Archive March 9, 2025

Former Coronation Street star Wendi Peters lives a very different life after shooting to fame as the iconic Cilla Battersby-Brown.

Swapping the cobbles for the theatre stages, Wendi is currently starring as Florence Foster Jenkins in the production of Glorious, a musical playing now at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. The show tells the story of an American socialite based in the 1940s who drew a devoted crowd from her opera performances despite her awful singing.

Now an established musical theatre star, Wendi’s role in Glorious follows her tour with last years Sister Act: The Musical.

Looking unrecognisable from her flame-haired and pink-lipped Corrie character, Wendi has teased that she is not opposed to returning to the soap.

In 2023, Wendi went through another major life change as she split with husband Kenny Linden after 30 years of marriage. A year later Wendi went revealed her new relationship with Gareth Wale, a carpet fitter.

Wendi and Kenny share daughter Gracie. On her journey with IVF, Peters shared the parents had looked into adoption after having Gracie as “it took seven attempts to have her. Then we had two more attempts after her to have another child, and then we gave up”.

The mother added that a lot of thought was put into this decision and that the pair “discussed it and thought about it”, but due to them both having jobs as actors, “thought it wasn’t really something]they] felt]they] would be able to give]their] full attention to”.

She continued, saying: “You do consider all options, but then we thought” instead of worrying about what we haven’t got, let’s enjoy what we have got. It took such a long time to have her, let’s just enjoy life with her now””. Now 24 years olds, Gracie received a dedicated birthday post on Instagram from the Musical theatre star. The mum wrote: “How can you be 24!!! Happiest birthdays to me beautiful, kind baby. Have a fabulous day… love you Grooves xx”, below a thread of pictures of her blonde mini-me.

Now dating a younger Gareth, 54, Wendi appears to be totally in love months on. In November, the 57 year old spoke to The Sun on her new relationship, sharing that “moving in]was] certainly something]they] might consider”. Living in Buckinghamshire at the time, and her boyfriend from Leicester, the pair have date one and a half years already.

And though she admitted to finding it “very hard continuing a relationship when you’re 150 miles away from each other, with very different work hours”, the ex ‘ Corrie ‘ actress is still in no rush to wed again. She said: “I was married a long time, and I mean, never say never to doing it again” but, “at the moment, I just don’t really see the need”. The pair have made an effort to travel together, jetting off to Crete, Greece, as well booking romantic staycations like their trip to the Cotswolds – which the star shared on socials.

Peters ‘ soap son ‘ Sam Ashton has also found success elsewhere, making it to the DOI final after a blunder from judge Christopher Dean who ‘ forgot ‘ to put in Sam’s score.

Chris became flustered over his mishap when asked after his score, shouting: “Oh f****** heck, I forgot to put that in”, later explaining that he “got so excited with]Sam’s] performance that]he] forgot to give a mark”. Viewers were alarmed, despite a shortly followed apology from the judge, one saying: “Did Christopher Dean just drop an F bomb”? and another asking “did Christ just go F****** Heck. #dancingonice”.

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