Known to fans as the defiant Tracy Barlow, actress Kate Ford has portrayed Ken and Deidre's daughter in a slew of gripping plots over her tenure, ranging from extorting Roy Cropper to serving time for the murder of her partner, Charlie Stubbs. However, despite performing some nefarious deeds on screen, Ford has previously expressed that she does not view Tracy as inherently wicked. Speaking with The Mirror, she remarked, "I think she's a sociopath really, she doesn't have the empathy that most people have," while acknowledging Tracy's more human qualities by adding, "But we do see the human side of her, I don't think the character would have lasted so long if she was just a baddie.
People wouldn't believe her. She's never boring, I'm really lucky." Fans might be well-versed in Tracy Barlow's on-screen life, having followed her for more than two decades, yet away from the drama of Weatherfield, Ford's personal journey stands in stark contrast to that of her fictional counterpart.
Salford-born Ford, now 46, spent her school years traversing Cumbria and Lancashire before honing her craft at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. Embarking on her acting career, her first gig featured in The Beatles' Free as a Bird music video back in 1995. This preceded a cameo in an EastEnders special alongside characters Ricky Butcher and Bianca Jackson, eventually leading her to assume the role of the infamous Tracy, marking herself as the fourth talented actress to step into those shoes,.