| “ | I just wanted to teach, people died because I wanted to teach. | „ |
| ~ John Stape to Fiz and the police before jumping from the roof. |
John Stape is a fictional character in the British ITV Soap Opera Coronation Street.
He first appeared as a central character in 2007 and went on to serve as an anti-hero in throughout 2008-2010 before becoming the main antagonist in 2011. He was later revealed to be the father of Jade Rowan, who was a major antagonist throughout 2019 and 2020.
He was portrayed by Graeme Hawley.
Biography
John first came into the show as a teacher at Weatherfield High and crossed paths with his old lover Fiz Brown, whose brother Chesney attended the school. They began dating again, but John had an affair with his 16-year old student Rosie Webster. This came out on Christmas, which was revealed to a distraught Fiz. Rosie's father Kevin battered John, who later left the street ashamed.
A few months after the deceit, he returned again and tried to win Fiz round, although she couldn't trust him. Blaming Rosie for his problems, he kidnapped her and locked her up in his dead Gran's attic, although instantly felt regret although was scared to let her go as she would go to the police. Conveniently after the kidnapping, Fiz asked John back, oblivious to his act. Despite illegally holding Rosie prisoner, he still provided for her and gave her food, making up excuses he was looking after his Gran's cat. When Fiz came to feed the "cat" while John was on an airport run for the local taxi company Street Cars, she found out his horroundous act. John arrived to try and stop Fiz and was knocked out by Rosie who planned an escape. John was arrested, and later sentenced to 2 years in prisoner for false imprisonment.
Despite all he did, Fiz went to visit him for advice on home schooling her brother Chesney and developed feelings for John again despite disapproval of some of her neighbors. They got engaged and married in the prison, and John was later released for good behavior after serving a year. He moved back in despite disapproval of Rosie's mother Sally who attempted to make John's life hell, but backed off when Rosie attempted to make up that John sexually assaulted her, and the street grew to accept him. John got a job in the local cafe by kind hearted Roy Cropper.
But John missed teaching, and realising he couldn't teach again, stole the identity of Colin Fishwick an old colleague who was moving away to canada. This was discovered by unstable Charlotte Hoyle, who told Colin who returned to the street. Colin later collapsed and they buried him under the knicker factory when it was having work done on it. Fiz later got pregnant and John was looking forward to starting afresh until Charlotte began blackmailing him, and he murdered her with a hammer in his home. He covered her death by dumping her body on a sight of a tram accident down the road.
A month after Charlotte's murder he accidently killed Colin's elderly mother Joy after confessing to his crimes, and covering her mouth so she can't shout for a neighbour causing her to have a heart attack. Feeling terrible John had a breakdown and was admitted to hospital. He was released, but Chesney was suspicious of John, so John tied up Chensey and Charlotte's parents in their cellar when they discovered he wasn't really who he said he was. Fiz found out when following John to their house. John kidnapped his baby daughter Hope and planned to flee, but later attempted suicide by jumping from a hospital roof. But he survived the fall and fled the country. When Fiz was accused of murdering Colin, Charlotte and Joy, John returned a few months later to get her out of prison by kidnapping Rosie and threatening her to tell the police. When he was caught, John attempted to escape in a car but crashed and ended up in hospital. He confessed that he was responsible, and after telling Fiz he was sorry, died from his injuries.
Legacy
Despite his death, John's impact on the soap wouldn't stop there. Years after Stape's demise, his daughter Hope began to show suspicious behaviour which were compared to John. In 2019, Hope's teaching assistant Jade Rowan was revealed to be John's long-lost daughter, and she began to plot revenge against Fiz, believing her to be the reason John did the things he did.
Trivia
- John is the second major antagonist in Coronation Street to work as a taxi driver. He was preceded ten years by Don Brennan, a psychotic cab driver who ended up killing himself. John was succeeded by Karl Munro, who also ended up becoming a murderer like John. Although unlike these two men it wasn't a full-time occupation for John as he only worked there a few months in 2008.
- John is the most comedic and tragic villain in the show, due to the ridiculous nature of his crimes (as they were mostly accidental or the spur of the moment) and how he had deep remorse for his actions, but only ended up making things worse for himself.
