Chesney Brown

Chesney Brown
Coronation Street character
Sam Aston as Chesney Brown (2007).
Portrayed by	Sam Aston
Duration	2003—
First appearance	14 November 2003
Classification	Present; regular
Created by	Chris Parker
Spin-off appearances	Coronation Street: Out of Africa
In-universe information Occupation Market trader Father Archie Mother Cilla Battersby-Brown Adoptive father Les Battersby Half-brothers Billy Brown Half-sisters Fiz Stape Nieces Hope Stape Other relatives John Stape (brother-in-law)

Chesney Brown (previously Battersby-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. He has struck up an on-screen duo with Schmeichel, his beloved pet Great Dane that has been played by several different dogs since the original died.

Creation

Sam Aston was chosen to play Chesney after training at a local drama group, Carl Godby’s Theatre Workshop. It was revealed by producers that he was named after 1990s icon Chesney Hawkes.

Storylines

2003–06

Chesney arrived in 2003 as the brother of Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) and son of Cilla Brown (Wendi Peters). Cilla's boyfriend Les Battersby (Bruce Jones) takes them in and Chesney soon bonds with Les and sees him as the father figure he never had. Chesney also gets on well with Fiz's then boyfriend Kirk (Andrew Whyment) who is also a lodger at the house.

In 2004, Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) once clips Chesney around the ear for repeatedly stealing sweets from her shop. However, Chesney falls against some shelving and hurts his head. He isn't hurt badly but when Cilla learns of the incident she spots an opportunity for compensation. She happily makes the most out of her son's injuries. The Battersby-Browns have Chesney checked up at the hospital, with Cilla prompting her son to complain of fake symptoms so that he would be certified with extreme concussion as a result of Rita's 'abuse'. Rita is arrested and charged with assaulting a minor and Cilla sets about trying to ruin Rita's reputation.

Cilla coaches Chesney into saying the 'right' answers and Rita is ordered to pay £500 in damages to the family and £500 in court fees. Disappointed with the court payment, Cilla threatens Rita with civil court action if she does not pay a £3,000 out of court settlement. Rita puts the Kabin on the market and prepares to leave the area, but Les talks Cilla out of the compensation action and Rita stays in her rightful place. Rita continues to hate Cilla, but bears no ill will against Chesney, even taking him in one night when he has nowhere else to go and later employing him to do the paper round.

Chesney attempts to run away after his mum leaves without him but Les takes him back in. He is given a pure breed Great Dane dog, Schmeichel, named after Danish footballer Peter Schmeichel, by Maya Sharma (Sasha Behar). He also makes friends with Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent).

In 2005, he cons several residents at Easter into giving him chocolate eggs. That August, Schmeichel is run over by a bus driven by Claire Peacock (Julia Haworth), leaving Chesney devastated, but his companion pulls through. Chesney accidentally walks in on Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) when she is in the shower. Chesney sought revenge on Les, after Les tells everyone about him seeing Sally, which threatens his friendship with Sophie. Nevertheless, Chesney and Sophie have remained close friends.

2007–10

In 2007, Les leaves Weatherfield to work as a roadie. Aside from the occasional phone call, he has no contact with Chesney. Chesney had often been closer to Les than anyone, and has a hard time adjusting to Les' absence. By the end of 2007, Cilla also chooses to leave Weatherfield. Chesney is upset, but has become used to his mother always putting herself first.

In March 2008, Chesney is taken to a foster home as Kirk cannot take care of him properly. Claire later reveals that she reported them to the Social Services, in Chesney's best interests. Chesney is later enabled to return home after Fiz agrees to move into Number 5, though with much reluctance, as Kirk, who is her ex-boyfriend, is living there.

In July 2008, Chesney is dismayed to see the return of Fiz's ex John Stape (Graeme Hawley) who cheated on her with Rosie Webster (Helen Flanagan). John buys Chesney a bike for his birthday which he rejects when he finds out who it has come from. In a fit of rage Chesney also breaks the wing mirror on John's taxi.

