Coronation Street fans gobsmacked as Sean star's mum outed as co-star in soap

Irish Daily Mirror

15-07-2025

Coronation Street viewers have been left stunned after discovering the identity of Anthony Cotton's famous mother. Anthony catapulted to stardom when he joined the long-running ITV soap, which airs on Virgin Media in Ireland, way back in 2003 as Sean Tully, who has since become one of the show's most iconic and cherished characters.
The Rovers Return barman has also been involved in several major storylines over the years - from his numerous failed romances on the cobbles to becoming a father to Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne).
However, Coronation Street fans have recently been taken aback upon realising that Anthony's mum had previously appeared on the same soap.
His adored mother, Enid Dunn, starred on the show a year before her son in 2002. She portrayed Dennis Stringer's (Charles Dale) aunt Joan Lawson in January 2002 at the character's funeral, reports Leicestershire Live.
She then made another appearance on Corrie in 2006 in a minor role, this time playing a character credited as Old Crone.
She also played a woman who encountered the serial killer John Stape (Graeme Hawley) and she made another appearance in 2014 as bingo player Maureen Rothwell. She played bingo winner Maureen in Corrie in 2014 (Image: ITV)
Her last stint on the soap was in 2023, when she played a shocked neighbour of Stephen Reid's (Todd Boyce) victim, Rufus Donaghue (Steven Meo).
In addition to Corrie, Enid appeared in shows such as Shameless, Cutting It and No Offence. She also played barmaid Joyce in the fan favourite Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.
Coronation Street's Anthony Cotton has been the centre of fan astonishment as they discovered that his mother, Enid Dunn, was not just a supportive parent but also a bit of a telly star in her own right. On a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, alongside a snapshot of the mother-son duo, a fan posted: "Anthony Cotton and his mum Enid Dunn." His mum appeared on the soap too
Another quipped: "She used to be Phoenix Nights yeah?!" A third confirmed: "Yes and Corrie a few times as well!" Someone else penned: "Oh yeah I remember her from Phoenix Nights." A fourth declared: "Well I didn't know that!"
In a candid 2021 chat, Anthony shared a heartwarming story with Express about how his mother's actions kept his acting dreams alive after several unsuccessful auditions.
Discouraged, he recounted, "I said, 'Oh I think I'm going to do something else' so my mum took up drama lessons with my old drama teacher to prove to me that it's never too late to start and it's just about putting yourself out there."
He continued, detailing his mother's dedication: "And then, she did it, she went to some lessons, she got herself an agent and then she auditioned for a League of The Gentleman and she got it."
Inspiringly concluding, "She started when she was 56! My mum is inspirational."
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on Virgin Media in Ireland.
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