Rebecca "Becky" McDonald (née Granger) was the tearaway ex-con who was the third wife of Steve McDonald and older half-sister of Kylie Platt.
Becky left home at fifteen to escape her abusive stepfather Brian Turner. She spent the next decade begging on the streets and engaging in petty crime, doing all she could to survive. She also spent some time in prison where she shared a cell with Kelly Crabtree. It was through Kelly that Becky first came to Coronation Street in 2006, attaching herself to her after they bumped into each other in the outside world. Becky showed that she was not a woman to cross when she framed Kelly for stealing from their Underworld colleagues after Kelly turfed her out of her flat.
Later that year, having served a three-month sentence at Styal Prison, Becky joined a literacy class for ex-offenders, where Hayley Cropper was doing voluntary work. Becky demonstrated to Hayley that she was a reformed character and was taken under the Croppers' wing, moving in with them and working at Roy's Rolls. She became very loyal to the Croppers and would do anything for him.
Becky never allowed herself to be happy as she had conditioned herself to expect disappointment in life. In 2009, Steve McDonald ended his relationship with Michelle Connor to be with Becky, and they were married at the second attempt after Becky got so drunk the first time that the registrar refused to perform the ceremony. After two miscarriages, the McDonalds applied to adopt a child in 2010. A bad reference from Kylie caused them to be turned down, and prompted Becky to track Kylie down. Kylie offered the McDonalds a way out of the problems by selling them her son Max.
The pressures of living a lie chipped away at the McDonalds' marriage, and after Steve told social services everything, Becky divorced him. In 2012, she got her revenge by splitting up Steve and his ex Tracy Barlow on their wedding day before emigrating to Barbados with her new partner Danny Stratton.
Biography
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1980-2006: Troublesome beginnings
Becky was born in 1980, and was later followed by a half-sister Kylie in 1987. When Becky was fifteen, she left the family home when Kylie was just eight in order to escape the advances of Kylie's father Brian Turner, which left Kylie vulnerable to his abuse and caused her to resent Becky.
Becky slipped into a life of petty crime in order to survive on the harsh streets, which frequently caused her to become involved with the law. At one point she shared a cell with Kelly Crabtree. When she was 16 she came to blows with corrupt police officer DC Hooch, who after arresting her for shoplifting, attempted to sleep with Becky, However she fought against his advances and reported him. Although nothing came of it and Hooch kept his job, he was vengeful towards Becky. By 2005 Becky was living on the streets and begging for money.
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2007-2008: Surrogate daughter
In January 2007, an acquaintance of Becky's who went by the name of "Slug" came to the street, much to Becky's initial discomfort. After drinking at the Rovers some days later, she agreed to go joyriding in Roy and Hayley Cropper's newly-acquired vintage Morris Minor with him. After appearing late for work the next day and Roy hearing from the police that the car had been recovered with her coat on the back seat, she took the blame for the crime, consequently losing their trust and her job at Roy's Rolls. After begging Hayley for forgiveness by gift offering, Hayley adamantly refused.
Not long after that, Roy's Rolls caught fire while Roy and Hayley were in the Rovers. Lloyd Mullaney went in to see if anyone was inside and carried Becky out of the flames. With Becky being the only person to appeared to have been there at the time, incorrect assumptions were made that she was responsible. Later on, Hayley learned that an electrical fault in the deep-fat fryer had caused the fire, proving Becky's innocence. Hayley apologised for doubting Becky. After a small heart-to-heart, Hayley and Becky decided to remain friends and Hayley offered Becky her job back at Roy's Rolls, which Becky accepted.
When Hayley found out she had a son, she confided in Becky. Becky suggested Hayley hire a private detective who ended up tracking down Christian Gatley and found that he worked in a record shop called Sound Garden.
Hayley has to tell Becky something
Initially Hayley and Christian got on well, and she told him that she was his father's sister, but Roy - on learning about this - insisted that Hayley tell him the truth. Sadly Christian did not take the news well and even punched Hayley when she insisted on following him. On 1st October, Becky went round to Sound Garden, where she confronted and then punched Christian, getting revenge on him for rejecting Hayley. Once Becky calmed down, she told Christian what a nice person Hayley was, and that Hayley would never have set out to hurt him on purpose.
