Andy Whyment, or should we say Andrew, is now somewhat of a Coronation Street staple. The actor has spent the past 22 years on our screens as the loveable Kirk Sutherland, and that's not including his uncredited appearances.
He actually appeared in the ITV soap in 1990 and 1997 and was just referred to as Mark. Earlier this year, fans were baffled when they caught an episode of Classic Corrie and were quick to spot Maria had called Kirk a different name in their earlier scenes.
He also previously appeared in the Salford-based programme as Wayne, a guy who was simply purchasing some fireworks in The Kabin. But it wasn't until 2000 that he became a regular character.
Salford-born actor Andy has since cemented himself as a firm favourite among Corrie viewers. Away from the street, his first credited part was in Cracker in 1993 and he also had minor roles in The Cops, Heartbeat and Where the Heart Is.
But the actor is also probably known for appearing as Darren Sinclair-Jones in the much-loved BBC hit sitcom The Royle Family before landing the role of Kirk. Then, in 2019, Andy captured fans' hearts further when he appeared in the nineteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! where he finished in second place to Jacqueline Jossa.
Around the time of his appearance on the hit ITV reality show, it was revealed that Andy had a rather traumatic arrival into the world 41 years ago. As a newborn he underwent life-saving surgery moments after his birth to fix a collapsed lung, without which, the actor might not be here today.
Speaking to The Mirror while her son was in the Australian jungle, Andy's mum Jackie explained that the surgery left him with two star-shaped scars, and that their unique shape led her and Andy's dad, Fred, to believe that he was destined to be famous. Jackie explained: "He had problems at birth and had to have two tubes put in his chest whilst on a ventilator. They left scars in the shape of two stars. Fred said he was going to be a star.
"We were advised to get a priest, but he fought. We knew then he was here for a purpose. He was in the special care unit for six weeks." Speaking previously about what could have been without surgery, Salford-born Andy said: "They read me the last rites. They didn't think I was going to live. If I'd been born ten years earlier I wouldn't have stood a chance because they wouldn't have had the medical equipment."
But luckily things turned out well for Andy and, as well as life on the cobbles, he is married with two children. The soap star has been with his beautiful wife Nichola since they met in Manchester in 2004, with the actor telling Digital Spy the pair "really hit it off."
He said: "After we were together for a few months I thought about marriage and babies but wanted to live with each other first." The couple tied the knot in 2007 after three years together and celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary earlier this year. Back in June Andy took to Instagram to share a snap of the pair on their wedding day, as well as various selfies from their life together so far.
" 15 years ago today I married @nicski31 happy anniversary babe Love You," he penned alongside the string of sweet photos. Then in July, while on a sunny holiday in Crete, the loved-up pair marked almost two decades as a couple. Alongside a photo of them enjoying a cold beverage by the pool, Andy said: " 19 years together today for me and @nicski31. Nice to spend it in the sun @lyttosmare."
Andy had nothing but nice things to say when he spoke to OK! Magazine on their tenth anniversary in 2017. "She’s gorgeous!" he said of Nichola. "I’m a very lucky bloke. We’ve been together 14 years and we just don’t argue. We get on so well. I fancied Nic for some time but nothing happened. Then we copped off one night and it wasn’t too long before I realised she was the one I wanted to be with."
Nichola added to OK!: "It was a good few months for me because he was a bit of an idiot when I first met him. He was single and sharing a place with Al [Alan Halsall, who plays Corrie's Tyrone Dobbs]. He was just giving it big time and not doing what I wanted him to do."
Andy and Nichola welcomed their first child, son Thomas, in 2009 and a daughter, Hollie, in 2011. The proud dad is regularly posting family pictures to his thousands of followers on Instagram. During lockdown, Andy appeared as fans had n ever seen him before - and they absolutely loved it.
The actor joined forces with his wife Nicola and daughter Hollie for a series of TikTok videos because that was the lockdown thing to do, right? And Andy's latest attempt was pretty epic. The I'm A Celeb runner-up was dressed in a black suit and tie ensemble as the trio recreated Will Smith's iconic dance from the Men In Black title track.
Andy completed his serious look with sunglasses, while Nicola followed suit and Hollie dressed in a bow tie and oversized white shirt. Andy captioned the video: "Went full out costume and everything for this one a bit of MEN IN BLACK... And Nic managed to squeeze into Tom’s 11 to 12 years school shirt to get into character."
Andy has previously given fans a peek inside the cosy Cheshire home he shares with beloved wife Nichola and their children. He regularly uploads snaps of his home, including the couple’s luxury hot tub, which was installed on their patio overlooking their back garden.
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