Coronation Street star Sydney Martin has teased a new romance for Betsy Swain, admitting there is chemistry that has "not been discovered" yet in the long-running ITV soap.
It has been more than two years since viewers were introduced to the daughter of DS Lisa Connor-Swain. The teenage character has faced her biggest hurdle to date after she was found on the kitchen floor of No.6 Coronation Street in July by Ryan Connor and rushed to hospital, where it was confirmed she had suffered a stroke.
Betsy's recovery and relationship status
Betsy's condition appeared to stabilise before she had a second stroke, both caused by a blood clot resulting from neck artery damage due to a temporary loss of circulation. When doctors spoke to 18-year-old Betsy about the cause, she had to explain to her mum that her boyfriend, Dylan Wilson, had strangled her during consensual sex, despite both believing the pressure applied was minimal.
Since the initial stroke scenes, Betsy has been seen starting her recovery, first in hospital and now back at home. Last month, with the help of her physiotherapist, she stood up for the first time since her stroke and attempted to take steps, leaving Lisa emotional. Betsy has since been making progress and has been supported by her family in applying for a fashion college, with her heading to her interview in scenes aired during this week's episodes. She also decided to put her relationship with Dylan on ice, with both deciding it was better to be friends.
Teasing a new romance
Speaking exclusively to the Manchester Evening News at the Inside Soap Awards 2026, held in Manchester for the first time, Sydney said of what's ahead for her character: "So, obviously, we've seen a lot of the recovery, there's still more of that to come. With her being so young, a lot of stroke recovery can be like a hidden disability, so fatigue, getting her fine motor skills back, and there's a bit of happiness on the way."
She continued: "I've had a few more scenes with Brody [Michaelis], which will be quite nice. There's quite a nice natural chemistry there. So we're kind of seeing that there's hope in recovery as well, and seeing that side to things."
When asked who she would like to see Betsy with, out of Brody and Dylan, Sydney admitted: "I mean, I love both boys. I think Betsy will always love the slightly bad boy. I think me and Ryan [Mulvey, who plays Brody] have a very nice chemistry and it's kind of not been discovered yet. We've not really had a chance to play with it, so we're definitely having more of a chance to play with that. So, I would probably lean more towards Brody, but I love Liam [McCheyne, who plays Dylan] as well, and I love working with Liam."
Reflecting on her time on the cobbles, Sydney said: "It's been two and a half years now, which is mad. I feel like I've been there like a minute, but I feel like I've just learned so much, and I feel like I've come on so much as an actress, and I really couldn't be more grateful for the experience."
