Coronation Street's Anthony Cotton's mum also starred the soap and fans are going mad

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Coronation Street fans have been left gobsmacked after uncovering the identity of Anthony Cotton's famous mum.

Anthony shot to fame when he joined the beloved ITV soap in 2003, playing the role of Sean Tully, who has since become one of the programme's most treasured and iconic characters.

The Rovers Return barman has been at the centre of numerous major storylines over the years - from his many unsuccessful romances on the cobbles to becoming a father to Dylan Wilson (Liam McCheyne).

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However, Coronation Street enthusiasts have recently been surprised to discover that Anthony's mother had previously graced the same soap.

His much-loved mum, Enid Dunn, appeared on the show a year before her son in 2002. She played Dennis Stringer's (Charles Dale) aunt Joan Lawson in January 2002 at the character's funeral, according to Leicestershire Live, reports the Mirror.

She then made another cameo on Corrie in 2006 in a minor role, this time as a character known as Old Crone.

She also portrayed a woman who crossed paths with serial killer John Stape (Graeme Hawley) and she returned in 2014 as bingo enthusiast Maureen Rothwell.

Her last appearance on the soap was in 2023, when she played a shocked neighbour of Stephen Reid's (Todd Boyce) victim, Rufus Donaghue (Steven Meo).

Beyond Corrie, Enid has featured in shows such as Shameless, Cutting It and No Offence. She also played the role of barmaid Joyce in the fan-favourite Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.

Fans of Coronation Street were absolutely gobsmacked to learn that Anthony Cotton's mother, Enid Dunn, wasn't just his biggest cheerleader but also quite the television personality herself. The revelation came to light on a Coronation Street Facebook fan group where someone shared a photo captioned: "Anthony Cotton and his mum Enid Dunn."

The post sparked comments with one writing: "She used to be in Phoenix Nights yeah? !" Another confirmed: "Yes and Corrie a few times as well!" An additional reply read: "Oh yeah I remember her from Phoenix Nights."

And yet another surprised fan exclaimed: "Well I didn't know that!".

In an intimate interview with Express last year, Anthony recounted a touching tale of how his mother buoyed his acting ambitions following a series of fruitless auditions.

Admitting his frustration, he said, "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 admired her perseverance, explaining: "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."

He proudly concluded the story, saying, "She started when she was 56! My mum is inspirational."