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The character has been praised by crime reduction charity [[Nacro]],<ref name="nacro"/> and has been referred to as a "''Coronation Street'' icon",<ref name="dsmanet">{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a167692/coronation-streets-becky-recreates-manet-art.html|title='Coronation Street's Becky recreates Manet art|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|first=Kris|last=Green|date=27 July 2009|accessdate=2009-08-04}}</ref> and one of the show's most popular characters.<ref name="pop">{{cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/02/02/coronation-street-s-siren-becky-granger-the-real-story-from-the-actress-who-plays-her-katherine-kelly-115875-21091604/|title=Coronation Street's siren Becky Granger - the real story, from the actress who plays her, Katherine Kelly|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|publisher=[[Trinity Mirror]]|first=Beth|last=Neil|date=2 February 2009|accessdate=2009-08-04}}</ref> Her tendency to smoke when under stress and litter the streets with cigarette butts has been criticised by UK environmental agencies. Kelly has won three awards for her portrayal of Becky, and has been nominated for a further five.
The character has been praised by crime reduction charity [[Nacro]],<ref name="nacro"/> and has been referred to as a "''Coronation Street'' icon",<ref name="dsmanet">{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a167692/coronation-streets-becky-recreates-manet-art.html|title='Coronation Street's Becky recreates Manet art|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|first=Kris|last=Green|date=27 July 2009|accessdate=2009-08-04}}</ref> and one of the show's most popular characters.<ref name="pop">{{cite web|url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/02/02/coronation-street-s-siren-becky-granger-the-real-story-from-the-actress-who-plays-her-katherine-kelly-115875-21091604/|title=Coronation Street's siren Becky Granger - the real story, from the actress who plays her, Katherine Kelly|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|publisher=[[Trinity Mirror]]|first=Beth|last=Neil|date=2 February 2009|accessdate=2009-08-04}}</ref> Her tendency to smoke when under stress and litter the streets with cigarette butts has been criticised by UK environmental agencies. Kelly has won three awards for her portrayal of Becky, and has been nominated for a further five.

==Early Life==
Born Rebecca Granger in 1981, she lived with her abusived, drug addict mother, until she was abandoned at age 7, left to fend for herself until she was taken into care. She has mentioned she has lived with numerous foter familes, none of them willing to adopt her as she was somewhat of a "wild child". Granger attended many schools, stating she had been expelled from most of them because of her behaviour. Granger is known well for her smoking habbit.


==Development==
==Development==

Revision as of 11:27, 6 April 2010

Becky McDonald
Coronation Street character
Becky McDonald in 2009
Portrayed byKatherine Kelly
Duration2006—
First appearance5 February 2006
In-universe information
OccupationBarmaid
ParentsMother (deceased)
Father (unknown)
SpouseSteve McDonald (2009—)
ChildrenAmy Barlow (step-daughter)
two Unborn daughters

Rebecca "Becky" McDonald (née Granger) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actress Katherine Kelly. The character first appeared on-screen on 5 February 2006.[1] Kelly was initially contracted to appear in the soap for three months, but became a series regular after impressing the show's producers. She later extended her contract until 2011. Becky's storylines have focused on her friendship with Roy and Hayley Cropper, and her relationships with Jason Grimshaw and Steve McDonald.

The character has been praised by crime reduction charity Nacro,[2] and has been referred to as a "Coronation Street icon",[3] and one of the show's most popular characters.[4] Her tendency to smoke when under stress and litter the streets with cigarette butts has been criticised by UK environmental agencies. Kelly has won three awards for her portrayal of Becky, and has been nominated for a further five.

Early Life

Born Rebecca Granger in 1981, she lived with her abusived, drug addict mother, until she was abandoned at age 7, left to fend for herself until she was taken into care. She has mentioned she has lived with numerous foter familes, none of them willing to adopt her as she was somewhat of a "wild child". Granger attended many schools, stating she had been expelled from most of them because of her behaviour. Granger is known well for her smoking habbit.

