Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien’s real age revealed and famous soap star ex

Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien has played Sarah Platt on the ITV soap for 27 years, but here’s what you might not know about her life off screen

Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien has been hard at work once more on the cobbles as Sarah Platt finds herself embroiled in a murder storyline.

During Monday’s (June 22) episode of the ITV soap, Sarah was revealed as the person responsible for Theo Silverton’s (James Cartwright) death, with flashbacks revealing the circumstances surrounding the scaffolder’s demise. Only viewers have been privy to this major secret, while Weatherfield’s inhabitants remain oblivious to Theo’s killer.

This marks not the first occasion Sarah has found herself at the centre of a gripping storyline, having previously been abducted alongside her family by her deranged stepfather Richard Hillman (Brian Capron).

In another powerful storyline, Sarah welcomed her daughter Bethany at just 13 years of age. She also endured the heartbreak of losing a child when her son, Billy, passed away shortly following his birth, reports the Mirror.

Prior to Tina landing the role of Sarah Platt in Corrie 27 years ago, she portrayed Claire in CITV favourite Children’s Ward in 1997. She subsequently joined the Manchester-based soap in 1999 before departing nine years later.

In 2008, Tina departed the programme and went on to feature in other productions, most notably as Bex Fisher in the BBC One school-based drama Waterloo Road.

She also featured in Casualty, Doctors, Blue Murder, and Clocking Off before making her Corrie comeback in 2015, where she continues to appear today.

She revealed to The Mirror in 2021: “I think I got a three-month contract to begin with, and I was just hoping to get through the first three months here and hopefully stay. I feel incredibly lucky to be where I am and be part of such an amazing family.”

Tina’s ‘surprising’ age

Tina recently shared a nostalgic photograph on Instagram, taken in her bedroom back in 1999. She was pictured posing for the camera, wearing a grey vest top and black Adidas tracksuit bottoms.

“Hanging out in my bedroom 1999,” she wrote alongside the post. Discussing her skincare routine, she admitted: “I’m turning 43 this year and sometimes people say to me, ‘What beauty regimes are you using?'”.

The comments section was soon flooded with praise for the soap star’s age-defying appearance. One fan wrote, “You still look like you’re in your 20’s”, while another commented, “You look 21.”

A third person remarked: “You haven’t aged a day since 1999 you look fab.”

Famous co-star ex

Beyond the cobbles, Tina enjoyed a romance with fellow cast member Ryan Thomas, who portrayed her on-screen former husband Jason Grimshaw, from 2003 to 2009.

Tina had previously been involved with his on-screen sibling, Bruno Langley, who played Todd Grimshaw, before beginning her relationship with Ryan. In 2007, the soap actress confessed she felt anxious about potentially disappointing her then-partner.

She told The Mirror: “It was five months later when I got together with Ryan, and I was worried about it as he’s a friend of Bruno. But we worked hard to make sure there wasn’t any tension between the three of us.”

Tina and Ryan welcomed a daughter, Scarlett, in 2008, but their six-year romance came to an end shortly afterwards under heartbreaking circumstances.

The actress later disclosed she was utterly devastated when Ryan called time on their relationship just one week before Scarlett’s first birthday.

She heartbreakingly told new! magazine: “He said he didn’t love me any more. He said I didn’t do it for him any more. Those were his words. He said he didn’t want the responsibility of a relationship with me.”

Scarlett has taken after her parents as a performer, joining Waterloo Road alongside her real-life uncle, Adam Thomas and cousin, Teddy Thomas. While Adam returned to the role of Donte Charles, Scarlett and Teddy portrayed his on-screen offspring, Izzy and Tommy.

In March 2025, Tina parted ways from her former husband, Adam Crofts, following seven years of marriage, and they continue to maintain an amicable relationship while co-parenting their son, Beau.

Coronation Street airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX