Coronation Street fans have watched actor Jack P Shepherd become a familiar face in households across the country since he joined the soap in 2000. Now aged 37, Jack has portrayed David Platt on the ITV soap since he was just 12 years old and has been at the centre of numerous significant storylines over the years. From romantic heartbreaks, brushes with death, family disputes to a distressing rape storyline, Jack's character has experienced a great deal on the cobbles.
Recently, viewers were worried that it might be the end of Jack's tenure in Weatherfield. His character, David, found himself entangled with gangster Harvey Gaskell, ending up in debt to him. Seeing no way out, David planned his own death by arranging a hit-and-run. However, the plan went awry when Daisy Midgeley inadvertently got in the way. In an attempt to save her, David pushed Daisy out of the path of the vehicle but was hit himself. Ultimately, he survived the incident, while Daisy tragically miscarried her baby, reports Plymouth Live.
Since his plan didn't unfold as intended, the much-loved character lives on and remains a central figure in the soap. As he approaches his 25th anniversary on the soap this April, let's delve into the actor's life outside the cobbles.
Jack found love with his partner, Hanni Treweek, within the Coronation Street universe. Hanni was previously a researcher on the ITV soap before transitioning to a storyliner role from 2018 to 2020. Although they were colleagues, it wasn't until they both attended a friend's wedding that their romance sparked. Reflecting on the event in an interview with OK Magazine, Jack reminisced: "We got chatting, I made Hanni laugh, we had a couple of drinks and we flirted. That was it."
The pair took a significant step forward in their relationship in 2024 when the actor proposed during a getaway in Africa. Hanni excitedly announced their engagement on Instagram by sharing photos of them kissing and showcasing her new ring. She enthusiastically captioned the post: "05.06.24 I said YES to forever!!!" Following the engagement, the couple has been openly documenting their journey towards matrimony on social media, looking forward to a summer wedding in 2025. While Jack and Hanni don't have any children together, Jack is a father from previous relationships. He has two children, Nyla and Reuben, with ex-girlfriend Lauren Shippey, and another son, Greyson, with Sammy Milewski.
Jack experienced a health scare which he discussed candidly. He had to take time off from filming due to this, which happened just before the soap's landmark 50th-anniversary live episode in 2010. During his podcast, On The Sofa, with fellow actors Ben Price and Colson Smith, Jack recounted how he was violently sick because of a migraine. This incident occurred while rehearsing at the Platt family home, the day before the live broadcast. He remarked: "I became ill on the sort of, like the last tech day. I came down with a migraine, and I throw up quite a lot. Violently sick. And I remember I was throwing up into the Platts' kitchen sink." Ben, his co-star, shared how he needed to assist Jack after becoming worried for his well-being.
In a surprising moment, Ben shared: "I took him and he was, like, walking with his dark glasses on into the car. He wasn't good at all. But I just remember everyone sort of seeing him off. But then, as we walk into the car and turn around, they're looking at me and they were like, 'Is he going to be alright?' Like, 'Well, I don't know! I'm not a doctor!' But I went, 'Yeah, he'll be fine'. They were just sitting there." However, Jack admitted that he knew he would be okay to perform in the live episode after enduring the worst of his migraine during rehearsals. In the past, he has discussed the severity of his migraines, revealing that sometimes they incapacitate him completely. He previously stated: "I suffer with migraines and throw up for 10 hours, and ultimately go blind! So I'm not Superman."
It's common for soap actors to receive heartfelt messages and presents from their admirers, but one fan's gesture for Jack was extraordinarily generous. The actor disclosed that a fan from New Zealand once left him £5,000 in their will. The unusual gift first came to light during an Instagram Q&A with his on-screen wife, Julia Goulding. At the time, Jack remembered: "(He) gave me five grand in their will. From New Zealand, a fan died and gave me 10 per cent of his estate, which was five grand. So cheers." It was later reported that Jack used the money to whisk his family away on a spur-of-the-moment holiday to Florida. While discussing the windfall on his podcast, co-star Ben Price expressed his skepticism, convinced it was too good to be true. He commented: "I was convinced that it was a scam and I said 'that's a scam, you're getting f**g scammed, I hope you're getting scammed because I'll be so f*d off if you're not.'"
Coronation Street is available to watch on ITVX.
