Steve McDonald

Evil-doer
Full Name	Steven McDonald
Alias	Steve Stevie
Origin	Coronation Street
Occupation	Everyman
Powers / Skills	Charisma
Hobby	Getting involved in misshapes. Spending time with his friends.
Goals	Avoid getting in trouble (determent; usually failed).
Crimes	Theft Assault and battery Forgery Adultery Kidnapping
Type of Villain	Comedic Protagonist

“	What's happening in me flipping pub!?	„
	~ Steve McDonald as he returns from his holiday to find The Rovers Return Inn overwhelmed by a mass brawl involving his friends and fellow punters.

Steve McDonald is one of the main protagonists of the ITV British soap opera show Coronation Street, having first appeared on 6th December 1989 and becoming one of the series' main regulars since then onwards.

In his characterisation, Steve is the son of Jim McDonald and Liz McDonald as well as the twin brother of Andy McDonald. He is currently the husband of local villain Tracy Barlow, the father of their daughter Amy Barlow, and the biological father of Emma Brooker as a result of his fling with her would-be mother Fiona Middleton in the past. He is also the ex-spouse of Tracy's sworn enemies Karen Phillips and Becky Granger, as well as the former husband of both Vicky Arden and Michelle Connor respectively. He additionally had two sons; Ruairi McDonald, conceived by Michelle just seconds before the newborn tragically died as a result of her premature miscarriage; and Oliver Battersby, conceived by his one-time lover Leanne Battersby until three years later when the child had tragically died from mitochondrial disease.

He is portrayed by Simon Gregson.

Biography

Early years

Steve McDonald arrived on the street at the age of fifteen with his twin brother Andy, Mother Liz, and father Jim. The twins immediately caused trouble for Alf Robberts and smashed the window of his corner shop twice. The lads had no respect for Jim as he was in the army and couldn't be there for them when they were growing up but both loved their mother.

In 1991, Steve sold some stolen car radios and was arrested. Steve refused to give up his associates to the cops but Andy did give some names and was beaten up. The stress caused a pregnant Liz to give birth to her and Jim's premature daughter Katie who only lived a day. Steve was guilt-ridden and turned in the remaining accomplices to the police. This had a terrible affect on Steve's relationship With his father as Jim blamed his son for his daughter's death.

Steve began working for factory boss Mike Baldwin at MVB print. He sat his driving test the following month but failed due to a speeding offence. In order to keep his job Steve lied to Mike and local mechanic Kevin Webster that he had passed. This was exposed as a lie when he was hit on a carriageway while driving Mike's jaguar. Steve was absolved of blame because the other driver was drunk but because he could not produce a license he gave his name as Kevin Webster to the police. When Mike learnt Steve couldn't drive he sacked him. Mike learned he could not claim insurance and Kevin agreed to produce his licence if Steve was reinstated to which Mike reluctantly agreed.

Steve continued with his self-serving streak and became in debt to loan sharks because of gambling. In order to escape his financial problem Steve began a relationship With Vicky Arden who had inherited some money from her parents and married her the same year. Steve got in trouble for purchasing stolen whisky and tried to pin the crime on Vicky but this led to her testifying against him and he was sentenced to two years in prison. He then divorced Vicky.

Steve was released in 1997 and was given a job at the builders yard by Jim. During an argument and scuffle on scaffolding Jim fell and was paralyzed for a time and Steve tried to conceal his own involvement - even though it was an accident. Eventually Jim remembered but he and Steve were able to reconcile.

Problems with Jez Quigley and Tracy Barlow

It was then Steve got into debt to notorious drug dealer Jez Quigley, having borrowed some money from him. When Steve couldn't pay back the money, Jez blackmailed him into delivering drugs and even threatened to kill him the same way he murdered victim Tony Horrocks in the past. This prompted Steve to report Jez to the police and testify against him in court, but Jez was found not guilty and arranged for Steve to get beaten up in retaliation.

