Fiz Brown
Encyclopedia
Fiona "Fiz" Stape is a fictional character
from the British ITV1
soap opera
Coronation Street
, played by Jennie McAlpine
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 April 2001. Initially appearing for five episodes, McAlpine's contract was soon extended and Fiz became a regular character. Fiz initially appeared as a troubled teenager briefly fostered by Roy
(David Neilson
) and Hayley Cropper
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
) at the age of 15. She leaves and then returns to Coronation Street, and starts work at the Underworld factory. Fiz was involved in a murder storyline, where her lover, John Stape
(Graeme Hawley
) committed three murder
s and had Fiz help him bury the bodies. She had to impose other people in order to cover for John. She gives birth to her first daughter prematurely, so the baby had to stay incubated for a period of time. John took Hope while Fiz was in hospital. Fiz obtains her and John attempts suicide
but survives a fall from the hospital roof. Fiz is imprisoned and eventually gets into a mother and baby unit. She is later sentenced to life in prison for the murder
of Colin Fishwick (David Crellin
). She is later released on bail following John's deathbed confession.
. Fiz began dating Kirk Sutherland
(Andrew Whyment
), much to his sister Maria
's annoyance. Fiz is reacquainted with her first boyfriend, John Stape
(Graeme Hawley
), who had started work at Weatherfield High School. Fiz leaves Kirk, declining his proposal of marriage and starts a full time relationship with John. Her mother, Cilla Brown (Wendi Peters
), leaves the Street to live in Las Vegas
, leaving Chesney with Kirk. When John begins an affair with student Rosie Webster
(Helen Flanagan
), Fiz thinks he is having an affair with Rosie's mother, Sally Webster
(Sally Dynevor). However, the affair is revealed on Christmas Day 2007 when John inadvertently mixes up Fiz and Rosie's presents. When Fiz returns, she is shocked to learn what has happened but applies to be Chesney's guardian
. Chesney and Schmeichel are allowed to return home after Fiz moves into No. 5. Initially, she clashes with Kirk's girlfriend, Julie Carp
(Katy Cavanagh
). While she is happy that Kirk has moved on, she is unhappy with Julie's attempts to be Chesney's carer, feeling that it is her job. After a few months, they become friends.
Fiz receives numerous unknown phone calls. She discovers that it is ex-boyfriend, John, seeking a reconciliation but she declines his requests. He takes a job with Street Cars in order to be close to her and buys Chesney a bike for his birthday. Fiz and John strike up a close friendship, and she soon agrees to give him another chance. However, Fiz ends things again after she finds out that he is planning to move them to his grandmother's house in the country. John continues to send Fiz cards and letters while he is on remand. John goes to court and Fiz attends. He sentenced to 2 years in prison. Soon after John's kidnapping
of Rosie is revealed, Fiz gets bad news about Chesney. He and Kirk have gone to South Africa to see Cilla. Fiz's adventures are continued in Coronation Street: Out of Africa. Cilla tells Fiz that Chesney has been in an accident. When Fiz arrives, she was very upset at the sight of Chesney using a wheelchair. She is relieved, yet angry, when they tell her it is a scam to win a Sunshine Families competition with a £
500,000 prize. Fiz later returns.
Fiz decides that she loves John and wants to marry him. She proposes to John by writing a message, so she is allowed inside the prison, after talking about him being on suicide
watch. Fiz and John's meeting comes to an end and the prison officers have to physically pull John away. As he is dragged away, Fiz asks him if he will marry her or not and John instantly agrees. John sends Fiz his grandmother's engagement ring
in the post, complete with a visiting order. She sees him and he places the engagement ring on her finger. Fiz and John marry on September 28, 2009. The wedding is held inside the prison chapel but Fiz can't go through with the ceremony. She breaks down in tears, revealing that every resident of Coronation Street is against them marrying and tells a stunned John that she can't marry him without Chesney’s support. John does his best to persuade Fiz to go ahead regardless but she won't, walking out and collapsing in tears outside the prison gates. Just as it seems Fiz’s big day is doomed, Chesney arrives with Roy and Hayley. He apologises to Fiz and he is there when Fiz and John marry in the prison chapel.
