THEY grace our TV screens on an almost nightly basis, but now some of soap’s biggest stars are at risk of being overshadowed – by their own offspring.
A new generation of up-and-coming actors, models and musicians all have one thing in common – a parent who stars in one of telly’s serial sagas.
Most recently EastEnders legend Rita Simons – best known for playing Roxy Mitchell – posed with her daughter Maiya Silveston, who is also a huge TV star.
The 16-year-old plays Kaz in Silverpoint, a major BBC drama about four kids who went missing in the woods in 1997.
Earlier this year Maiya, one of Rita’s twin daughters with hairdresser ex Theo, appeared on Saturday Mash Up Live with co-stars Scarlett and Krish to promote the show.
Here we look at other soap star kids who are finding fame for themselves…
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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 27.
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 then bagged the lead role in Netflix’s big-budget series Bridgerton.
She says her mum taught her to stay humble and be kind to others, adding: “She’d never say a bad word about anyone or anything – I love that about her.”
Jake Roche – son of Shane Richie
Shane and Coleen Nolan’s 29-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 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-Truman – daughter of Charlie
Kiki is in stage school – no doubt hoping to carve out an acting career like her mum, who plays Janine in EastEnders.
In the meantime the 17-year-old has found an audience on social media app TikTok, with nearly 80k 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 hit the big league, playing Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant’s son Henry Fraser in Sky Atlantic’s whodunnit The Undoing.
But the 17-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 21-year-old hunk 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, 20, is also a model, while actor big bro Charley Rothwell, 30, 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 25-year-old Dani found fame through reality TV, winning Love Island in 2018.
She is now a mum to son Santiago and hosts 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 as Steve cemented him as a household name.
Son Roman, 29, 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 left EastEnders last year, but the future looks bright for the actor’s daughter Amber, 16.
Jake revealed that the red-haired teen wants to become a model, and 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”.
Matty Healy – son of Denise Welch
Coronation Street legend Denise has produced two talented sons.
The actress played Rovers landlady Natalie Barnes in the ITV soap for three years from 1997.
She’s also clocked up a role in EastEnders as a Slater and as Trish Minniver in Hollyoaks.
Denise has yet to land a role in Emmerdale, but that honour went to her youngest son Louis who appeared as drug dealer Danny Harrington.
The star’s eldest, singer Matty, is internationally famous as the lead singer of chart-toppers The 1975.
Matty’s band have had two number one albums and sold records all over the world.
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.
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Lennon, 22, 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.”
