Jenny Connor in Coronation Street – once known as Jenny Bradley – is the fiercely loyal former foster daughter of Rita Tanner, wife of the late Johnny Connor, and stepmum to Daisy Midgeley and Carla Connor.
She’s just found herself the recipient of Johnny’s entire estate and the sum of £20k following his death.
Who is Jenny Connor? And why did Johnny leave her everything?
She’s a Corrie icon, having been in the show as a teenager and young woman, and then returning in 2015.
So what’s her story?
Who plays Jenny Connor in Coronation Street?
Jenny is played by actress Sally Ann Matthews. She joined Corrie as a teenager in 1986 and stayed for five years.
Since then she’s appeared in television shows including The Bill, Where The Heart Is, Clocking Off, Prisoners’ Wives and The Royal, among many others.
She also had a role in Emmerdale as Sandra Briggs.
Sally returned to Coronation Street briefly in 1993 and then in 2015 she came back permanently and she’s been there ever since.
Jenny Bradley arrives in Weatherfield
Denim-jacket-wearing Jenny Bradley came to the Street to live with Rita Sullivan – as she was back then – after her mum died.
Read more: Corrie fave Sally Ann Matthews shares picture of her real-life husband
Her dad Alan Bradley eventually came back into her life and started a relationship with Rita.
Meanwhile Jenny was having her own romantic entanglements. She ran away to France with Martin Platt, but swapped him for French hunk Patrice.
She cheated on Patrice with another man, and even later had an affair with a older dentist called Robert.
Jenny’s love life was the least of her worries, though. Her dad, Alan, was abusive to Rita and Jenny found herself torn between the two people she loved most.
Eventually Alan was killed by a tram when he followed Rita to Blackpool and Jenny blamed her for his death for a long time.
Off-screen tragedy
Before Jenny came home to Weatherfield she was married to Daisy Midgeley’s dad and the couple had a son called Tom.
Tom tragically drowned when he was just four years old and the grief led to his parents’ break-up.
Return to Corrie
Jenny came back to Coronation Street when she met Kevin Webster on a dating website. They started a relationship but Jenny was still grieving for her son Tom and became obsessed with Jack.
She started referring to him as Tom and even tried to abduct the little lad.
Jenny was sectioned and when she returned to the Street, no one was pleased to see her. But she eventually won hearts when she rescued Jack from being hit by a tram just as her dad had been.
Johnny and Jenny Connor
Jenny started work at the factory and caught the eye of boss Johnny Connor.
The pair got together and when Johnny proposed they began planning their wedding.
But Rita was poorly in hospital, and Jenny didn’t want to tie the knot without her – so they ended up saying their vows at her hospital bedside. Aww.
Jenny was fiercely loyal to Johnny and stood by him throughout his struggles with multiple sclerosis and through his family troubles, when son Aidan took his own life.
She even forgave him when he had an affair with Liz McDonald, and when he ‘fessed up to a decades old crime and went to prison.
Breaking up
But despite Jenny’s loyalty, Johnny wasn’t as quick to forgive her when she slept with Ronnie Bailey.
He left heartbroken Jenny, who tried to move on with her life, but couldn’t quite say goodbye to the husband she loved – much to stepdaughter Daisy’s disgust.
And finally, in tragic scenes, Johnny braved the sinkhole during the dramatic storms that hit Weatherfield last month, to rescue his wife.
He told her he loved her, but though Jenny was saved, Johnny died.
Now poor Jenny’s struggling to cope with the aftermath of Johnny’s death.
Why has Jenny inherited Johnny’s money?
At Johnny’s funeral on Wednesday November 17, Carla and Jenny both gave heartfelt eulogies.
Jenny was a bit of a mess and at the wake began to knock back the wine. As Carla and Peter urged caution they were interrupted by Jenny’s phone ringing.
The call was Johnny’s solicitor, who told her she was the sole beneficiary of Johnny’s will and he’d left her £20k.
She drunkenly told Daisy she didn’t feel like she deserved the money: “That money should go to Carla or Kate or baby Susie even, not me.”
Even Jenny doesn’t know why she inherited his cash. She tried to give the money to Carla, but Carla said he’d given her money for the factory a while ago so she didn’t want it. Though she was hurt he didn’t even make a gesture to her.
So why didn’t Johnny leave his money to his kids or grandchild? Was it an oversight on his part that made him forget to change his will when he and Jenny divorced? Or did he really want Jenny to have it?
It was clear right to the end that he still loved her – maybe this was his way of showing it?
Will Jenny make it right and hand the gift on to his kids? Or will she keep the cash?
Want more spoilers from Coronation Street? Entertainment Daily has a dedicated Coronation Street spoilers section for you to get your fix before the latest episodes air.
Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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