Fiz is shocked to hear of the letters that John has written to the Street residents, informing them that he will soon be released and asks for their backing to live there with Fiz. The street is split down the middle: for instance, the Croppers agree, but Eddie Windass
(despite never having met John AND baked his and Fiz's wedding cake) is against it. When Sally learns of the letters, she is left fuming and angrily organises a protest meeting in the Rovers for that evening. At the meeting, Sally gives a speech against John, wanting residents to write back and refuse his request, which Dev Alahan
completely backs. However, Roy fights John's corner, with Ken Barlow
(William Roche
) pointing out John is entitled to live wherever he wants and Graeme Proctor
(Craig Gazey
) outright supports him, to the disgust to Blanche Hunt
(Maggie Jones
). As Norris Cole
expresses his neutralness, Fiz gives an impassionate speech about how John is sorry and wants to set things right, pointing out how Sally and Rosie have been compensated for John's actions. Fiz's speech is applauded by the majority of residents, much to the disgust of Sally and Dev. The residents all write back, with the overwhelming majority agreeing to let him return to Weatherfield. In mid-November, John is released.
Sally, furious that he has moved back to the street, paints the windows black that night. Fiz, furious, wants to phone the police - particularly after Sally admits what she has done in front of witnesses - but John refuses. He and Fiz spend the day scraping the paint off and accepts Graeme's help in repainting the upstairs of the house to match. Rosie doesn't seem to care that he is living across the street until, swindled out of her compensation by Luke Strong
(Craig Kelly
), tells John that she has decided to return to college and study to be a doctor. She asks him for £50,000 to fund this and is stunned when he refuses so she tries blackmailing him, claiming that he had grabbed her and locked her into Roy's Rolls, where he is now working. Sally and Kevin call the police and John is arrested but released pending further enquiries. That night in the pub, he challenges Rosie about her version of events and when unable to answer his questions, she reveals that she has lied. Furious, Kevin makes her apologise the next day and withdraw her statement to the police. Sally also apologises and asks them not to press charges. John agrees but Fiz is clearly annoyed. The Stapes and the Websters both agree to stay out of each others way.
John meets one of his ex-teacher colleagues, Colin Fishwick, in the café, who invites him and Fiz to his leaving party before he emigrates to Canada
. While there, Colin makes it clear to John that he wants out of teaching. John thinks up a plan for him to start teaching again, by stealing Colin's identity as he has a clean CRB. Fiz is initially incredulous when John tells her about his plans but she then agrees to go along with his plan and both agree to keep the truth from Chesney. Fiz and John argue and Fiz later leaves for a holiday
on her own. Fiz returns from her holiday and announces that she is 12 weeks pregnant with their first child. The couple make up and John promises to never lie to her again. Fiz goes into labour only six months in her pregnancy so is then sent to hospital and gives birth to a baby girl, whom she names Hope. Straight after her birth, Hope is then transferred straight into an incubator as she is three months premature. Due to her prematurity, her immune system is failing and is then diagnosed with an infection. Fiz is told that Hope will need a transfusion in order to fight the infection.
John has a breakdown following his involvement in three deaths, unknown to Fiz. Fiz is left alone at home with baby Hope who has now been allowed to leave the hospital. Joy Fishwick's solicitor tracks down "Colin" at Number 5. Fiz claims to be Mrs. Fishwick. The solicitor informs Fiz of Joy's death and that she handed her fortune to Colin. John returns home in March 2011 and things seem to look up, but John realises all the new things that Fiz has bought, which she explains was from money she received when the factory girls had a whip-round for her. In April 2011, John decides to stop taking his pills, despite Dr Carter's objection. Joy's solicitor turns up at Number 5, with Fiz having to pose as Mrs Fishwick again, Joy's house had been sold and the money was to be tranferred into Fiz's (i.e. Mrs Fishwicks) bank account. John is furious with Fiz for what she has done, thinking it was all over for him. John suffers another breakdown, locking himself in the bookies, after which he does a runner; Peter and Dr Carter suggest they call the police, but Fiz, knowing the potential imprisonment of both her and John decides to wait and see if he returns.
The Police arrive at Fiz's house to notify herself and Chesney that John had been caught on CCTV boarding a ferry at Holyhead
. Eventually, Fiz confesses her part to the crime and so the Police arrest Fiz for the Murder of Colin Fishwick. At the Police station Fiz is interviewed for the Murder of Colin Fishwick. Fiz is taken into custody but is released and then attends Magistrates' Court. The incident was deemed too serious so was sent to Crown Court
. Fiz is charged with 3 murders after her husband John fled the country to Ireland
. Fiz has been remanded in custody and faces trial at Crown court. Fiz is denied bail and is sent straight to Prison to await trial.
Fiz struggles with life in prison, and struggles to cope without Hope with her. She is offered a place in the Mother and Baby unit, but refuses as she feels it is not a place to bring her baby up. She becomes even worse when she is forced to clean in the mother and baby unit, as seeing other mums with their babies upsets her and reminds her of her daughter. Fiz soon changes her mind and requests a place in the unit, but is forced to wait. Horrified when she finds her cellmate, Ginny, unconscious from a drug overdose
, Fiz is shocked to discover that her friend Ruth had supplied the drugs. When Fiz plans to reveal Ruth's drug supply to the governor, but Ruth threatens to make her life a misery. Fiz eventually gets a place in the mother and baby unit, but is beaten up by Ruth and other girls when Ruth is removed from the unit for dealing drugs. Ruth and her friends continues to torment Fiz. After Ruth trashed her room, Fiz attacked her telling her to keep away from her and her baby.
Fiz's trial begins and she gives her evidence, before the jury leave to consider their verdicts. Fiz is found not guilty of the murders of Joy Fishwick and Charlotte Hoyle, but the jury find her guilty of Colin Fishwick's murder. Fiz later learns John has returned, but is in a critical condition in hospital. Fiz goes to the hospital and tells John she forgives him. John gives the police his statement and he then dies from his injuries.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Fiz was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 15 years. Fiz and Chesney were devastated. Fiz asked Chesney to organise John's funeral. He initially refuses, but after Katy convinces him, he agrees. Chesney later receives a phonecall from Fiz saying that she has been granted bail before her review.
(David Neilson
) and Hayley Cropper
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
) at the age of 15. She leaves and then returns to Coronation Street, and starts work at the Underworld factory. Her name is presumably due to her distinctive afro-like hair, however she was born as Fiona. Her mother, Cilla (Wendi Peters
) and her brother, Chesney
(Sam Aston
) are introduced when they come to live on the street with Les Battersby-Brown
(Bruce Jones). Fiz has a bad history with her mother, who has often left her in care and never put her children first.
The character of Fiz is a good hearted young woman who has made many puzzling decisions and is often unlucky in love. Actress Jennie McAlpine
stated that she would prefer the character to stay unlucky in love because she enjoys portraying the rowing and screaming that comes with it rather than seeing her character living happily ever after. Fiz's personality has taken some rapid transformations over the years. Starting out as a dopey teenage tearaway, she is now responsible for her younger brother, constantly trying to do the right thing by him and sometimes failing. When interviewed about this on the soap opera's official website, McAlpine stated: "I like Fiz, I think she is a good person. I know she does get it wrong sometimes, but she is just trying, she's just trying to get it all right, she doesn't always but she does try." During the same interview she then said: "Oh, Fiz has changed over the years. Luckily she's changed because I don't think I'd be here if she hadn't because she started off being a pretty, pretty bad girl actually, causing loads of trouble for Roy and Hayley."
Alpine admitted that her wedding plans caused her to receive a mixed reaction from viewers. On This Morning
, McAlpine revealed: "It has divided the nation - some people think she's absolutely mad. But it's funny, before I proposed and did that big thing with the banner, everyone was saying, 'Oh, I think you should marry him', and now I've taken the decision into my own hands I don't think they like it now. I think people aren't happy about it now. They liked the idea but now they are worried." McAlpine added: "He didn't mean to do it for five weeks - he didn't mean to lock her up for that long, I know that. I do believe him."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, played by Jennie McAlpine
Jennie McAlpine
Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine is a British television actress and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Fiz Stape in the well known British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 April 2001. Initially appearing for five episodes, McAlpine's contract was soon extended and Fiz became a regular character. Fiz initially appeared as a troubled teenager briefly fostered by Roy
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
(David Neilson
David Neilson
David Neilson is an English actor best known for portraying Roy Cropper in Coronation Street from 1995 onwards....
) and Hayley Cropper
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh is an English actress.Hesmondhalgh was born in Accrington, Lancashire. As a teenager, she was moderately interested in acting, but wished to become a social worker. She applied to drama school to be with her friends, and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
) at the age of 15. She leaves and then returns to Coronation Street, and starts work at the Underworld factory. Fiz was involved in a murder storyline, where her lover, John Stape
John Stape
John Stape is a fictional character from the British soap opera, Coronation Street, played by actor Graeme Hawley. He made his first on-screen appearance during the episode airing on 6 May 2007. The character departed on 3 June 2011 after four years on the show...
(Graeme Hawley
Graeme Hawley
Graeme Hawley is an English actor known for his role as John Stape in the British soap Coronation Street.-Career:He graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1996 with a degree in Drama before beginning his acting career in the theatre.He started his career off by performing on stage at...
) committed three murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
s and had Fiz help him bury the bodies. She had to impose other people in order to cover for John. She gives birth to her first daughter prematurely, so the baby had to stay incubated for a period of time. John took Hope while Fiz was in hospital. Fiz obtains her and John attempts suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
but survives a fall from the hospital roof. Fiz is imprisoned and eventually gets into a mother and baby unit. She is later sentenced to life in prison for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Colin Fishwick (David Crellin
David Crellin
David Crellin is an English actor.Crellin, who was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, is known for roles in Emmerdale as Billy Hopwood, BBC 2's BAFTA award-winning series The Cops as Alan Wakefield, and Coronation Street as gangster Jimmy Clayton...
). She is later released on bail following John's deathbed confession.
Storylines
Fiz's first appearance came as a troubled seventeen year old fostered by Roy and Hayley CropperHayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
. Fiz began dating Kirk Sutherland
Kirk Sutherland
Kirk Sutherland is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 22 May 2000, played by an uncredited actor ....
(Andrew Whyment
Andrew Whyment
Andrew "Andy" Whyment is an English television actor, best known for comedy roles, including his roles as Darren Sinclair-Jones in The Royle Family and Kirk Sutherland in the soap opera Coronation Street.-TV career:...
), much to his sister Maria
Maria Sutherland
Maria Jane Connor , is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, portrayed by actress Samia Smith. The character first appeared on-screen on 19 May 2000...
's annoyance. Fiz is reacquainted with her first boyfriend, John Stape
John Stape
John Stape is a fictional character from the British soap opera, Coronation Street, played by actor Graeme Hawley. He made his first on-screen appearance during the episode airing on 6 May 2007. The character departed on 3 June 2011 after four years on the show...
(Graeme Hawley
Graeme Hawley
Graeme Hawley is an English actor known for his role as John Stape in the British soap Coronation Street.-Career:He graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1996 with a degree in Drama before beginning his acting career in the theatre.He started his career off by performing on stage at...
), who had started work at Weatherfield High School. Fiz leaves Kirk, declining his proposal of marriage and starts a full time relationship with John. Her mother, Cilla Brown (Wendi Peters
Wendi Peters
Wendi Louise Peters is an English television and theatre character actress. Peters is married to Kenny Linden and they have one daughter together called Gracie who was born in 2000.-Film:...
), leaves the Street to live in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, leaving Chesney with Kirk. When John begins an affair with student Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 24 December 1990. Originally portrayed by actress Emma Collinge from her birth until December 1999, the character has since been...
(Helen Flanagan
Helen Flanagan
Helen Joyce Flanagan is a British actress best known for playing Rosie Webster in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.Flanagan has played Rosie Webster in Coronation Street since 2000, when she was ten years old....
), Fiz thinks he is having an affair with Rosie's mother, Sally Webster
Sally Webster
Sally Webster is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Sally Dynevor, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 27 January 1986.-Casting:...
(Sally Dynevor). However, the affair is revealed on Christmas Day 2007 when John inadvertently mixes up Fiz and Rosie's presents. When Fiz returns, she is shocked to learn what has happened but applies to be Chesney's guardian
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
. Chesney and Schmeichel are allowed to return home after Fiz moves into No. 5. Initially, she clashes with Kirk's girlfriend, Julie Carp
Julie Carp
Julie Carp is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, played by actress Katy Cavanagh...
(Katy Cavanagh
Katy Cavanagh
Katy Cavanagh in North Shields, North Tyneside and grew up in Bolton, Greater Manchester and educated at Canon Slade School is an English actress, best known for her appearances in Coronation Street in the role of Julie Carp since 2008....
). While she is happy that Kirk has moved on, she is unhappy with Julie's attempts to be Chesney's carer, feeling that it is her job. After a few months, they become friends.
Fiz receives numerous unknown phone calls. She discovers that it is ex-boyfriend, John, seeking a reconciliation but she declines his requests. He takes a job with Street Cars in order to be close to her and buys Chesney a bike for his birthday. Fiz and John strike up a close friendship, and she soon agrees to give him another chance. However, Fiz ends things again after she finds out that he is planning to move them to his grandmother's house in the country. John continues to send Fiz cards and letters while he is on remand. John goes to court and Fiz attends. He sentenced to 2 years in prison. Soon after John's kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
of Rosie is revealed, Fiz gets bad news about Chesney. He and Kirk have gone to South Africa to see Cilla. Fiz's adventures are continued in Coronation Street: Out of Africa. Cilla tells Fiz that Chesney has been in an accident. When Fiz arrives, she was very upset at the sight of Chesney using a wheelchair. She is relieved, yet angry, when they tell her it is a scam to win a Sunshine Families competition with a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
500,000 prize. Fiz later returns.
Fiz decides that she loves John and wants to marry him. She proposes to John by writing a message, so she is allowed inside the prison, after talking about him being on suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
watch. Fiz and John's meeting comes to an end and the prison officers have to physically pull John away. As he is dragged away, Fiz asks him if he will marry her or not and John instantly agrees. John sends Fiz his grandmother's engagement ring
Engagement ring
An engagement ring is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, engagement rings are traditionally worn only by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In other cultures...
in the post, complete with a visiting order. She sees him and he places the engagement ring on her finger. Fiz and John marry on September 28, 2009. The wedding is held inside the prison chapel but Fiz can't go through with the ceremony. She breaks down in tears, revealing that every resident of Coronation Street is against them marrying and tells a stunned John that she can't marry him without Chesney’s support. John does his best to persuade Fiz to go ahead regardless but she won't, walking out and collapsing in tears outside the prison gates. Just as it seems Fiz’s big day is doomed, Chesney arrives with Roy and Hayley. He apologises to Fiz and he is there when Fiz and John marry in the prison chapel.
Fiz is shocked to hear of the letters that John has written to the Street residents, informing them that he will soon be released and asks for their backing to live there with Fiz. The street is split down the middle: for instance, the Croppers agree, but Eddie Windass
Eddie Windass
Edward "Eddie" Windass is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Steve Huison, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 14 November 2008. On 5 December 2010, it was announced that Eddie is to leave Coronation Street...
(despite never having met John AND baked his and Fiz's wedding cake) is against it. When Sally learns of the letters, she is left fuming and angrily organises a protest meeting in the Rovers for that evening. At the meeting, Sally gives a speech against John, wanting residents to write back and refuse his request, which Dev Alahan
Dev Alahan
Devendra 'Dev' Alahan is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Jimmi Harkishin, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 10 November 1999.-Character development:...
completely backs. However, Roy fights John's corner, with Ken Barlow
Ken Barlow
Kenneth "Ken" Barlow is a long-standing fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by William Roache, and created by Tony Warren. He is currently the world's longest-serving soap opera character, having appeared continuously from the programme's inception in December...
(William Roche
William Roche
William Roche was a Canadian politician and merchant.Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was the son of William Roche and Susan Manning and was educated at the Halifax Academy and the Free Church Academy. Roche married Clara MacLean of Pictou. He served as an alderman for Halifax from 1849 to 1850...
) pointing out John is entitled to live wherever he wants and Graeme Proctor
Graeme Proctor
Graeme Proctor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Craig Gazey, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 18 April 2008....
(Craig Gazey
Craig Gazey
Craig Gazey is an award-winning English actor.He attended Eggbuckland Community College up until 1998, where he attended City College Plymouth, studying a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts. He then went on to attend Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and graduated in 2005...
) outright supports him, to the disgust to Blanche Hunt
Blanche Hunt
Blanche Hunt is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was originally played by Patricia Cutts; however, the actress committed suicide after appearing in just two episodes in 1974. Maggie Jones took over the role, playing Blanche in over 830 episodes between 1974 and...
(Maggie Jones
Maggie Jones
Margaret or Maggie Jones may refer to:*Maggie Jones, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, British Labour politician*Maggie Jones , British actress in TV soap opera Coronation Street...
). As Norris Cole
Norris Cole
Norris Benjamin Cole is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Malcolm Hebden, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 11 March 1994 and remained until his departure on 14 April 1997, only to return on 1 December...
expresses his neutralness, Fiz gives an impassionate speech about how John is sorry and wants to set things right, pointing out how Sally and Rosie have been compensated for John's actions. Fiz's speech is applauded by the majority of residents, much to the disgust of Sally and Dev. The residents all write back, with the overwhelming majority agreeing to let him return to Weatherfield. In mid-November, John is released.
Sally, furious that he has moved back to the street, paints the windows black that night. Fiz, furious, wants to phone the police - particularly after Sally admits what she has done in front of witnesses - but John refuses. He and Fiz spend the day scraping the paint off and accepts Graeme's help in repainting the upstairs of the house to match. Rosie doesn't seem to care that he is living across the street until, swindled out of her compensation by Luke Strong
Luke Strong
Luke Strong is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Craig Kelly, the character appeared throughout 2009. Luke took over Carla Gordon's share of the Underworld factory with Tony Gordon...
(Craig Kelly
Craig Kelly (actor)
Craig Kelly is a British actor, best known for his role as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.-Biography:...
), tells John that she has decided to return to college and study to be a doctor. She asks him for £50,000 to fund this and is stunned when he refuses so she tries blackmailing him, claiming that he had grabbed her and locked her into Roy's Rolls, where he is now working. Sally and Kevin call the police and John is arrested but released pending further enquiries. That night in the pub, he challenges Rosie about her version of events and when unable to answer his questions, she reveals that she has lied. Furious, Kevin makes her apologise the next day and withdraw her statement to the police. Sally also apologises and asks them not to press charges. John agrees but Fiz is clearly annoyed. The Stapes and the Websters both agree to stay out of each others way.
