IT’S amazing how a spot of soap seems to smooth the way for kids to find showbiz fame.
A new generation of up-and-coming actors, models and musicians have one thing in common – a parent who stars in one of telly’s serial sagas.
Noah Jupe, 15, who earned £450,000 for his role in glossy Sky thriller The Undoing, was recently revealed as the son of Katy Cavanagh, who plays Corrie’s Julie Carp.
And this Christmas, Netflix drama Bridgerton is set to make a star of Phoebe Dynevor – whose mum Sally plays Corrie’s Sally Webster.
Here, Katy Docherty looks at the soap star kids who are finding fame for themselves.
Phoebe Dynevor, daughter of Sally
Sally first stepped on to the Corrie cobbles as her soap namesake Sally Webster in 1986, nearly ten years before she gave birth to Phoebe, now 25.
Her actress daughter landed her first TV gig aged just 14, in BBC school drama Waterloo Road, and later starred in another Beeb drama, Prisoners’ Wives.
Phoebe now has the lead role in Netflix’s big-budget series Bridgerton, which airs on Christmas Day.
She says her mum taught her to stay humble and be kind to others.
She added: “She’d never say a bad word about anyone or anything – I love that about her.”
Jake Roche, son of EastEnder Shane Richie
Shane and Coleen Nolan’s 28-year-old son is the frontman of the band Rixton – who now call themselves Push Baby.
In 2013 the band signed to music tycoon Scooter Braun’s label and their single Me And My Broken Heart topped the UK charts in 2014.
The band changed their name to Push Baby last year after a four-year break and are planning a second album.
Before his music career, Jake had a brief acting role in Emmerdale in 2010 – but says his famous dad did not help him land the part.
He said: “When I was auditioning they didn’t know who my parents were and I’d also auditioned twice before, so they obviously didn’t care about that or they wouldn’t have turned me down.”
Kiki Brooks, daughter of EastEnder Charlie
Kiki is in stage school – no doubt hoping to carve out an acting career like her mum’s in EastEnders as Janine.
But in the meantime the 15-year-old has found an audience on social media app TikTok, with 25,800 followers.
Her skit re-enacting Janine murdering Barry on the soap got more than 460,000 views.
And Kiki is such a fan of the soap that Charlie said she was distraught when she left in 2013.
Charlie recalled: “Kiki cried her eyes out when I told her I was leaving. She has been on set a lot over the years.”
Noah Jupe, son of Corrie’s Katy Cavanagh
Noah has already hit the big league, playing Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant’s son Henry Fraser in Sky Atlantic’s whodunnit The Undoing.
But the 15-year-old actor from North London was already enjoying a glittering career, having appeared in 2018 blockbuster A Quiet Place.
He also starred in BBC drama The Night Manager in 2016 and Le Mans ’66 last year.
And no doubt Noah has been inspired by his mum Katy, who played Julie in the Street from 2008 to 2015.
Fans were amazed at the link, with one tweeting: “The most shocking news of 2020 is The Undoing’s Henry is Julie from Corrie’s son!”
Fenton Merkell, son of EastEnders’ Patsy
Fenton’s career is a tad more glam than Albert Square, where his mum Patsy Palmer debuted as Bianca in 1993.
For the 20-year-old hunk has signed to modelling agency Select Management in Los Angeles, and has had his smouldering pics published in magazines Wonderland, ID and Flaunt.
His sister Emilia, 18, is also a model, while actor big bro Charley Rothwell, 28, had a role in 2017 film Dunkirk.
In 2018, Patsy said she rejected offers to do a reality show about her famous family. She said: “We could, but we wouldn’t be able to have control over it.
“They like to cause controversy, it’s all so fake anyway. It’s not nice.”
Dani Dyer, daughter of EastEnders’ Danny
Her dad, hard-man actor Danny, has played Mick Carter since 2013, after starring in the 1999 film Human Traffic and 2004’s The Football Factory.
But 24-year-old Dani has found fame through reality TV, winning Love Island in 2018.
She is now pregnant with her first child but is still making time to host a podcast with her dad, Sorted With The Dyers.
Dad-of-three Danny, who himself became a father at 18, said: “I was a baby when I had Dani – I couldn’t even shave.
“So me and my eldest daughter have grown up together. We are very close and she can tell me anything.”
Roman Kemp, son of EastEnder Martin
Martin may have found fame playing bass with Spandau Ballet but his four-year stint in EastEnders cemented him as a household name.
Son Roman, 27, has found his own fame by hosting the breakfast show on Capital FM since 2017.
In 2019 he came third in I’m A Celebrity and has appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox with his dad.
Despite an army of female fans, the DJ says he still has to compete with his heart-throb father.
Roman said: “I think Brooklyn Beckham and I are the only ones who really understand what it’s like to have a dad so good-looking.”
Amber Wood, daughter of EastEnder Jake
Jake’s character Max Branning may be heading for the EastEnders exit but the future looks bright for the actor’s daughter Amber, 15.
Jake has revealed that the red-haired teen wants to become a model, and has posted a posed-up picture to Instagram.
He wrote: “My daughter Amber Bo wants to model. Thank goodness she takes after her mum.”
And her famous dad’s Albert Square co-stars agreed with the post.
Former EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa, who played Max’s daughter Lauren, commented: “Stunning”.
Lennon Gallagher son of Emmerdale’s Patsy
Good looks obviously run in the family, as Patsy Kensit’s son Lennon has modelled for Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin.
Patsy, who played Sadie King in Emmerdale four four years, also starred in Holby City.
Lennon was also hand- picked by rapper Pharrell to star in the advertising campaign for his clothing line G-Star Raw.
Of course, it helps that his dad is rock hero Liam Gallagher.
Lennon, 21, said: “I grew up with my mum being an actress. Also my dad is a musician.
“I just like being in front of the camera – as cheesy as that sounds.”