Development

Casting

Auditions were held for the role of Becky which required the auditionee to look deliberately scruffy. Kelly commented: "I was told to turn up looking as crap as possible, with no make-up. But that morning I'd also been for an audition where I had to look really glamorous. So I sat on the Tube putting grease in my hair and wiping my make-up off with everyone looking at me. By the time I got there I looked a right state!".[5] Kelly was initially only cast for a three-month period, but impressed producers and was offered an extended contract as a regular character.[5] In February 2009, Kelly again had her contract extended, securing her role in the soap until 2011.[6]

Characterisation

The Daily Mirror's Beth Neil has observed that during her time on Coronation Street, Becky has morphed "from a thieving tearaway into a vulnerable young woman, clearly damaged from a troubled upbringing."[4] Kelly has commented that Becky finds it hard to rely on others, as she is: "Very out of sorts, because she's a very independent, feisty sort of character."[7] She has stated that she loves Becky's "trailer trash" appearance.[8]

Becky Granger as she appeared in 2006.

Becky became the 50th barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn in June 2008. Kelly opined that the character's ex-con personality would give her an advantage behind the bar, explaining: "The previous producer, Steve Frost, loved the idea of a barmaid who could lose her temper and throw a punch. Becky's an ex-con so she can fight dirty like nobody else."[9][10] The character's chain smoking tendencies often play out onscreen when she is experiencing stress, something which drew off-screen criticism for her disregard of littering the streets with her cigarette butts.[11]

Relationships

After establishing a friendship with local residents Hayley and Roy Cropper, Becky's first serious romantic relationship in the soap was with builder Jason Grimshaw. Kelly stated: "She absolutely believes that she's 100% in love with him. I see it as a very teenage relationship because of the on-off status. Becky's very mature in many ways - she's very streetwise and if you needed something, you'd go to Becky and she'd find it for you. But emotionally, she's very immature. That's a lot to do with why she gets on so well with Roy because he's quite emotionally immature, too. It's probably the one level that they do connect on."[12] Fans approached the actress in the streets, claiming they were jealous of her because of her on-screen romance with Jason.[13] Following her break up with Jason, and the aftermath which was highly publicised in the media,[14][15][16] Becky embarked on an affair with fellow resident Steve McDonald. Kelly revealed that she felt Steve was the best man for Becky over her previous lover Jason, stating: "Both boys bring out different things in Becky. With Jason, they liked going clubbing, and it was no strings attached, I think Becky needs more than that, even though she wouldn't admit it. I think, long-term, Steve's better for her."[17] When Gregson was interviewed by entertainment website Digital Spy, he was asked if he thought that his character has had a positive impact on Becky's life. In reply he stated: "I think he's turned it around. She was all over the place getting into trouble all the time but he's made her grow up. And having a little girl there in Amy, that's made her grow a bit, too. She's got responsibilities now. She's besotted with him. She's still a total pisshead, though!"[18]

Storylines

Becky first appears in Coronation Street as a friend of local factory worker Kelly Crabtree, who she frames for theft at the Underworld lingerie factory. After betraying Kelly, she leaves the area for several months, returning later in the year when she meets former workmate Hayley Cropper, who is teaching an ex-offenders literacy class. Becky promises Hayley she will reform, and is offered a job at Roys Rolls the Weatherfield cafe run by Hayley and her partner Roy. Becky soon begins breaking the Croppers' property, threatening customers and stealing money from the cash register. Slug (Marshall Lancaster), a former prison acquaintance of Becky's, arrives in Weatherfield, and the two joyride in the Croppers' newly acquired Morris Minor. Becky loses the couple's trust and also her job. Hayley refuses Becky's attempts at apologising, and when the cafe catches fire and Becky is rescued from the burning building, the Croppers assume she was responsible. Hayley apologises to Becky when it transpires the fire was caused by an electrical fault rather than arson, and the two resume their friendship, with Becky re-employed at Roy's Rolls.

