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Soaps

Maddie Heath: Coronation Street’s tragic hero and Amy James-Kelly’s career update

She was a complex but brilliant Corrie character....

Maddie Heath was a love interest of Sophie Webster on Coronation Street.

Sophie’s mum Sally initially absolutely hated Maddie, but Maddie later proved herself to be a hero.

Played by Amy James-Kelly she was a Corrie character that without a doubt ‘shook things up’ on the cobbles.

Read more: Meet the Cast of Three Families on BBC One

But what happened to her? And what is actress Amy James-Kelly up to now?

We take a look…

Who was Maddie on Corrie?

Maddie Heath first appeared in Coronation Street in December 2013.

Sophie Webster befriends Maddie while she is volunteering at a soup kitchen.

maddie heath and sophie webster
Sophie met Maddie at a homeless shelter (Credit: ITV)

Maddie is homeless and completely down on her luck. Sophie’s mum Sally distrusts her from the start, and accuses her of stealing her handbag and her watch.

But Sophie convinces her mum not to call the police and continues a friendship with Maddie.

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This soon turns to romance, and Maddie also reveals that her mother is mentally unwell and her brother is in foster care.

Sally is disgusted at the relationship and Sophie moves out to live with Maddie on the streets.

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Eventually her dad Kevin lets them move in with him.

Maddie later gets a job at the Underworld and is subsequently involved in a minibus accident.

After boy races drive Steve McDonald’s vehicle off the road – Maddie helped pull her boss Carla to safety – risking her own life in the process.

What happened to Maddie Heath?

Maddie sadly came to an absolutely tragic end. In May 2015, Maddie discovers Kevin’s new girlfriend, Jenny Bradley, is trying to kidnap his son Jack.

Jenny attacks her, but she’s able to escape. As she runs to find Sophie, she’s hit and injured during an explosion at the Builder’s Yard.

Rushed to hospital, she dies several days later, while surrounded by Sophie, Kevin and Sally. She was just 18.

maddie heath death
Maddie died aged just 18 (Credit: ITV)

There was some criticism about her death at the time. Some viewers argued that gay characters often seem to be killed off in television series.

Earlier this year Amy addressed this issue during an interview with Metro.

Here she said: “Back in my late teens, being a straight white woman who had a good education and really good career opportunities from a young age, it wasn’t anything that rang alarm bells with me because again, I would probably be considered quite sheltered in that respect, because I’m not part of a minority.

“From the point of view of a gay woman, seeing yourself represented on screen as constantly being killed off, yes that absolutely must be damaging and it’s something that again I could never hope to understand.”

maddie heath
Maddie was a memorable but short-lived Corrie star (Credit: ITV)

Despite this, it was Amy’s decision to leave the soap.

She said at the time of her departure: “I made the decision to leave because I’m young and adventurous, and I want to gain more experience and explore and improve my craft.”

How long was Maddie on Corrie for?

Maddie was on Corrie from December 2013 to June 2015. Amy James-Kelly was only initially cast for a few episodes but her contract was extended after she impressed Corrie bosses with her powerful portrayal of Maddie.

What is Amy James-Kelly up to now?

Amy James-Kelly, now 26, continues to be an in-demand actress.

Since leaving Coronation Street, she’s gone on to have various roles in mainstream television.

You may recognise her for her role in the Netflix series Safe as Jenny Delaney.

Or as Suzannah Washington in the BBC hit series Gentleman Jack.

three families bbc
Amy in Three Families (Credit: BBC)

She’s also had additional roles in the likes of The Bay, Jericho and the movie Military Wives.

What’s more, she has a lead role in the new BBC series Three Families.

This two-part series explores abortion laws in Northern Ireland.

Amy James-Kelly stars as Hannah Kennedy, a newlywed expecting a baby.

She is devastated to discover her baby won’t survive pregnancy. And even more distraught when she realises her legal options are limited.

*Three Families is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.

So what do you think? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor