Sam Blakeman is the son of Nick Tilsley and the late Natasha Blakeman.
Born in 2011, Sam didn't meet his father until he was nine years old as Natasha and Nick had split up before Natasha knew she was pregnant. A chance encounter at Weatherfield General in 2020 caused Nick to find out that he had a son, and with Natasha's blessing he was allowed to have Sam in his life.
Exceptionally bright with a passion for astronomy, Sam was very close to his mother. Their time together was tragically cut short in 2021 when Natasha was shot dead by gangster Harvey Gaskell. Sam now lives at 12 Victoria Court with Nick, his partner Leanne Battersby, Leanne's stepson Simon Barlow, and her stepsister Toyah Habeeb. He is seeing his first girlfriend, Hope Dobbs.
Biography[]
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Natasha Blakeman discovered that she was pregnant after leaving Weatherfield in September 2010, with Sam's birth occurring in the following year.
Natasha attended Weatherfield General in September 2020 as Sam had been injured. In the hospital grounds, she was surprised to bump into her former partner Nick Tilsley, along with Steve McDonald. She made the excuse of being at the hospital for a dermatologist appointment and their meeting was brief, however Nick later overheard Natasha telling the doctor who had treated Sam for a sprain, that she'd had one or two reminders of her son's father already that day and Nick pieced together the fact that Sam was his biological son.
Having searched social media sites and discovered that Natasha hadn't had any relationships since their break up, Nick phoned her in an attempt to get the truth, but she hung up when he asked her outright if he was Sam's father. Nick was taken aback when Natasha made an impromptu visit to his flat where she initially denied his paternity. Nick saw through her lies however, and Natasha made it clear that he had to dedicate himself if he wanted to be a part of Sam's life.
Sam was kidnapped by a thug working for Harvey Gaskell in May 2021 and locked in the back of a van after being lured in by a telescope. He was eventually released, but the abduction was a warning to Nick to force his partner Leanne Battersby and her son Simon Barlow to change their testimony against Harvey's illicit dealings. Sam later got revenge on his kidnapper a couple of weeks later when he knocked the man out in the street and prevented him from shooting Gary Windass dead.
Since his mother's death, Nick and Leanne have been looking after Sam, however, his heavy grief left him completely mute for several weeks. Sam broke his silence over the Christmas period while talking to Hope Stape through a walkie-talkie.
Personality[]
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Background information[]
Jude Riordan's father Paul has directed multiple episodes of Coronation Street since September 2021.
Reception[]
In September 2021, Jude Riordan won the Best Newcomer Award at the National Television Awards for his role as Sam Blakeman. He is the youngest actor to achieve this award in the annual ceremony's history. He followed this up by scooping the Inside Soap Award in the same category that November and Favourite Young Performer in the TV Times Awards in December.
First and last lines[]
"You know it's much healthier for your cardiovascular system if you take stairs." (First line, to mother Natasha)
Appendices[]
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See also[]