When Steve was hospitalized, he summoned Jim and told him what happened. This caused Jim to confront Jez and beat him up in revenge for Steve's hospitalization. However, Jez was transferred to the same hospital where Steve was and they crossed paths again. Jez confronted Steve and prepared to kill him, but his spleen suddenly ruptured and he died on his way to the operating theatre. Afterwards, Jim was guilt-ridden and turned himself in.

Thereafter Steve began a relationship With Karen Phillips but they broke up when he thought she was having an affair. They reconciled but not before Steve had a one night-stand with Tracy Barlow and this led to her getting pregnant with their daughter Amy. On Steve's wedding day to Karen, they were horrified when Tracy revealed to Steve he was the father of her baby. At first Steve was unwilling to get to know his daughter, but he gradually changed his mind and bonded with Amy - although Karen resented the child in the end.

By Christmas 2004, Karen discovered she was pregnant; however, she suffered a miscarriage. In her grief Karen stole Tracy's car with Amy in the back and burned it. It turned out Amy was fine but Steve couldn't forgive Karen for her deception and broke up with her; Karen subsequently left the street.

Steve later began a relationship With Tracy, but only to guarantee his parental rights to Amy. When Tracy realized what Steve was up to she tried to stop him being allowed to see his daughter but he was given Parental rights when the matter was taken to court.

Relationship with Michelle

Later on, Steve began a relationship With Michelle Connor. But he cheated on her with Becky Granger. It was then Steve's best friend Lloyd gave Steve an alibi to where he was by claiming he was planning to propose to her forcing Steve to propose to Michelle but she became angry when she learned the proposal was fake. Steve tried to save the relationship by saying he spent the night on a woman's couch but they didn't sleep together. Michelle threw Steve out of his home but they got back together when Steve gave her an ultimatum "we get back together or you move out".

Steve later got with Becky and they soon decided to marry. Becky's sister Kylie gave them a bad a adoption reference but then offered to sell her son Max Turner to them. When Tracy was released from prison she found out about the arrangement and blackmailed the couple until Steve told Social Services about the arrangement anonymously to get rid of Tracy's leverage on him.

Tracy forced Steve to give her a job at the rovers by threatening to run away with Amy if he didn't. Steve agreed on exchange for a custody settlement then immediately fired Tracy. Steve had another one-night stand with Tracy but refused to begin a relationship despite Tracy's desire to do so, even after learning she was pregnant But changes his mind. Tracy manipulated Steve into thinking Becky was to blame for her miscarriage to guilt Steve into marrying her but at the wedding the truth was exposed by Becky and Kylie so Steve finished things with Tracy.

Steve got back together with Michelle and bought the rovers as a gift for her which initially displeased her but she warmed to the idea There were problems when Steve discovered Peter Barlow was having an affair with Tina McInTyre despite being in a relationship With Michelle's friend Carla. Steve didn't tell anyone because Peter was his friend. When Michelle learned of this She dumped him and he was diagnosed with depression around the same time but Steve and Michelle would make up but broke up for good when Michelle discovered Steve was the father of Leanne Battersby's son Oliver. Leanne's boyfriend Nick Tilsley tried unsuccessfully to keep Steve out of Oliver's life but Steve still helped Peter save Nick from drowning in quicksand. Steve's antagonist relationship with Michelle calmed down when he and Leanne saved her being stalked by her ex Will Chatteron.

When Amy becomes pregnant Steve became paranoid her friend Aadi Alahan is the father and threatened him with a spade. Steve and Tracy( who have reunited by this point) try to be supportive by offering to raise the baby as their own and pass it of as Amy's brother to save their daughter's reputation but she ends up having an abortion anyway.

Trivia

• Steve McDonald currently stands out as the character with the highest wedding count in Coronation Street history.
• He is also regarded as one of the show's most iconic comedic reliefs, even though he previously had a troublesome stint in the 1990s.