John meets one of his ex-teacher colleagues, Colin Fishwick, in the café, who invites him and Fiz to his leaving party before he emigrates to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. While there, Colin makes it clear to John that he wants out of teaching. John thinks up a plan for him to start teaching again, by stealing Colin's identity as he has a clean CRB. Fiz is initially incredulous when John tells her about his plans but she then agrees to go along with his plan and both agree to keep the truth from Chesney. Fiz and John argue and Fiz later leaves for a holiday
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
on her own. Fiz returns from her holiday and announces that she is 12 weeks pregnant with their first child. The couple make up and John promises to never lie to her again. Fiz goes into labour only six months in her pregnancy so is then sent to hospital and gives birth to a baby girl, whom she names Hope. Straight after her birth, Hope is then transferred straight into an incubator as she is three months premature. Due to her prematurity, her immune system is failing and is then diagnosed with an infection. Fiz is told that Hope will need a transfusion in order to fight the infection.
John has a breakdown following his involvement in three deaths, unknown to Fiz. Fiz is left alone at home with baby Hope who has now been allowed to leave the hospital. Joy Fishwick's solicitor tracks down "Colin" at Number 5. Fiz claims to be Mrs. Fishwick. The solicitor informs Fiz of Joy's death and that she handed her fortune to Colin. John returns home in March 2011 and things seem to look up, but John realises all the new things that Fiz has bought, which she explains was from money she received when the factory girls had a whip-round for her. In April 2011, John decides to stop taking his pills, despite Dr Carter's objection. Joy's solicitor turns up at Number 5, with Fiz having to pose as Mrs Fishwick again, Joy's house had been sold and the money was to be tranferred into Fiz's (i.e. Mrs Fishwicks) bank account. John is furious with Fiz for what she has done, thinking it was all over for him. John suffers another breakdown, locking himself in the bookies, after which he does a runner; Peter and Dr Carter suggest they call the police, but Fiz, knowing the potential imprisonment of both her and John decides to wait and see if he returns.
The Police arrive at Fiz's house to notify herself and Chesney that John had been caught on CCTV boarding a ferry at Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. Eventually, Fiz confesses her part to the crime and so the Police arrest Fiz for the Murder of Colin Fishwick. At the Police station Fiz is interviewed for the Murder of Colin Fishwick. Fiz is taken into custody but is released and then attends Magistrates' Court. The incident was deemed too serious so was sent to Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
. Fiz is charged with 3 murders after her husband John fled the country to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Fiz has been remanded in custody and faces trial at Crown court. Fiz is denied bail and is sent straight to Prison to await trial.
Fiz struggles with life in prison, and struggles to cope without Hope with her. She is offered a place in the Mother and Baby unit, but refuses as she feels it is not a place to bring her baby up. She becomes even worse when she is forced to clean in the mother and baby unit, as seeing other mums with their babies upsets her and reminds her of her daughter. Fiz soon changes her mind and requests a place in the unit, but is forced to wait. Horrified when she finds her cellmate, Ginny, unconscious from a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
, Fiz is shocked to discover that her friend Ruth had supplied the drugs. When Fiz plans to reveal Ruth's drug supply to the governor, but Ruth threatens to make her life a misery. Fiz eventually gets a place in the mother and baby unit, but is beaten up by Ruth and other girls when Ruth is removed from the unit for dealing drugs. Ruth and her friends continues to torment Fiz. After Ruth trashed her room, Fiz attacked her telling her to keep away from her and her baby.
Fiz's trial begins and she gives her evidence, before the jury leave to consider their verdicts. Fiz is found not guilty of the murders of Joy Fishwick and Charlotte Hoyle, but the jury find her guilty of Colin Fishwick's murder. Fiz later learns John has returned, but is in a critical condition in hospital. Fiz goes to the hospital and tells John she forgives him. John gives the police his statement and he then dies from his injuries.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Fiz was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 15 years. Fiz and Chesney were devastated. Fiz asked Chesney to organise John's funeral. He initially refuses, but after Katy convinces him, he agrees. Chesney later receives a phonecall from Fiz saying that she has been granted bail before her review.
