Coronation Street icon dated All Creatures Great and Small star before sudden split
If you’re a devoted follower of All Creatures Great and Small, you’ll likely recognise Will Thorp, who portrayed the charming suitor Gerald Hammond. In the Channel 5 drama, Gerald and Mrs Hall’s budding romance captured significant attention from online viewers; sadly, his character left the series in 2024.
Before this role, he appeared in a popular soap opera. In 2010, Will secured a recurring part in ITV’s Coronation Street as Chris Gray.
He’d been married for seven years with two children when he joined the show, though his marriage ended that Christmas.
Whilst appearing on the Cobbles, he encountered Samia Longchambon, who portrays Maria Connor. The pair shared an on-screen romance, but behind the scenes, Samia separated from Matt Smith, her partner of five years, in January 2011.
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Will Thorp in Coronation Street as Chris Gray(Image: ITV / IMDb)
Subsequently, Samia and Will began a relationship away from the cameras, setting up home together. Nevertheless, they separated in 2012, just as Samia was starting her appearance on Dancing on Ice, reports the Express.
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At the time, an inside source told the Sunday People: “Samia is happily single, the relationship just fizzled out and ran its course. Will was having to spend a lot of time down south and working away while Samia is still living up north.
“She is now concentrating on Dancing On Ice and her daughter Freya.”
Samia is happily married to Dancing on Ice pro Sylvain(Image: @samia_longchambon/instagram)
Another source added: “Samia and Will seemed very settled after the initial fuss. They seemed happy and enjoyed home life. But sadly they grew apart.”
While competing on Dancing on Ice, Samia was paired with Sylvain Lonchambon and their partnership soon turned into a romantic relationship. The couple exchanged vows in 2016 and now have a son.
Will also graced the dance floor in the third series of Strictly Come Dancing, where he was partnered with Hanna Haarala and they managed to secure a respectable seventh place.
Samia is still a regular on Coronation Street as Maria Windass and among her more recent storylines has been a harrowing bullying plot involving her teenage son, Liam.
Last year Samia opened up about her 24 years in the beloved soap and the heartrending storyline saying: “It’s been a massive rollercoaster of emotions for her. She’s gone through the shock, anger, sadness, and then distress after learning what he was thinking of doing. I think she’s feeling a bit shattered by it all.”
Highlighting the impact of the bullying on Maria’s mental health she said: “It’s had a massive impact. She’s had obsessive thoughts and won’t leave Liam alone for a second. Her work has taken a backseat, and so has her relationship.”