Steve McDonald (Coronation Street)

Infobox soap character
color=#F0E68C
name = Steve McDonald



caption1 =
series = Coronation Street
first = 6 December 1989
residence = Rovers Return Inn
born= 26 June 1974
parents = Jim McDonald
Liz McDonald
siblings = Andy McDonald
Katie McDonald
spouse= Victoria Arden (1995-1996)
Karen Phillips (2001-2003, 2004-2005)
children = Amy Barlow
romances = Tracy Barlow
Ronnie Clayton
Michelle Connor
occupation = Landlord|, "Rovers Return Inn" pub
portrayer = Simon Gregson

Steven James "Steve" McDonald, played by Simon Gregson, is a fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street who has been in the show since 1989.

Arrival and Early Storylines

Steve arrived in Coronation Street at the age of 15 in October 1989, with twin brother Andy and parents Jim and Liz McDonald. From the start, the lads were high-energy tearaways initially causing aggravation for Alf Roberts. Steve and Andy got up to a lot of mischief, including a joyride in an industrial earth mover, breaking Alf's shop window. The lads were brought up mainly by their mother because their father Jim was in the army and away more than he was home. When he was home, the hot tempered Jim, whose tirades were often fuelled by whiskey and beer, had boys fearing and resenting him. Steve grew up with little respect for his father but a great deal for his mother. It didn't stop him from getting into scrapes, no matter how much it worried his mother. Schoolboy pranks turned into illegal activities when Steve was sure he could pull off a scam or two only to find out that the long arm of the law was only a few steps away. Steve was caught selling stolen car radios, and falling into a bad lot which got his brother, Andy, beaten up. Steve ran away with a teenage love to the Lake District and had to be retrieved and defended against Jim by his mother. The McDonalds didn't have a lot of money and this seemed to fuel Steve's ambitions, always looking for a way to make money.

Steve started working with Jim in a building business but Jim was drinking a lot and during an argument and scuffle on scaffolding, Jim fell into a skip and was paralyzed for a time. After Jim's recovery, things started to improve between father and son. They seemed to come to an acceptance of each other.

Steve was a bit of a rogue within his family, serving two short prison sentences. He became involved with local gangster Jez Quigley, from whom he borrowed money to invest in a mini cab firm with friend Vikram Desai. When he couldn't pay it back when Jez demanded it, Jez had him beaten up very badly. Jim went after Jez and beat him up, Jez later died from the injuries he sustained in the attack. Jim confessed and went to jail where he served a jail sentence until his release in late 2007. Steve is now regarded as a rehabilitated and respected member of the community, co-owning the local taxi firm Street Cars, first with Vikram Desai, later with Dev Alahan and currently with Lloyd Mullaney.

Marriages and Relationships

He married young to Vicky, the granddaughter of Rovers Return landlord Alec Gilroy, who had come into a bit of money when her parents died. This seemed to be nothing more than another scam to get his hands on the cash, something Alec could never convince Vicky of, but, as predicted, it didn't last long. He got caught in possession of stolen booze and this time, he went to jail. Vicky divorced him and left town.

Steve has been married to Karen McDonald (twice). During his separation from Karen in 2003, he had a one-night stand with Tracy Barlow, consequently making her pregnant. Tracy gave birth to their daughter Amy Barlow, though she initially was named Hope by Roy Cropper when he was deceived into believing Amy was his daughter. Tracy later decided she wanted to bring up her daughter herself, and revealed that Steve was the baby's father on Steve and Karen's second wedding day. Karen was horrified but later forgave him. Tracy was persistent in causing disruption for Steve and Karen which lasted from February 2004 to December 2004, until Steve finished his relationship with Karen on Christmas Day, admitting it was getting too much for him. In March 2005 he began dating single mum Louise Hazel but the dalliance soon fizzled out partly due to Tracy's presence on the Street. For a brief period shortly after, he dated Tracy, but his intentions were to try and secure his name as the father on Amy's birth certificate, not because he had feelings for Tracy. Tracy became aware of Steve's scheme, and attempted to prevent Steve access to Amy. The case was taken to court, where Steve was granted legal rights to see his daughter.

In 2005, he started dating Street Cars employee Ronnie Clayton, a local gangster's estranged wife. In 2006, she tried to frame him when she accidentally ran down a pensioner in her taxi, but she was eventually caught. Steve's alibi for the crime was that he spent the night with his new business partner Lloyd's girlfriend Kelly Crabtree. This led to the temporary closure of Street Cars, when Lloyd refused to work with Steve. Lloyd eventually decided to forgive Steve for his deception, and they were able to re-open the business. Later that year, Steve bought the Rovers Return pub from Fred Elliott and installed his mother Liz Tomlin as landlady and stepfather Vernon as cellarman.

Tracy was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of her lover, Charlie Stubbs, and Steve took on Amy. He began a relationship with barmaid Michelle Connor, but cheated on her in June 2008, having a one-night stand with Becky Granger after he and Michelle had a row. Lloyd Mullaney, Steve's friend and colleague told Michelle that Steve had a plan to propose in order to explain Steve's strange behaviour. This put Steve under pressure to follow through with this story, and so Steve proposed to Michelle. However, Michelle found out that the proposal was "false" and Steve later revealed that the "slept on a girl's couch" (but claims he didn't sleep with her). Michelle responded by throwing Steve out of his own home and throwing the expensive engagement ring that cost £7,500 in a skip. Becky then tried to get Steve and Michelle back together but Michelle still told Steve to leave. Michelle and Steve were reunited after he gave her an ultimatum - we get back together or you move out.

In October 2008, Steve's fling with Becky returned to haunt him as she blackmailed him into providing her with an alibi on the night she caused alot of criminal damage, following her split from Jason Grimshaw.