File:Beckyscreenshot.JPG
The aftermath of Becky's break up with Jason and alcohol binge which was a highly publicised storyline for the character. (2008)[14]

Becky has a relationship with local builder Jason Grimshaw, but after being with him for several months, cheats on him with pub landlord Steve McDonald.[19] Jason and Becky move in together, but when Jason's ex-wife Sarah reveals she is considering returning to Weatherfield, he breaks up with Becky. Becky attacks Jason in The Rovers Return pub, then embarks on a rampage of violence, stealing a girl's purse in a nightclub, flashing her breasts in public, and vandalising a travel agency window and a police car.[16][20] When the police bring Becky in for questioning over her actions, she encounters DC Hooch, an adversary from her past. Becky claims to have been with Steve on the night of her rampage, and blackmails him into giving her a false alibi, threatening to tell his partner Michelle about their one-night-stand.

Becky reveals to Steve that Hooch arrested her for shoplifting when she was fifteen, and attempted to molest her.[21] She filed a complaint against him at the time, and Hooch is determined to get his revenge against her as he has been continually passed over for promotion since the incident. During Becky's trial, Steve develops genuine feelings for her, and they begin an affair, with Steve promising to leave Michelle for Becky. Although he keeps his promise, Becky reunites with Jason, eventually leading to him proposing to her. She accepts, but reconsiders when Steve proposes as well. Becky ultimately breaks up with Jason and moves in with Steve. His daughter Amy initially dislikes Becky, prompting her to put their wedding on hold, though Steve eventually convinces her to set a date.

On the day of her wedding, Becky gets extremely drunk on champagne, becoming so inebriated the priest refuses to perform the ceremony. Upon waking the next morning, Becky believes herself to be married, a falsehood which Steve reinforces until Michelle reveals to Becky that the wedding did not go ahead. She and Steve plan a second ceremony. Slug reappears in Weatherfield,[22] seemingly reformed but actually working for Hooch. Slug is ordered to plant drugs on Becky in order to frame her. After Becky and Steve's second wedding at a registry office, their wedding reception is interrupted by police on a drugs-raid. Several bags of cocaine are found in Becky's handbag, planted there by Slug. Becky is arrested for possession, and Steve initially believes her to be guilty. He realises her innocence when he is confront by Hooch, and vows to hire the best possible lawyers to fight Becky's charges.

On 29th January 2010 Becky revealed to Steve that she is pregnant and found out that she is pregnant on New Year's Eve. In a recent episode Steve found out that Becky had revealed to Claire Peacock that she is pregnant after Becky worked out that Steve had revealed that Becky is pregnant to his mother Liz. Becky later suffered a miscarriage. On 2nd April 2010 Becky went to hospital with stomach pains and found out she had had another miscarriage, although she didn't know she was pregnant. The doctor discovered a possible abnormality of her womb which would render her unable to have children. She is going for further tests to find out if this is the case.

Reception

Kelly has won several awards for her portrayal of Becky. In 2009, she was named "Best Female Soap Star" at the TV Now Awards,[23] "TV Soap Personality of the Year" at the Television and Radio Industries Club awards,[24] and "Best Actress" at the British Soap Awards.[25] She was nominated for the "Outstanding Serial Drama Performance" award at the 2008 National Television Awards, as well as "Best Actress", "Best Comedy Performance" and "Best On-Screen Partnership" (with David Neilson) at the 2008 British Soap Awards, and again "Best On-Screen Partnership" in 2009, this time with Simon Gregson.

"The Croppers, especially Roy, were the thing that really turned public opinion [about Becky] around to being positive."

