Amy Barlow

Amy Barlow is a character in the British soap opera Coronation Street. She was originally called Patience by Roy Cropper however, her name was changed back to Amy when it was discovered that she was Steve McDonald's daughter. She is the illegitimate and only daughter of Steve McDonald and Tracy Barlow. She was first played by three babies and after a month two babies were used. One of these babies, Rebecca Pike played Amy alone from the age of three months until June 2005. From July to October of that year, Louisa Morris took over the role. Madison Hampson took over playing Amy from October 2005 - March 2006. Since April 2006, Amber Chadwick has played the toddler.

Storylines
Before Amy's birth on the 9 February 2004, Tracy had slipped a date-rape drug into the drink of Roy Cropper. She'd then taken Roy home and put him to bed. Although nothing happened between them, Tracy pretended she had bet someone that she could make him sleep with her. When she found out she was pregnant, Tracy decided to pretend the baby was Roy's because she felt it would be easier to manipulate him than Steve.

Roy confessed the 'affair' to wife Hayley and they agreed they wanted the baby - they can't have children because Hayley is a transsexual. Tracy agreed to give them Amy, in exchange for money. Amy lived with the Croppers for a few weeks as Patience Cropper, the name they gave her, until Steve married Karen Phillips and Tracy confessed all to everyone. She took her baby back and renamed her Amy.

Karen and Steve stayed together for a while (they were on a break when Amy's conception occurred) but eventually broke up, Amy's birth was one of a few factors that caused this. Steve initially wanted nothing to do with his baby girl, especially as he felt it could jeopardise his future with Karen. However when he and Karen broke up, Steve grew to love Amy and did everything he could to be a proper father to her, even getting together with Tracy for a while.

Tracy loved Steve but Steve did not love Tracy. As Steve and Tracy were unmarried when Amy was born, Steve wanted to sign to give him joint parental responsibility for Amy before dumping Tracy as he feared Tracy would try to take Amy away from him and he wanted rights to her. However Tracy guessed what they were up to and they split up.

Tracy has tried to stop Steve stealing Amy, even framing him for kidnap, but a court ruled that Steve should be given parental responsibility and see his daughter.

Steve was thrilled when Christmas Day 2005 fell on a Sunday because it was his usual day to look after Amy. However Tracy said he could see Amy on Monday instead and was going to refuse him access before changing her mind. Amy stayed with Tracy on Christmas Day, but was visited by Steve. Tracy heard that Steve was going on holiday with his new girlfriend and asked her new boyfriend Charlie Stubbs to take her away at the same time and asked Steve to look after Amy. Steve agreed to cancel his holiday but then found out Tracy had planned it and told her to cancel hers. When Tracy spoke to Charlie, he'd yet to book the holiday so they didn't have to cancel it anyway.

Tracy was even more neglectful of her daughter than usual after getting together with Charlie. On New Year's Eve 2005, Tracy left Amy alone asleep in her cot while she went out with Charlie. She and Amy moved in with Charlie in early 2006 but when Charlie complained about Amy, Tracy left her little girl to live with her mother, stepfather and grandmother, Deirdre, Ken and Blanche, who were less than happy with this arrangement, telling Tracy she was neglecting her daughter. Tracy missed Amy and so told Charlie she was pregnant when she knew she wasn't. Charlie and Tracy agreed that she should have an abortion however she emotionally blackmailed Charlie into letting Amy move back in with them by using their 'dead baby' as a pawn. She spent the money Charlie gave her for an abortion on clothes.

Tracy later confessed what she had done to Deirdre after Deirdre became upset about the 'abortion'. Deirdre was horrified to learn the truth. Amy then lived with Tracy and Charlie, although Charlie made no attempt to show affection to Amy and Tracy always asked her parents, other family members and the Croppers to babysit her daughter while she and Charlie went out.

After Tracy's arrest for Charlie's murder, Amy moved back in with the Barlows and was looked after by her grandparents and father. When Tracy was convicted of Murder in April 2007, Amy went to live with Steve who was distressed at how he should tell Amy about Tracy (whom Amy kept asking for) with Tracy sentenced to a minimum of 15 years. If Tracy serves her whole 15 year sentence, when released, Amy will be 18 years old. Amy has now met her paternal grandfather, Jim, and is getting used to Ryan and Michelle Connor being around.

On Amy's fourth birthday, she received a birthday card from her mum, which Steve read out hesitantly because Amy will probably never see her until she is 18. Amy, however, is too young to understand.

On March 31 2008, Amy was nearly knocked down by a large van working on the construction site of the new apartments on Rosamund Street. She was saved by Harry Mason who pulled her to safety.

Amy has recently had fewer storylines, appearing only in background performances.