Rob Donovan

Robert Darren "Rob" Donovan is the brother of Carla Connor. He was sentenced to eight years in Strangeways after being involved as a getaway driver in an armed robbery incident to help his drug dealing mother. In 2011, he had contacted Carla after their mother had passed away.

He was released in July 2012 and tracked Carla down to her business Underworld on Coronation Street. Rob came across Carla's boyfriend Peter Barlow giving her a hard time, and stepped in and told Peter to stop having a go at his sister. Later on Carla met up with Rob in the Rovers to catch up, but the reunion didn't go well when Rob began to have a go at her for abandoning him and their mother and hardly keeping in contact. He went to stay with Carla's friend and ex-sister-in-law Michelle. Later on he got a job in the factory, although lost an order with a client while having a go at her when she complained about the prices, angering Carla. He later got the order when he charmed her round.

Rob took control of Underworld when Carla left Weatherfield with boyfriend Peter. Rob continues running the factory with Michelle until Carla makes a return to Weatherfield with Peter from Los Angelas in December that year. She decides she wants to return back to L.A to start afresh and plans on selling Underworld so puts it on the market. Rob knows he can't make the bid, so he changes the books so the broker gives them a low evaluation. Carla later came back to Weatherfield, planning on staying for good and running the factory again, causing Rob and Michelle concern. When Carla discovers what he had done, she sacks him. Angry and feeling betrayed for the work he had put in, Rob sets up his own business and begins stealing Underworld's clients and contracts. Fed up with his tricks, Carla decides to give Rob his job back, however he says he wanted a share of the factory. She agrees to give him a 45% share of the business, much to Michelle's dismay.

In 2013 Rob begins to date Tracy McDonald and gives her a job at Underworld in packing. Prior to her he had also dated Eva Price and got her a job as a machinist, but was dumped after being caught cheating with another woman at a hotel.

Background information
Prior to his debut, Carla had mentioned time and time again about having a brother, and also gave this information in interviews related to Coronation Street. The brother was always referred to as "Darren", which caused confusion as to why he was called "Rob". According to an interview given to DigitalSpy by producer Phil Collinson, Darren is Rob's middle name. .