Sam Aston, best known for playing Chesney Brown on Coronation Street, has praised his young co-star William Flanagan as the character Joseph Brown returns to the ITV soap this week. Aston, who has portrayed Chesney for 23 years since joining the show at age 10, spoke highly of Flanagan in an interview with Inside Soap.
Joseph Returns to Weatherfield
William Flanagan's character Joseph was seen back on the cobbles during Monday's episode (July 13), having been absent from recent scenes. The return is part of a new storyline where Joseph's grandmother, Linda Hancock, can no longer afford his private school fees. Chesney manages to come up with the money but insists Joseph must apply himself at school after receiving a poor report for neglecting homework.
Flanagan's sister, Isabella Flanagan, also appears on Coronation Street as cousin Hope Dobbs.
Aston's Praise for Flanagan
Speaking about his young co-star, Aston said: "Will is absolutely top. He's a really nice lad and he's become one of my best little pals. Every now and again, we might go and play golf or something like that."
Aston added that Dolly-Rose Campbell, who plays Gemma Winter-Brown, often teases him about his old-soul nature. "Dolly-Rose takes the mick, actually, because I'm a bit of an old soul, and she calls me, 'Old man Chesney'. Now Will's getting into golf, and he's a little bit of an old soul, she's like, 'You've turned him into old man Chesney!'"
Future Storylines for the Brown Family
Aston also teased what lies ahead for his on-screen family. "It's nice when they're a happy family. They've been through a lot between the two of them. But it's always fun to film some of the drama, so as long as Chesney's there, I'm happy either way. We'll have to see; obviously they don't get lucky, do they, let's be honest."
Since joining the soap in 2003, Aston's character has been involved in numerous storylines, including being held hostage and now navigating family life as a husband to Gemma and father to Joseph and the quads.