2008-2009: Relationship with Jason Grimshaw
Becky and Jason kiss
Becky, on numerous occasions, flirted with Jason Grimshaw. When New Year's Eve 2007 came, on the stroke of midnight, Becky and Jason shared a lingering kiss in the back of the pub. On 4th February 2008, Becky and Jason slept with each other. She moved in with Roy as a lodger on 24th March of that year. She also began a full-time relationship with Jason.
On 11th June, Becky cheated on Jason with Steve McDonald after Jason kept on avoiding her and Steve had a row with his girlfriend Michelle Connor. The following morning Roy caught them, so Steve claimed that he'd lost the keys to the Rovers and Becky had offered him a stay.
Becky lived as a lodger at Jason's after Roy threw her out, and she and Jason went on a holiday together as soon as she moved in. They returned to the news that Steve and Michelle had broken up. Becky then tried to get them back together but failed. However, the couple reconciled some time later.
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2009-2011: Marriage to Steve McDonald and Tracy's return
Becky married Steve McDonald in 2009. On the day of their first wedding ceremony, Becky got so drunk, they were refused marriage.
Steve and Becky's second wedding
They eventually got married on 14th August.
Steve and Becky longed to have children, but, after two miscarriages, Becky discovered she could not have children. In 2010, Becky's half-sister Kylie Turner arrived, after giving the couple a bad reference for adoption. Kylie eventually showed her true colours when she offered to sell her son Max for £20,000.
In mid-December 2010, Becky took Max and Amy out to buy them some sweets. Before Becky put Max and Amy to bed, Max quickly went downstairs, running into Leanne Battersby's hen party, just to cuddle Steve. After that, Max went missing during the night. Not knowing that Kylie returned, found Max and took him round to her house. Becky and Steve went out looking for him. All of sudden, there was an explosion in The Joinery. The overhead viaduct was destroyed in the explosion. A tram travelling along the line didn't slow down in time and caused the tram to crash onto Viaduct Street. One carriage of the tram crashed into the Corner Shop. The carriage rapidly swung from the viaduct, crashed into Coronation Street and destroyed The Kabin. Becky and Steve noticed that Kylie was back. Kylie told them that Max was round at her house. Becky ran towards Kylie, ready to attack her, but Steve grabbed her before she did. Becky then asked Kylie how she would have felt if Max had got squashed under the tram. Kylie then blackmailed Steve into getting her £5,000 otherwise they weren't going to see Max again.
After her release from Redford Prison, Tracy Barlow discovered that the McDonalds had bought Max and began blackmailing them. More strain was put on the relationship when Steve anonymously told social services about the situation with Max. Becky initial blamed Tracy, then Kylie and her now husband David Platt. Max was taken into care, and Becky moved out of the Rovers after Steve admitted his guilt. She eventually decided she wanted Steve back, but Steve, having grown tired of Becky's destructive ways, told her he wanted a divorce.
2011-2012: Meeting Danny Stratton and new life in Barbados
During his brief separation from Becky, Steve had a one-night stand with Tracy. Tracy told Steve she was pregnant with twins and the two got engaged. Out of spite, Becky bought Lloyd Mullaney out of Street Cars with her divorce money. She was now Steve's business partner.
During a business meeting with hotel boss Danny Stratton, Becky and Steve proved to themselves that they were a good team. Tracy, believing they were having an affair, stormed round to the hotel shouting for them to come out. She collapsed in pain and had a miscarriage. The following day Tracy confronted Becky and again collapsed, falling down the stairs at Becky's flat. Tracy turned everyone against Becky by telling them that Becky pushed her down the stairs. Even Hayley had her doubts. It felt as thought it was only Danny who was on Becky's side and they began dating. When she realised that he had a son, Becky assumed that he was stringing her along. However, Danny revealed that he was moving to Barbados and asked Becky to go with him. She initially refused. He also revealed that Tracy had collapsed at the Whittingham Place Hotel before she claimed Becky pushed her down the stairs. Becky enlisted the help of Kylie, who suggested they got their hands on Tracy's medical records. After Roy stopped them breaking into the medical centre, they asked ex-receptionist Gail McIntyre to help. They eventually managed to sneak into Dr Carter's office and hacked into Tracy's records.
