‘Corrie’ Newcomer Olivia Frances Brown Gets Support as Shona’s Past is Set to Unravel
The ‘Coronation Street’ actress’s real-life partner is celebrating her new role and a storyline that promises family secrets and drama.
- Olivia Frances Brown recently joined the cast of ‘Coronation Street’ as Jodie.
- Her arrival coincided with the show’s crossover event with ‘Emmerdale,’ dubbed ‘Corriedale.’
- Jodie’s storyline will center around unraveling the past of established character shona platt.
- Brown’s actor fiancé, James Nelson-Joyce, publicly expressed his support for her new role.
Olivia Frances Brown is receiving support from her fiancé as her future on the cobbles of ‘Coronation Street’ takes shape.The actress debuted on the ITV soap earlier this month, portraying the new character Jodie, and it appears her storyline is already gaining momentum.
Coronation street star Olivia Frances Brown
Brown’s introduction to the long-running drama occurred during the recent “Corriedale” crossover event with Emmerdale, a special event marking changes to the network’s soap schedule. The crossover featured a dramatic multi-soap storyline and set the stage for new narratives within each show.
Olivia, also a jazz singer with previous roles in “Boiling Point” and “The Gathering,” is engaged to James Nelson-Joyce, an actor known for his role as Michael Kavanagh in “This City is Ours.” Nelson-Joyce shared a photo with Olivia on Instagram in August 2025, followed by a picture of Brown displaying her engagement ring, confirming their happy news.
According to producer Kate Brooks, Jodie’s arrival is key to exploring Shona’s backstory. “We’ve mentioned on the show previously that Shona has had a younger sister,so we felt the time was right to kind of bring that sister into the mix and explore and unpack a bit of Shona’s backstory,and that’s where Jodie comes into the picture,” Brooks told the Manchester Evening News.
Brooks described Jodie as a “complicated character” with a “lot of baggage,” noting a “fraught” relationship with Shona marked by “deep-seated resentment” alongside a strong familial bond. “She’s a bit of a troublemaker, she’s got a bit of mischief in her eyes and all is not what it seems with Jodie – ther’s a lot of layers to her.”
