Coronation Street's Amy Barlow, portrayed by actress Elle Mulvaney, has faced a whirlwind of romantic turmoil on the iconic ITV soap, most recently discovering she has been involved with her own cousin. Off-screen, Mulvaney's personal life has mirrored this drama, featuring heartbreak from a past relationship with a famous co-star and a new chapter with a mysterious partner.
Elle Mulvaney's On-Screen and Off-Screen Romantic Journeys
Since joining Coronation Street in 2010 as the daughter of Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), Amy Barlow has been central to numerous explosive storylines. These include becoming pregnant at just 14, enduring a harrowing rape attack, and the recent bombshell that Ollie Driscoll (Raphael Akuwudike), whom she romanced and kissed, is actually her cousin. This revelation emerged when Ollie's grandmother Maggie (Pauline McLynn) disclosed that Steve's father Jim (Charlie Lawson) is the biological father of Ollie's dad Ben (Aaron McCusker).
Real-Life Romance with Co-Star Liam Scholes
Beyond the cobbles, Elle Mulvaney experienced her own romantic highs and lows. She was previously in a relationship with co-star Liam Scholes, who played Eli Higginson on Coronation Street in 2021, an associate of villain Corey Brent (Maximus Evans). Scholes has since appeared in Waterloo Road as Noel McManus and in episodes of Peaky Blinders.
The couple first met on the ITV soap and made their romance public on Instagram at Christmas 2022. In an interview with OK! Magazine in March 2023, Mulvaney praised Scholes, noting that as an actor, he understood her demanding work schedule. She said, "He's been brilliant... because he's an actor as well he knows what it entails. He's coped with his fair share of backlash in the past when he played Eli in Corrie." When asked if it was true love, she enthusiastically replied, "Yes! It's going well, it's going very well."
Shock Split and Moving On
Despite their public displays of affection on social media, Elle Mulvaney and Liam Scholes split in May 2024 after two years together. A source close to the former couple told The Sun, "Elle and Liam were loves young dream and did everything together. Their split has really shocked their co-stars and family, and no one knows exactly what happened." The insider described the breakup as "very sudden" and revealed that both had indicated it would take a miracle for them to reconcile.
New Mystery Man in Elle's Life
By May 2025, Elle Mulvaney appeared to have moved on, spotted looking "loved-up" with a mystery man at Radio 1's Big Weekender festival. A source told The Mirror, "Ellie and the guy looked very happy to be in one another's company. They didn't shy away from everybody around them and looked very cosy together, Elle seemed relaxed as she looked close to the guy, it seems that she had moved on from Liam." This new relationship marks a fresh chapter for the actress, contrasting with her character's ongoing romantic entanglements on Coronation Street.
Coronation Street continues to air Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with Amy Barlow's storylines reflecting the real-life resilience and romance of actress Elle Mulvaney.
