Mikey North, best known for playing Gary Windass on Coronation Street, has been a staple of the ITV soap since 2008. Off-screen, he shares a real-life romance with actress and fitness instructor Rachael Isherwood. The couple married in 2016 after meeting three years earlier and have two children together: son Archie, born in 2017, and daughter Eliza, born in 2019.
From Cobbles to Hollywood
Rachael Isherwood is no stranger to the spotlight. She landed a role as a USO dancer in the 2011 Marvel blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger, according to MCU Fandom. Her acting career complements Mikey's long-running role on the cobbles, where Gary Windass has been involved in numerous major storylines, including his battle with PTSD and recent involvement in the murder mystery of Theo Silverton.
In recent episodes, Gary and ex-lover Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien) have been acting suspiciously. On June 22, 2026, it was revealed that Sarah is Theo's murderer, with Gary helping cover it up, as reported by the Mirror.
A Traumatic Birth
Mikey and Rachael's journey to parenthood was not without difficulty. Their son Archie was born on November 10, 2016, but the birth was traumatic. Rachael required an episiotomy that accidentally cut a vein, causing her to lose 1.5 litres of blood and nearly needing a transfusion. She also needed a drip to speed up contractions, which she described as agonizing. "She was throwing up with the pain," Mikey told OK! magazine. "I had tears in my eyes just watching." After 20 hours, Archie arrived weighing 8lb 5oz.
A Romantic Proposal
Mikey proposed to Rachael during a romantic break in the Lake District in 2015. "I asked her to shut her eyes," he recalled. "When she opened them I was down on one knee with the ring. I was looking up at Rachael, with my knees getting wet, and I just said: 'Will you marry me?'" He added, "In the moment before I proposed I was shaking like a leaf. Then when she said yes, I called my mum and just couldn't stop crying."
Corrie Stars at the Wedding
The couple tied the knot in 2016, with several Coronation Street cast members in attendance, including Bruno Langley (Todd Grimshaw) and Sam Ashton (Chesney Brown). Mikey chose Ian Puleston-Davis, who plays his on-screen stepfather Owen Armstrong, as his best man. The ceremony was emotional, with Mikey admitting, "Rachael looked amazing. I'm known for letting my emotions run away with me, so I was really concentrating on trying not to cry."
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