Background
Fiz initially appeared as a troubled teenager briefly fostered by RoyRoy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
(David Neilson
David Neilson
David Neilson is an English actor best known for portraying Roy Cropper in Coronation Street from 1995 onwards....
) and Hayley Cropper
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
(Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Julie Hesmondhalgh is an English actress.Hesmondhalgh was born in Accrington, Lancashire. As a teenager, she was moderately interested in acting, but wished to become a social worker. She applied to drama school to be with her friends, and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art...
) at the age of 15. She leaves and then returns to Coronation Street, and starts work at the Underworld factory. Her name is presumably due to her distinctive afro-like hair, however she was born as Fiona. Her mother, Cilla (Wendi Peters
Wendi Peters
Wendi Louise Peters is an English television and theatre character actress. Peters is married to Kenny Linden and they have one daughter together called Gracie who was born in 2000.-Film:...
) and her brother, Chesney
Chesney Brown
Chesney Brown is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Sam Aston, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 14 November 2003....
(Sam Aston
Sam Aston
Samuel David "Sam" Aston is an English child actor, best known for having played, since 2003, the role of Chesney Battersby-Brown on Britain's longest running soap opera, Coronation Street...
) are introduced when they come to live on the street with Les Battersby-Brown
Les Battersby-Brown
Leslie Nelson "Les" Battersby-Brown is a fictional character on the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. He was played by Bruce Jones...
(Bruce Jones). Fiz has a bad history with her mother, who has often left her in care and never put her children first.
Characterisation
The character first appears onscreen during the episode airing on 22 April 2001.The character of Fiz is a good hearted young woman who has made many puzzling decisions and is often unlucky in love. Actress Jennie McAlpine
Jennie McAlpine
Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine is a British television actress and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Fiz Stape in the well known British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...
stated that she would prefer the character to stay unlucky in love because she enjoys portraying the rowing and screaming that comes with it rather than seeing her character living happily ever after. Fiz's personality has taken some rapid transformations over the years. Starting out as a dopey teenage tearaway, she is now responsible for her younger brother, constantly trying to do the right thing by him and sometimes failing. When interviewed about this on the soap opera's official website, McAlpine stated: "I like Fiz, I think she is a good person. I know she does get it wrong sometimes, but she is just trying, she's just trying to get it all right, she doesn't always but she does try." During the same interview she then said: "Oh, Fiz has changed over the years. Luckily she's changed because I don't think I'd be here if she hadn't because she started off being a pretty, pretty bad girl actually, causing loads of trouble for Roy and Hayley."
Storyline development
Alpine said that her emotional scenes with Hawley (John Stape) were very draining and very hard work. She told The Mirror: "It's been very draining. Not emotionally, because I never take my work home with me, but genuinely physically exhausting. It's tiring having to cry continuously and I take a long time to recover from that. My face goes all red and my eyes sting for ages afterwards. I'm not a good crier!". She added: "I've always been a huge Corrie fan. Being a Northern girl it was always on in my living room. And even today, I love sitting down and catching up with what's going on. This is my dream job."Alpine admitted that her wedding plans caused her to receive a mixed reaction from viewers. On This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, McAlpine revealed: "It has divided the nation - some people think she's absolutely mad. But it's funny, before I proposed and did that big thing with the banner, everyone was saying, 'Oh, I think you should marry him', and now I've taken the decision into my own hands I don't think they like it now. I think people aren't happy about it now. They liked the idea but now they are worried." McAlpine added: "He didn't mean to do it for five weeks - he didn't mean to lock her up for that long, I know that. I do believe him."
External links
- Profile of Fiz Brown at ITV soaps
- Profile of Fiz Brown at What's on TV