Maxine and Joshua Peacock with an inset of Claire and Joshua
Soaps

Exploring Joshua Peacock’s family drama in Coronation Street

His young life on the Street was full of tragedy

Joshua Peacock in Coronation Street was the son of murder victim Maxine Peacock.

Her husband Ashley brought Joshua up as his own son, but was he really the little lad’s dad?

Here’s everything you need to know about the fractured family.

Maxine Peacock cuddles baby Joshua
Maxine was devoted to baby Joshua (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Who was Joshua Peacock in Coronation Street?

Joshua was born in April 2002, making him almost 21 years old now.

His life on Coronation Street was full of tragedy and heartbreak but we still hope he could return one day!

Who were Joshua’s parents?

Maxine Peacock and her husband Ashley were trying for a long time to have a baby after they got married. But when she didn’t get pregnant, they went for tests.

It was discovered the problem lay with Ashley but the good news was, a small procedure would have him – ahem – firing on all cylinders.

But Maxine had been growing closer to the Peacocks’ next-door neighbour Matt Ramsden, local GP and all-round hunk. And when Ashley went in to hospital to have his op, she and Matt ended up sleeping together.

When Maxine found out she was up the duff, she didn’t know who the baby’s dad was.

Ashley found out about the fling but the pair reconciled and they agreed to put Ashley on the birth certificate no matter what happened.

In the end, Joshua’s dad was revealed to be Matt Ramsden – but there was a tragedy in store before the truth came out.

Maxine and Ashley wedding
Maxine and Ashley were happy despite their troubles (Credit: ITV/YouTube)

Maxine’s brutal murder

When Joshua was just nine months old his mother Maxine was murdered by serial killer Richard Hillman.

Heartbroken Ashley decided to do a DNA test to see if he was Joshua’s real dad and discovered that Matt was the daddy.

But he decided it didn’t change the way he felt about his son.

Claire and Ashley Peacock with Joshua
Claire and Ashley were a happy family until tragedy struck again (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Ashley, Claire and Joshua Peacock in Coronation Street

Ashley met nanny Claire and they soon fell in love and got married.

Claire adored Joshua and loved him like a mum and when she had baby Freddie in 2006, the Peacocks were a happy family once more.

Claire Peacock leaves with her sons
Claire managed to escape the wrath of Tracy Barlow (Credit: TV/Shutterstock)

More tragedy

At the end of 2010, Ashley died in the dramatic tram crash, leaving Claire devastated.

Shortly after his death, Claire got into an altercation with Tracy Barlow, who’d not long been released from prison. Tracy vowed to see Claire behind bars for attacking her.

Claire’s friends in the Street helped her and the boys escape to France where they started a new life.

And we would love to see them back on the cobbles where they belong!

Perhaps Joshua could open a new butcher’s shop in the precinct, just like his dad and grandad, Fred Elliott.

Read more: Coronation Street who’s leaving in 2023?

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Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.

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Kerry Barrett
Freelance Soap Writer