CORONATION STREET LOU STAR'S LIFE FROM GIRLFRIEND IN AUSTRALIA TO SECRET EMMERDALE ROLE

With Coronation Street’s Lou Michaelis back on screens this week, here’s everything you need to know about actress Farrel Hegarty.

Troublemaker and mum-of-three Lou rocked up to Weatherfield in February 2025 with thug husband Mick (Joe Layton). After moving into Mawdsley Street, it didn’t take the nightmare neighbours long to cause plenty of drama on the famous cobbles.

In May, Mick ended up brutally killing Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) in a shock drunken attack. Following this, Lou's own shocking actions were exposed when she attacked Gary Windass (Miley North) with a metal pole after he refused to participate in her desperate scheme to extort money from him.

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Her secret eventually came to light and she was arrested and sent to prison - and was last seen in July. However, this week, Lou returned to the soap when it was revealed she had been assigned as a buddy to help recent inmate Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney).

So, as Lou returns to Coronation Street, we’re taking a look inside actress Farrel Hegarty’s life away from the cobbles.

Past soap role

Farrel is no stranger to appearing on TV screens. As well as Corrie, she has shared the screen with Michelle Keegan, known for playing Tina in Coronation Street, in Sky's comedy series Brassic. And it turns out she appeared on rival soap Emmerdale back in 2014 playing Laura Atkinson.

What’s more, Farrel also starred on Coronation Street years before joining as Lou. Her character was a reporter who headed to the street in the wake of the Christmas shooting in 2019, wanting the scoop on the fatal incident of the night before.

“I played a reporter in 2019. It was in the Boxing Day episode, I think I had to say my name and it was just reporter 1!" Farrel previously said.

But Farrel revealed she also graced the famous cobbled street before this too, when she was just five years old. Revealing she met Corrie legend Barbara Knox who plays Rita, she said: "I got a picture of me and her when I was like five, when I came to the Corrie tour."

Reflecting on her early work in soaps and landing the role as Lou she said: "It feels like a full circle moment which makes it even more exciting. But this is definitely my first big role.”

Farrel's girlfriend in Australia

Away from Coronation Street, Farrel is loved-up with girlfriend Tricia Stone, who lives in Sydney. She has previously spoken about the struggles of their long-distance romance.

It's an expensive relationship," she told Daily Telegraph. Farrel added: “Originally, before I got the show, I was going to move here [ Australia ]. But then I got the job and had to stay in the UK. I definitely could live here.”

The soap star also admitted she is unsure if the UK is where she sees herself long-term. She said: “I don’t think I will settle there forever," she said.

“Basically my girlfriend's already said to me that she doesn’t want to be there, she sees herself in Australia at the end of her life."

Farrel on long-distance romance

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Meanwhile, last year, Farrel also opened up about the life-changing choice she faced when an opportunity to join Coronation Street came just as she was planning to move to Australia with her partner.

Explaining the pivotal moment, she shared: "Either way, my life was about to go in a different direction, as I knew I'd either be going to Australia or joining Coronation Street."

She recognised the weight of the decision, saying: "I knew if I got the role, then it was my time. Having a long-distance relationship is definitely not for the faint-hearted but my partner was never going to be angry that I was going to be in Corrie."

Understanding and support played a huge part in her partner's reaction as Farrel added: "She knows how much it meant to me and how tough it has been."

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX

2026-02-10T16:44:13Z