—Kelly on Becky's popularity (2009).[26]

The character has been praised by Nacro, a crime reduction charity which aims to tackle social exclusion and reintegrate offenders. Kelly was concerned they may find Becky to be a caricature, but was pleased to learn they enjoyed Becky being portrayed in a positive light.[2] Media website Digital Spy deemed Kelly a Coronation Street "icon" when the Radio Times had her recreate Manet's famous painting, A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.[3] The Daily Mirror's Beth Neil called Becky Coronation Street's "most outrageous character", as well as "one of the soap's most popular characters".[4] Kelly credited the producers' decision to pair her character with Roy and Hayley Cropper as the moment public support for Becky rose, stating: "The Croppers were the making of Becky, and without them I actually don't think Becky would still be in the show. The Croppers, especially Roy, were the thing that really turned public opinion [about Becky] around to being positive."[27]

The storyline which featured the character's old nemesis DC Hooch drew criticism of Becky's excessive littering of her cigarette butts. Environmental agencies 'Keep Britain Tidy' and 'CleanupUK' commented: "It is disappointing that Coronation Street chooses to allow one of its characters to throw a butt on the floor and suggest that it is okay to treat our streets like a giant ashtray. We understand the writers are concerned with realism but Becky is a role model to many viewers. We all have a responsibility to keep our local area clean and we would hope that producers of programmes such as Coronation Street would support our call to encourage the public to keep our country tidy."[11] A spokesperson for the show defended Becky's actions, stating they were portraying the character's high levels of stress realistically.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Becky McDonald". ITV. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  2. ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel (17 January 2009). "Soaps - News - Corrie star touched by charity support". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  3. ^ a b Green, Kris (27 July 2009). "'Coronation Street's Becky recreates Manet art". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  4. ^ a b c Neil, Beth (2 February 2009). "Coronation Street's siren Becky Granger - the real story, from the actress who plays her, Katherine Kelly". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  5. ^ a b Crawford, Sue (26 November 2006). "Me, Corrie & royals". Sunday Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  6. ^ Green, Kris (24 February 2009). "Corrie's Becky signs 'until at least 2011'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  7. ^ Rodger, Jennifer (24 November 2008). "Chatting to... Katherine Kelly". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  8. ^ "Katherine Kelly's trashy Becky". Female First. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  9. ^ Hendry, Steve (29 June 2008). "Coronation Street barmaid Katherine Kelly on her real-life training". The Mail on Sunday. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  10. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (20 April 2008). "Corrie star promises heated pub scenes". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  11. ^ a b c Kilkelly, Daniel (24 August 2009). "Soaps - News - Corrie slammed over Becky's littering". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  12. ^ Green, Kris (30 September 2008). "Katherine Kelly (Becky Granger, Corrie)". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  13. ^ "'I'm nothing like Becky'". Metro. Associated Newspapers. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  14. ^ a b Roberts, Brian (5 September 2008). "Coronations Street's Becky Grainger goes on drunken rampage". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  15. ^ Hyland, Karen (3 October 2008). "Coming up in Coronation St". The Sun. News Group Newspapers. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  16. ^ a b Green, Kris (4 September 2008). "Corrie's Becky does a David Platt". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  17. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (22 November 2008). "Kelly:'Steve is the best man for Becky'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  18. ^ Green, Kris (4 August 2009). "Coronation Street - Interview - Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald, Corrie)". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  19. ^ "Coming Up In Corrie". The Sun. News Group Newspapers. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  20. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 September 2008). "Corrie prepares for dramatic fight scene". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  21. ^ On-line reporter (22 September 2008). "Corrie's becky plagued by pervert". Metro. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  22. ^ Green, Kris (24 April 2009). "Slug to make 'Coronation Street' return". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  23. ^ "Kelly's Award Night nerves". Metro. Associated Newspapers. 29 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  24. ^ Green, Kris (11 March 2009). "Corrie's Becky "thrilled" with TRIC award". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  25. ^ "The British Soap Awards 2009: winners". STV. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  26. ^ Watkins, Mike (9 November 2009). "Interview with Katherine Kelly". ATV News. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  27. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (10 November 2009). "Kelly credits Croppers for Corrie success". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2009-11-26.

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