Kirk Sutherland

Kirk Sutherland
Coronation Street character
Andrew Whyment as Kirk Sutherland (2011)
Portrayed by	Andrew Whyment
Duration	2000—
First appearance	22 May 2000
Classification	Present; regular
Introduced by	Jane MacNaught
Spin-off appearances	Out of Africa (2008)
In-universe information Occupation Courier for Underworld Father Eric Sutherland Mother Dotty Sutherland Sisters Maria Connor Nephews Paul Connor Jr. Liam Connor Jr.

Kirk Sutherland is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 22 May 2000, played by an uncredited actor [1]. When Kirk reappeared five months later, the role was now played by Andrew Whyment who has continued to play the role to date.

Creation

Casting

Whyment resigned from Coronation Street in September 2003, in order to appear in the latest addition to the Carry On series - Carry On London. However, after the film's scripts were delayed, and amidst rumours that it would perform poorly, Whyment pulled out and returned to Coronation Street in a £60,000 deal.

Storylines

2000–

Kirk first appears in May 2000, when Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) mistakenly believes he that he is Maria (Samia Smith)'s boyfriend. Maria explains that Kirk is her brother.

Kirk reappears that October after being kicked out of the Rovers Return Inn by proprietor Fred Elliott (John Savident), who believes him to be too young to drink. He is the older brother of Maria, with whom he owns Weatherfield kennels. He is good friends with Tyrone and Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) and an ex-boyfriend of Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) whom he had met at a flat-decorating party. He is also friends with Les Battersby-Brown (Bruce Jones), with whom he once lived, acting as best man at his wedding to Cilla Brown (Wendi Peters). In December 2003, Kirk dumps Fiz Brown after he finds out that she had spent the night at her ex-boyfriend Tyrone's house.

In January 2005, Kirk meets Thelma Clegg, who hires him to shampoo her poodle. She is so impressed that she asks him to call round to her house regularly. Fiz is suspicious and follows Kirk to Thelma’s house where she can see Kirk being entertained by Thelma belly-dancing in her living room. Kirk professes his innocence and says Thelma wouldn’t let him out of the house.

Kirk loses the kennels in May 2007, following a lawsuit over the accidental neutering of a pedigree specimen), and within a week proposes to his girlfriend, Fiz. She dumps him immediately, and tells him that she no longer wants to be with him. She leaves Kirk to be with her first lover, John Stape (Graeme Hawley), leaving Kirk feeling broken and humiliated. Later that month, Kirk and Jamie Baldwin (Rupert Hill) rescue Claire Peacock (Julia Haworth), Kirk's next-door-neighbour from her burning house. As a reward, Claire's husband, Ashley (Steven Arnold) gives Kirk a job at his butcher's shop.

After Fiz's mother, Cilla, leaves the street for Las Vegas on 12 October 2007, Kirk is left to look after her son, Chesney (Sam Aston). Kirk fails to provide adequate care for Chesney, and he is subsequently taken into foster care. When Fiz returns from a holiday, she is furious but forgives Kirk. She manages to get Chesney home but she has to move in with them, making Kirk believe she still has feelings for him.

In April 2008, Kirk leaves to visit his parents in Cyprus for a several weeks. In the days leading up to his return, Fiz dreads him coming home, while she is providing a home for Chesney. On his return, he breaks the news that he has a new girlfriend called Julie Carp (Katy Cavanagh), whom he fell in love with in Cyprus. Fiz has taken a dislike to Julie, who then moved in with them at their house.

On April 30, 2008 Kirk's nephew Paul is born stillborn and he consoles his sister. In October 2008 his brother-in-law Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier) dies and his parents return to comfort their daughter over the loss of her husband. In March 2009, Julie admits she thinks she is pregnant but it turns out to be a false alarm. After this Kirk begins to see that they are drifting apart as they are too different and he ends their relationship on 3 April 2009. However, Kirk supports Julie after the revelation that Colin Grimshaw (Edward DeSouza), Eileen (Sue Cleaver)'s father, is also her father.

In September 2009, Kirk decides to move out of number 5 as he feels he is in the way of Fiz's life. He packs his bags and leaves only to turn up next door at Maria's. A few weeks later, he decides to pack and move in with Tyrone and Molly (Vicky Binns). He then moves out and back into Maria's when she goes to live in Ireland with the baby and Liam's parents after Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) admits to having Liam killed.

In 2010 Kirk applies for a job at Underwold as a machinist but ultimately loses out to Izzy Armstrong (Cherylee Houston). However, owner Carla Connor (Alison King) offers him a job as delivery driver. Kirk soon forms a strong friendship with Izzy, and as a result his feelings for her grow stronger. When Gary Windass (Mikey North) is arrested for assaulting a lad who was hassling Izzy, Kirk makes a false statement to the police that it was him who committed the crime. As a result, Gary's Army career isn't in jeopardy and this is a relief to Izzy, who has started to harbour feelings for Gary, much to Kirk's dismay. The charges against Kirk are dropped to a lack of sufficient evidence, and he is a free man.

In December 2010, Kirk helps Tyrone come to terms with the fact that Jack is not his son as he and Maria visit him on Christmas Day. He is later kicked out with Maria by a frustrated and angry Tyrone.

In February 2011, he attends Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne)'s wedding renewal to Leanne Barlow (Jane Dawson) he arrives with Maria and her boyfriend Chris Gray (Will Thorp) he informs Peter that everyone has arrived and that they can start the ceremony.

At present, Kirk along with Tyrone Dobbs and Tommy Duckworth should be spending time in prison for kidnapping Leon Southam in early September 2011.

Reception

In 2003, Whyment won the award for the funniest character in The British Soap Awards and in 2004 for the Inside Soap Awards.

External links

• Profile at What's on TV
• Profile at ITV's Coronation Street homepage