s been starring in a touring production of Chicago, earning rave reviews from fans, and she’s clearly been loving every minute!
There are no plans for her to return to Coronation Street, but never say never!
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Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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