Kelly Neelan

Kelly Beau Neelan is the teenage daughter of notorious loan shark Rick Neelan and ex-foster daughter of Imran Habeeb and Toyah Battersby.

Following her father's disappearance in 2019, Kelly began questioning one of his associates, Gary Windass, about his whereabouts. Over time, she became convinced that Gary had killed Rick, but was never able to prove it. Without Rick's money, Kelly's mother Laura became neglectful, and Kelly ended up in foster care.

Kelly's move to Coronation Street was a controversial one, as she had previously leaked a naked video of Asha Alahan online in 2020. In 2021, she formed part of Corey Brent's gang which carried out an unprovoked attack on Nina Lucas and Seb Franklin. When Seb died from his injuries, Corey blamed everything on Kelly, and a gruelling trial followed in which Kelly was found guilty of murder. The conviction was quashed several weeks later when new evidence was found proving that Corey was the attacker.

Returning to the street after a spell of homelessness, Kelly has struggled with feelings of self-loathing over the part she played in Seb's death, and was dealt another blow when her mother died of stomach cancer. She is currently living as a guest at 5 Victoria Court.

Biography

2005-2021: The disappearing dad

Kelly Neelan was born on 22nd May 2005 to parents Rick and Laura Neelan. During her childhood she was left unaware of her father's true nature as a ruthless loan shark, which had landed him in trouble with the law in 2010 and 2012. Their relationship became strained following her parents divorcing, although Rick would still keep in contact with Kelly, and would pick her up from Oakhill School "every other Friday".

When Rick failed to show up for Kelly at the end of June 2019, she paid a visit to his office and bumped into Gary Windass. While Gary pretended to be a client of her father's the reality was that he had killed Rick over a week prior in self-defence.

Gary continued to pay for Kelly's school fees, although she later began to attend Weatherfield High and resurfaced in 2020, much to Gary's surprise. Kelly was involved in leaking a video of her friend Asha Alahan undressing - taken by Asha's boyfriend Corey Brent - which spread across the school and led to Asha being bullied. Kelly felt remorse for her actions.

Kelly returned to Coronation Street in December 2020, when Gary was under investigation accused of killing her father Rick. He was released without charge when the police were unable to find Rick's body, despite Gary's ex-girlfriend Sarah Barlow claiming (correctly) that he killed Rick and giving the location where the body was located.

2021 to present: Fostering and hate crime

In 2021, Toyah Battersby and Imran Habeeb began fostering Kelly, after much persuasion from her. In May 2021, Kelly was hanging around with a group of friends, including Corey and his mates Eli Higginson and Jay Dowling, plus Asha and Summer Spellman. Shortly after Summer left, Nina Lucas - someone deeply resented by Corey - and her boyfriend Seb Franklin happened across the scene. Nina tried to convince Kelly to go home but she merely mocked her, and under pressure from the group slapped her across the face. The couple beat a hasty retreat, but the gang followed and attacked them on their way home. Appalled at what she'd started Kelly tried to stop Corey, but he kicked Seb several times in the head while Eli and Jay assaulted Nina. Nina was left with serious injuries and Seb later died. All four teenagers were later charged, Corey and Kelly with murder.

Imran supported Kelly through her police interview and represented her when the case went to trial and, when Nina remembered that Kelly had tried to help, passed on the news. Kelly was buoyed when Nina took the stand, but it wasn't to last - a gruelling trial followed in which Corey's lawyers (led by Imran's ex-wife Sabeen) picked every hole they could in Nina's evidence, Corey lied through his teeth blaming everything on Kelly, and when questioned by Imran pretended to break down on the stand, provoking Kelly into angrily shouting at him in front of the court. Arguably the final nail in the coffin was when Kelly's mother Laura was brought in at Kelly's persuasion to give evidence that she was a good daughter who had had a difficult upbringing. This dramatically backfired when Sabeen produced an earlier statement from Laura, from when she had been prosecuted for child cruelty, in which she stated she was afraid of her violent, unpredictable and aggressive daughter. Corey was cleared and a devastated Kelly found guilty.

She attempted suicide that night in the depths of her despair, but survived after being rushed to hospital. Nonetheless, later that month Kelly was handed down a life sentence, with a minimum of fifteen years to be served.

Kelly's ordeal ended in November 2021 when Nina and Asha, with the help of homeless man Stu Carpenter, obtained Corey's bag from the night of the attack, containing his blood-stained tracksuit. After an attempt at fleeing the country was foiled by Gary, Corey pleaded guilty and Kelly was finally released. It wasn't all plain sailing, as Nina and Seb's mother Abi continued to be extremely hostile to her, still blaming her for her part in Seb's death. In addition to this, Imran and Toyah had fostered a little girl called Elsie. Although the two got on well, social services had decreed Elsie should not be fostered in a home with other children. Deciding it wouldn't be fair on Elsie to have to leave, Kelly moved out herself. Feeling she couldn't go back to a street whose residents hated her, she packed and moved out.

