Coronation Street actress Katherine Kelly has ended her five-year relationship with live-in boyfriend Oliver Williams, according to reports. The couple, both 29, had been together since their time with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but the pressures of their busy careers and long-distance separations ultimately led to the split.
Kelly, who plays feisty ex-con Becky Granger on the ITV soap, had been dating fellow actor Williams for five years. He relocated to Manchester with her two and a half years ago when she landed the role, but struggled to find acting work in the north, taking a job in a pub near Granada Studios to make ends meet.
A source told the Daily Mirror: 'They were spending too much time apart and it took its toll. But they both tried very hard to save their relationship.' The couple spent months trying to repair their troubled relationship before calling it quits a few weeks ago.
The distance became too great when Williams flew to Hong Kong to film a thriller titled The Thread and recently obtained a Green Card to work in America. Meanwhile, Kelly has been putting in longer hours on the Corrie set due to high-profile storylines. The source added: 'They decided to go their separate ways and focus on their careers.'
Despite the heartbreak, Kelly put on a brave face at last month's British Soap Awards, where she won the Best Actress trophy. Williams is currently preparing to star alongside Ving Rhames in the upcoming thriller Unshakable.
