Shannon Tattersall was Zoe Tattersall's baby. Zoe was taken in by Gary and Judy Mallett who were desperate for a baby, and agreed to pay teenage Zoe £2,000 for her baby. Gary falsely declared himself to be the father on the birth certificate - so she became officially known and christened as Katie Joyce Mallett, though Zoe called her Shannon Jade. Zoe confessed to her friend Leanne Battersby that Gary was not 'Katie's' real father. Four months after the baby's birth, during Christmas time 1997, Zoe kidnapped her back and changed her name to Shannon. The little girl tragically died from meningitis aged just eight months old, in April 1998.
The character was first credited as Katie Tattersall, then Katie Mallett until 21st December 1997; Katie/Shannon until 28th December 1997 and finally Shannon Tattersall from 28th December 1997