Kelly's time with no proper abode was dogged by misfortune. She wound up on the streets after being forced out of supported accommodation by a lad called Cole - she refused to sell stolen mobile phones for him. She was also groomed by a man she met in the Chariot Square Hotel while using the facilities to charge her phone, although managed to get away. Despite her troubles she was too proud to ask for help, aborting a planned move into No.7 at the suggestion of Asha's twin brother Aadi after overhearing Asha saying too many people would be hurt if she returned to the area. She lied to everyone that she was staying with her mother instead. The two bright spots of a miserable period in her life were her friendships with Aadi and a fellow homeless person, Stu Carpenter, who helped her once again by showing her the best sources for food.

When Laura finally turned up and revealed she hadn't seen Kelly since the trial, her friends finally realised the danger she was in. Even Nina softened slightly towards Kelly after helping protect her from a gang of teenagers who threw drunken abuse at Kelly and poured a drink over her - reminding Nina of her own ordeal. The two women later reported the incident together. The planned move in with the Alahans went through, and along with a part-time job at Trim Up North offered by Maria Connor, Kelly had some stability in her life at long last. She took advantage of the latter by allowing Stu to stay in the property at night-time out of gratitude.

Shortly after this, Kelly was arrested after briefly relapsing. She'd been subject to a harassment campaign from Abi, who still blamed her for Seb's death and refused to leave her alone. When the two women ended up at the same drugs support group (Toyah had "encouraged" Kelly to go), Abi heard firsthand about Kelly's childhood trauma, while Kelly listened to her words of grief for Seb, and the two women developed an understanding. Kelly, however, had to leave No.7 as Asha and Aadi's father Dev refused to have his children exposed to drugs. Instead, Kelly moved in with Maria and Gary at 5 Victoria Court.

In February 2022, Laura abruptly arrived back in her daughter's life and informed her she had terminal stomach cancer. Initially Kelly didn't believe her, but realising that Laura was telling the truth and she only had one mum, started visiting her bedsit regularly to look after her, cooking and cleaning. She kept this a secret from all around her except her friend Simon Barlow. When Maria and Gary found out, they reluctantly allowed Laura to move in with them until she had to go to a hospice.

Gary was unnerved when Laura announced her intention to hire a private investigator to track down Rick so she could get his hands on her money to give to Kelly. This was against her daughter's wishes, as she wanted nothing to do with her dad's dirty money. Things went from bad to worse for Gary when it was revealed the new Weatherfield County FC training ground was to be built where he had reburied Rick, meaning it would soon be found. When the PI, Ron Fordham who had been a detective sergeant, informed Laura off the record that the police thought Rick was dead and considered Gary the prime suspect, she confronted him and he was forced to confirm it. Laura then confessed to the murder herself in order to stop Gary going to prison, as she considered him a better parental figure to Kelly than she had ever been. When Rick's body was found just where Laura said it would be, she was charged.

Personality

"If you've owt to say, spit it out before it flamin' well chokes yer"

This article or section is unfinished.
Please edit this article to fill in the missing parts and remove this message when done.

Background information

Publicity photo of Millie Gibson as Kelly Neelan in 2021

Kelly first appeared in Episode 9807 in June 2019. Millie Gibson's casting was announced a few weeks prior to her initial appearance and her minor role consisted of five episodes. Producers brought Gibson back for a subsequent stint from Episode 10046 in April 2020, however the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the character went off-screen for another period from July before being brought back in Episode 10203 in December. In May 2021 it was revealed that Gibson had been signed onto a permanent contract. [1]

Albeit unnamed, the character of Kelly was first mentioned as far back as 2009, in Episode 7214, when Rick Neelan (Greg Wood) told Gail Platt (Helen Worth) about his son and daughter. Kelly's appearance in 2019 came after her father's murder at the hands of Gary Windass (Mikey North), although no mention of a sibling of Kelly's has been made since then.

Following her return in December 2020, Kelly was involved in storylines such as being fostered by regular characters Imran Habeeb and Toyah Battersby, and in May 2021 was part of a hate crime storyline which led to the death of regular character Seb Franklin. Gibson's portrayal was well received by viewers and this prompted impressed producers to sign her up full-time to the show, following a recurring role of two years.

First and last lines

"Hi. Where's my dad?" (First line, to Gary Windass)

Appendices