While working on the school play, Chesney falls for Kayleigh Morton (Jessica Barden). He thinks that he has no chance with her, as she is interested in bad boy Kenzie Judd (Jack Cooper), but she eventually sees through Kenzie and chooses Chesney. When Chesney returns after vacating to visit Cilla in Las Vegas, he is catching up with Kayleigh when Kenzie attacks him, leaving Chesney with a bloody nose, However, instead of being grateful to John for saving him, he tells Fiz that John hit him. Fiz then finds John and attacks him for "hitting" Chesney, before going to ask Kayleigh what really happened, Fiz then goes and makes up with John but tells Chesney that she is angry with him for lying to her but also tells him that she isn't a fool and John would not be given a second chance. Fiz and John later break up after she finds out he has kidnapped Rosie in late 2008.

In 2008 Chesney, kirk and Fiz go and visit Cilla in Africa. One family is quickly disqualified, meaning their main competition for the prize is a "perfect family", the Teals. The Teal daughter, Ellie, who is around Chesney's age, is a violin player who strives to do everything right. They bond almost instantly. Cilla is thrilled, as she hopes to use him as a spy. Ellie is often stressed and reduced to tears by her demanding father. She tells Chesney she'd rather he won because if her family won, they'd never be normal. One day, she is talking to Chesney in her family's suite when her parents come back. She hides Chesney on the deck. Chesney tapes the father berating his daughter and then belittling the mother for all her plastic surgery. Chesney is reluctant to use this information, but when Cilla tells him they finally have a chance to win, he shows her the tape. Cilla puts a note under the competition host's hotel room door, leaking the information to him. He then tells them that they have definitely won.

Chesney is overjoyed, but that night, when Cilla thinks he is asleep, he overhears her telling Lesedi that she has no intention of moving back to Weatherfield, or reuniting with her kids. The results of the competition are to be revealed the next day, after both families are interviewed for the crowd and the viewing public. Chesney stays quiet, but when they win, Cilla begins lying about what a wonderful mother she is. Chesney cannot take anymore and stands up from his wheelchair and goes on to expose all her lies to everyone. The judges decides that both families are disqualified.

The next morning, Chesney, Kirk, and Fiz prepare to leave. Ellie tells Chesney that her parents are getting a divorce. She tells Chesney she had actually trusted and liked him, but in the end, he'd been just like Cilla, a liar. Lesedi, who had been like a father to Chesney and Kirk during their stay, drops in to say goodbye and tells them he is done with Cilla, who has vanished. In spite of once again being abandoned by Cilla, Chesney tells them that he hopes she is alright.

In April 2009, Fiz discovers that Chesney has being playing truant from school. When she confronts him over the matter, he admitted that Kenzie Judd has been bullying him over the past number of months. Fiz is extremely unhappy with the school headmaster's reaction to the bullying and takes Chesney out of school to be home-tutored. On 25 May, Chesney tells Fiz that he is going back to school on the Monday after half term, after Ben Richardson (Lucien Laviscount), Sophie's boyfriend, tells Chesney that Kenzie is scared of Phil Hardwick, Ryan Connor (Ben Thompson)'s friend after he gave him a Chinese burn in Infants. He also reassures Chesney that Phil, Ryan and himself would be back up.

Chesney is horrified to find out that Fiz has been consulting John Stape about his education, and regularly visiting him in prison. This leads to a falling out between the pair, as Chesney is angry that his sister cares more about a "psycho" than she does him. Chesney later finds out that Fiz and John are engaged and, in a fit of rage, he steals Fiz's engagement ring and crashes Rosie Webster's new car, nearly running over Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) in the process. In the end, Chesney goes to John and Fiz's wedding.

In July 2010, Chesney meets Katie Armstrong (Georgia May Foote) and is instantly attracted to her. He has since been seeing her, much to the annoyance of Katie's father, Owen Armstrong.

In December 2010, Fiz gives birth early after a Tram Crash, Chesney supports Fiz through the birth.

2011—

In January 2011, Fiz and Chesney discover that baby Hope has a hole in her heart and and are shocked by this but Chesney comforts Fiz after John goes into hospital after a breakdown.

Reception

Sam Aston was chosen to present the Queen with a bouquet of flowers at ITV's 50th anniversary in 2005. The actor has revealed in an interview that since he has joined the show, he seems to not get much attention from girls. He claims that as Chesney is more of a geeky character, women over 65 stop him in the street and offer to look after him. Aston won the nomination for the Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress in 2005. In 2007, he was nominated for Best Young Actor, though Eden Taylor-Draper, who plays Belle Dingle from Emmerdale, won the award. Sam was also nominated for the Best Child Actor in 2008, though yet again did not receive the award.

See also

• Coronation Street: Out of Africa