Amy Barlow

Amy Katherine Barlow (formerly Patience Cropper) is the daughter of Tracy Barlow and Steve McDonald. She was temporarily called Patience by Roy Cropper however; her name was changed back to Amy when it was discovered that she was Steve's daughter.

After Tracy was convicted and sent to prison for killing her boyfriend Charlie Stubbs, Amy went to live with her father. When Steve started a relationship with Becky Granger, Amy had a good relationship with her, and Becky was also the one who told Amy about Tracy being a killer after Amy was bullied at school over it.

When Tracy was released from prison in 2010 due to the forensics guy on her case being investigated for being dodgy, she took Amy back when it was discovered Steve and Becky bought a little boy called Max from Becky's sister Kylie.

Amy is currently in shared custody between Tracy and Steve, and in recent times has developed a devious streak like her mother.

Biography
After a one-night stand with Steve McDonald, Tracy Barlow had got pregnant with Amy. However, one night she drugged Roy Cropper and took him back to her house and slept with him. She later led him onto believing that he was the father. Although Roy was shocked and humiliated at first, after a talk through with wife Hayley, they decided it was a good thing and that they could keep the baby. Tracy offered to sell the baby to Roy for a large sum of money, which Tracy's parents Ken and Deirdre Barlow didn't approve of, and also the fact Amy would be living with the Croppers. Roy even married Tracy to ensure he got the baby.

Tracy gave birth to Amy in February 2004. She was first called Patience by Roy and Hayley. When Tracy changed her mind and wanted the baby back, she arrived at Steve and Karen McDonald's wedding and demanded her back. The Croppers fled during an argument at the wedding, but Roy later decided to give the baby girl up to Tracy. Tracy was happy and renamed her Amy.

Life with Tracy wasn't great, especially as throughout the year she had a feud with Steve's wife Karen, she turned up at Amy's christening and caused a scene and started fighting with Tracy.

When Karen won a car in a competition, Steve gave it to Tracy. When Amy was in the back of the car and Tracy was talking to Ken and Deirdre, Karen stole it (although she wasn't aware that Amy was actually in the back seat). She burned the car but made Tracy believe Amy was still in it when it was set on fire. Although it was later revealed Amy was safe and sound. Steve told Karen to leave and never return.

Steve tried to play happy families with Tracy in 2005 so he could still see Amy. However it didn't work out, but he still was granted rights to see her.

Tracy started a relationship with builder boyfriend Charlie Stubbs in 2006. In 2007, she had murdered him after discovering his affair with Maria Sutherland, but tried to make out it was self-defence. She was sent down for fifteen years, but Steve didn't know how to tell Amy since she was so young. She moved in with her father Steve and grandmother Liz at the Rovers Return Inn.

In 2008, she was almost knocked down by Harry Mason's van when Darryl Morton was meant to be baby-sitting.

Steve married fiancée Becky Granger a rough and tumble girl with a genuine side in 2009 who saw Amy as her own daughter. When Amy began to get picked on by a boy at school for Tracy being a murderer, Becky had told her the truth, which Steve wasn't happy with the first time round. But they agreed that it was time that Amy should now see Tracy.All on coronation street belived Becky was a much better mother to Amy, since no one liked Tracy, Becky and Steve had plans in 2010 to adopt a child when Becky found out she was unable to have children of her own. Around this time, Amy's great-grandmother Blanche had passed away, and Steve and Liz told her the news, which upset Amy and caused her to be in a mood. She began asking Becky about her Nana Blanche, and Becky broke the news to her in a loving and caring way, saying that Blanche was now in a better place with her friends, and that they could draw a picture and tie it to a balloon and let it float so Blanche could have it. This made Amy feel better, which impressed Steve and the social worker Dawn Coghill.



When Amy's great-grandmother Blanche died in May 2010, Tracy was allowed compassionate leave from prison to attend the funeral. Tracy also got a chance to be reunited with Amy, who was initially frightened and reluctant towards her relatively unfamiliar mother. The tension between Tracy and the McDonalds became even worse when a jealous Tracy confronted Amy's stepmother Becky over her closeness with Amy, and eventually attacked her, leading to a hyped-up Tracy to be ushered away from the crematorium by police officers. The situation upset Amy deeply. Back in prison, Tracy tried her best to be a part of Amy's life and she encouraged Becky and Steve to give a word to the warden so she could be moved to an open prison, and finally have a bit of her freedom back, in exchange for Tracy giving the McDonalds a good reference so they could adopt a baby. Tracy threatened Becky, and said that one word or action and she could easily ruin their adoption plans, and they could even lose custody of Amy.

In late 2010, Becky bought her nephew Max from her sister Kylie Turner and he moved in with them. Over Christmas 2010, Tracy was released from prison and after finding out from Amy about Max being bought, she took Amy away from the McDonalds, threatening to tell the police about Max. She currently lives with the Barlows.

In 2013, Ken and Deirdre complained that Tracy was neglectful of Amy, due to Tracy's relationship with new boyfriend Rob Donovan. Little has been seen of Amy throughout the year. As Tracy's relationship with Rob has got more intense, Tracy relinquished the care of Amy, with majority custody given to Steve McDonald and lives with her grandmother Deirdre Barlow for the rest of the time.

In mid-2014 Amy had began to grow bitter over Simon getting constant attention after Peter was wrongfully arrested for murdering Tina McIntyre. Whilst being babysat by Maddie Heath and Sophie Webster, Amy grew annoyed at their pandering to Simon and had snuck out with Eccles and went to Barlow's Buys to tell her mother had Maddie had threatened to slap her. This enraged Tracy, who had then warned a confused Maddie to not come near Amy again. A couple of weeks later however Amy was again looked after by Maddie and Sophie along with Simon and Eccles. Again growing envy, Amy untied Eccles from outside The Kabin and allowed her to escape, although she was later found and brought home.

In September 2014, Amy came to blows with Simon at No.1 when Tracy allowed Simon to feed Eccles. Amy took the dog into the backyard and blocked the door. When Simon managed to get the door open Amy had cut her hand, and wanting to get back at Simon claimed that Eccles had bit her. This annoyed Tracy who told Deirdre to put Eccles down, although Deirdre had deduced that Amy was trying to get attention. Eccles was later snatched by Maddie and Sophie after Simon was worried that Tracy was going to kill Eccles. She was later retrieved by Ken, and Amy eventually confessed to lying about Eccles biting her stating that she'd felt left out because of Simon getting constant attention. Ken and Deirdre however assured Amy that she was still important to them.

Other information

 * In May 2011 it was discovered that Amy is lactose intolerant.
 * In December 2014 Amy pretended (with the encouragement of her mother) that she was able to speak to dead people in a bid to wind Norris Cole up.

Background information

 * Amy has been played by a total of eight actresses during her time in the show. After being played by three actresses from a baby, the role was eventually taken over by Amber Chadwick in 2006, who had a longer stint as Amy than the previous ones. In 2010, the character was once again recast, with Elle Mulvaney taking over the role. The reason for this decision was because producers wanted a better actress as Amy was to be involved in upcoming storylines. This amount of actresses makes Amy the character with the most actors playing the part in the show, with Peter Barlow coming in second as he was played by 7 actors. Elle has been the most successful actress to play Amy, being nominated for "Best Young Actor" in the Inside Soap Awards three years' running.