List of Coronation Street characters introduced in 2024

Rowan Cunliffe, played by Emrhys Cooper, made his debut on 15 March 2024. His casting was announced by Digital Spy on 5 March 2024. He met Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) and Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) at the ''Chariot Square Hotel'' where they attend an event together. After Simon confessing to drink driving with Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) in the back of the car, Leanne decides to help Simon by taking him to a seminar at the hotel being held by a mysterious group called ''The Institute''. Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) advises Nick goes along with them as there's a wedding fayre on local to the hotel. On Rowan's character, Digital Spy reported that "Rowan approaches Leanne and offers her some unsolicited advice. Leanne is initially taken aback by Rowan's approach, but she drops her guard when he encourages her to share her deepest thoughts and feelings. When Rowan leaves and flashes Leanne a smile, she can't help but blush. Does this Weatherfield newcomer have a hidden agenda?"

When Rowan arrived in ''Coronation Street'', he begins to manipulate Leanne into ''The Institute'', which begins to cause a rift in her relationship with Nick. This led to him having an affair with Leanne's step-sister, Toyah Habeeb (Georgia Taylor), which Rowan finds out about and uses the information to blackmail Nick into investing into ''The Institute'' after he suggests to Leanne that it would be a good idea to invest £40,000 in the business. Rowan, along with Leanne have also been trying to persuade Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) into joining ''The Institute''. Cooper spoke out about the behaviour of his character: "I think that he really wants to open another resource centre, so he's on a mission to raise the investment needed, however he can do that, and he wants to 'help' more people, so there might be some more characters he's bringing into the organisation…." Cooper added that he had "quite a lot of insight" when he researched into the role of Rowan before auditioning, and said it was "because I want to try to make the story as believable as possible".

On 12 July 2024, it was announced that Cooper would be departing ''Coronation Street''. ''The Mirror'' reported that he would leave when his story "eventually comes to a close", but the storyline "is not ending soon, as the character's behaviour will worsen and escalate over the coming months." However, ''Digital Spy'' reported that Rowan's storyline was "always intended to run for a fixed period of time and set out with a clear beginning, middle and end." After being arrested on 9 September 2024, it was believed that Rowan had departed the series, however Cooper confirmed at the ''Inside Soap Awards'', on 30 September 2024: "He hasn't quite finished his naughty business yet. There might be a little bit more of a twist yet to see, so keep watching and you'll soon see." When asked whether it was important to see Rowan get his comeuppance, Cooper replied: "I think so! It's been so fun playing Rowan. I think he's caused so much trouble that that would have to happen, right?" Cooper reflected on his time on ''Coronation Street'': "It's been really fun, really exciting. It's a very important role, important subject matter. Just spreading the awareness has been a dream come true. There was lots of drama on screen, but off screen there was lots of laughs, lots of love. I made some really good friends and I enjoyed it all, really. Every day was a pleasure. I felt very comfortable with the actors I worked with. They gave me so much, so it was a really beautiful experience that I'll always treasure." Cooper was asked if Rowan would have tried to recruit anyone else. He laughed and responded: "Just the people with the most money, really! It would have been fun to do Ken! But I think it's the dollar amount – the most money would have been the most appealing."

On 4 December 2024, Cooper had announced his departure from ''Coronation Street''. Cooper revealed that Rowan's cult storyline "resonated with my personal journey and childhood," as he had previously revealed that his parents were part of one. He continued: "Getting this part felt like a sure sign from the universe that it was written in the stars for me to return home. I haven’t looked back," he added, describing his time on Corrie as "one of the most incredible professional experiences of my life." Cooper also thanked the cast and crew: "Lastly, I want to say I will forever be grateful to the amazing fans who embraced the evil Rowan despite all his dastardly deeds." Provided by Wikipedia