Coronation Street fans were left stunned after discovering Sam Blakeman's "twin". ITV soap enthusiasts will know that Sam (portrayed by Jude Riordan) has endured considerable hardship on the cobbles. He particularly suffered devastation in 2021 when his mother, Natasha (Rachel Leskovac), was shot dead by criminal Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) in a heartbreaking case of mistaken identity.
Sam's Recent Struggles
Sam, who currently lives with his father Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) and his partner Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor), faced additional distress when he discovered Will Driscoll's (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) inappropriate relationship with teacher Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon). The evil sports coach subsequently began intimidating Sam to remain silent. He ultimately revealed the truth to his former stepmother, Leanne (Jane Danson), but started experiencing hallucinations shortly afterwards.
Sam's difficulties reached a breaking point when he locked himself inside the café and threw a chair at Roy Cropper (David Neilson). The youngster was later sectioned and currently remains in a mental health facility as part of his continuing treatment.
Celebrity Lookalike Discovery
Now, Corrie fans have been left astounded after spotting Sam's celebrity "twin". Numerous dedicated soap watchers have highlighted actor Jude Riordan's resemblance to Ella Bruccoleri, who portrayed Mary Bennet in the popular BBC period drama The Other Bennet Sister. The series notably followed Mary, the frequently overlooked middle sister in Pride and Prejudice, as she manoeuvred through the social expectations of Regency England, where marriage represents both ambition and requirement.
Highlighting the resemblance between Sam and Mary, one Corrie fan posted on Reddit: "The Other Bennet Sister. I've been watching this on Britbox and I must say that Mary could be Sam's older sister." Another concurred: "Omg before I even clicked the post and saw the body text, I was like, 'Yeah she looks like Sam.' Like I just knew what the post would be about."
A third remarked: "Yeah, when I saw her in Call the Midwife, I had to check if they were siblings. I still struggle to accept that they are unrelated!" Someone else noted: "OMG yes I have thought this too! Amazing haha," while another likewise declared: "They could literally be twins."
Jude Riordan's Tribute to Co-Star
This comes after Sam actor Jude Riordan paid tribute to his co-star Beth Nixon, ahead of her final scenes as villainous teacher Megan. Posting an emotional photograph of the duo on Instagram this week, Jude penned: "FRIENDS REALLY. I really enjoyed working with Beth. Megan really tormented Sam and pushed him right over the edge, but shows what a great baddie she is!" The actor also expressed his appreciation after securing an Inside Soap nomination.
Beth replied in the comments: "Aww Jude, you can see the tears in my eyes here [laughing emoji]. I loved working with you and you are smashing this storyline, the nomination is so so well deserved you are a [star emoji]."
Coronation Street airs weekday nights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
