Coronation Street actor Sam Blakeman, who plays Jude Riordan on the ITV soap, has won the hearts of the nation. The 11-year-old from St Helens, Merseyside, has been on screens since the age of five and comes from a showbiz family. His father is Paul Riordan, a TV writer who has penned episodes of Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and Casualty.
Sam's character Jude has taken on dramatic storylines, including losing his mother Natasha Blakeman to gunfire and exchanging secret letters with her killer. He is now set for a childhood romance with Hope Stape, daughter of murderer John Stape and Fiz. Sam's performance has earned him praise, winning Best Newcomer at the National Television Awards in September 2021.
Before Coronation Street, Sam appeared in the Channel 4 documentary The Secret Life of 5-Year-Olds in 2017, where his parents described him as a 'happy chappy'. He also plays Michelle Keegan's son Tyler Croft in the Sky One comedy Brassic, a role he will reprise in the upcoming third series.
Sam and his father Paul have worked together on the short film Missing Something, alongside Casualty actor Michael Stevenson. Fans have predicted a bright future for the young actor, with one tweeting: 'If Jude Riordan doesn't win a shedload of awards, he will have been robbed!'