On the day of Steve and Tracy's wedding, Becky planned to reveal that Tracy was lying, but allowed them to get married. At the reception in the Rovers, Stella Price tried to throw her and Kylie out. Steve asked Becky and Kylie to get out. Becky wouldn't go until they got her wedding present. Tracy rushed over to take it from her, but Becky said it was for Steve. Becky walked over to Steve, gave him the envelope and forced him to open. Steve opened the envelope and read what was inside. He then looked up at Becky, confused. Becky told everyone that what he was holding was Tracy's medical records, revealing that Tracy had already miscarried the babies before she fell down the stairs. Tracy lied by saying that the letter was forged. She then revealed to Ken Barlow that Tracy's mother Deirdre knew that Becky didn't have anything to do with it and planned not to tell anyone.
After saying tearful goodbyes to Kylie, Roy and Hayley, Becky left for Manchester Airport. Steve angrily shouted that he wanted Tracy to keep away from him and dashed to the airport. He told Becky that he was sorry and that he should have trusted her, but it was too late. Becky left to start a new life with Danny in Barbados.
2012-2016: Post-departure
Becky and Danny became engaged in February 2012, the news of which was given to Kylie and David over the phone. She sent a Christmas card to Roy and Hayley Cropper in 2013. During the following July, David and Kylie went to visit Becky at the opening of a new hotel, however the trip was ruined due to Max's hyperactivity (he was later diagnosed as suffering from ADHD). When Kylie went missing after leaving with her ex-boyfriend Callum Logan, David contacted Becky in January 2015 to ask if she heard anything. Becky sent Roy a card for his 61st birthday in September of the same year.
Kylie, David and the kids planned a new life in Barbados with Becky in July 2016, however this idea was cut short when Kylie was stabbed and later died. Although Becky was distraught to hear the news, she wasn't able to attend the funeral due to an ear infection. David, Max and Lily went to visit Becky in August 2018.
Personality
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Becky was a "bad girl" and ex-con, bringing trouble to anyone who crossed her path. Becky had been noticed for her brash, trashy appearance. She has had trouble with many people on the street but that never stopped her.
Relationships
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Becky's earlier relationships with the residents of the Street were few and far between. When she first arrived on the cobbles, she was mostly seen with best friend Kelly Crabtree, until she kissed Kelly's boyfriend, Lloyd Mullaney. Later on, she became friends with Roy and Hayley Cropper. Eventually she began dating Jason Grimshaw but he dumped her, believing he could reconcile with his wife Sarah. Following their break up and the aftermath, Becky embarked on an affair with fellow resident Steve McDonald. He helped Becky get off with a charge of criminal damage and assault, and they embarked on a long-term affair. Steve realised that this was in fact 'true love', and eventually left his partner, Michelle Connor, and proposed to Becky. Their first wedding was stymied by Becky being so inebriated that she couldn't go ahead with the service. The second went ahead but the wedding breakfast celebrations were stalled by Becky's old police nemesis, who paid off her ex (who went by the unappetizing name of 'Slug') to plant drugs in her bag. This culminated in Becky spending her wedding night in a cell at Weatherfield Police Station, white feather boa and all.
Other information
- Becky was superstitious.
- Becky had a cat called Fluffy who was ran over by an ice-cream van on Friday 13th.
- She wore a necklace with her name.
- In December 2007 Becky claimed she had a step-mother.
- Becky's mother died in January 2010, she had a sister who was a dancer.
Background information
Amanda Tyrell as Becky Granger in August 2005, six months before Katherine Kelly took over the part.
- Becky first appeared in Episode 6100 (24th August 2005) when she was played by Amanda Tyrell. Although credited as "Beggar", she was named as Becky in the dialogue and when she reappeared in Episode 6221 (5th February 2006), now played by Katherine Kelly, specific reference was made by Kelly Crabtree to her appearance the previous year. There was no on-screen reference of any nature to Becky being the same character as a Shoplifter who had appeared in January 2005.
First and last lines
"Kelly?" (First line)
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"Regrets are for people what stop on the ground. We're heading for the stars." (Final line, to Danny Stratton)
Appendices
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