Ben Price’s life away from Coronation Street couldn’t be more different from his on-screen Weatherfield alter-ego’s
Ben Price is a firm favourite on Coronation Street – but who is his real-life wife?
The actor joined the ITV soap way back in 2009, playing Nick Tilsley, son of Gail Platt (Helen Worth). And since then, Nick, who was previously played by Adam Rickitt and Warren Jackson, has been central to the cobbles drama.
From affairs to the discovery of a secret son, Nick has played a part in several big storylines. Especially at the moment, as in recent episodes his son Sam Blakeman’s (Jude Riordan) mental health spiralled after suffering visual hallucinations.
In Sunday’s episode (July 26) though, Sam was released from hospital and returned to the cobbles, where Leanne (Jane Danson) introduced him to her new beau Idris Nazir (Junade Khan) but Nick was not best pleased.
Away from the long-running soap though, Nick actor Ben is loved-up with his fashion stylist and fellow actor wife Alexandra Wheeler since 2005. The pair first met when they worked together on a play called On The Razzle.
The couple have two children together – Maximillian and Paloma, and when Paloma was born in 2007, Ben became a stay-at-home dad. Talking to The Telegraph in 2009, Ben shared: “I thought that being a stay-at-home dad was going to be easy but, initially, it was isolating and scary. No one trains you for the job. They just say, ‘Here’s a nappy, off you go.’”
Nonetheless, Ben went on to say at the time: “I’ll be going back to work soon after the new baby is born and handing over the reins to Alex, but I consider myself lucky to have spent so much time with my daughter. Some dads go all week without seeing their children.”
Meanwhile in 2021, Ben gave a rare insight into family life, opening up about his family’s Christmas “nightmare”. He shared: “I am not a big turkey fan so I like everything else – I like the little sausages, roast potatoes and a bit of pudding.
“I love lighting the Christmas pudding because each year, it is a nightmare – it either doesn’t go up, or it goes up way too much and everyone gets frightened.”
Ben has always prioritised his family over his career and took some time off the cobbles back in 2017. Appearing on This Morning, the actor was emotional as he said: “I’m going to leave for my family.
“It’s been amazing, I’ve loved the show. Amazing people, I’ve had extraordinary storylines and it could not have been any better. I live 200 miles away. I see my wife and children on a Saturday and I go back on a Sunday. It took me quite a while to think about it. It’s a big decision, but, in the end, it’s my family and I miss them.”
Just one year later though, former series producer Kate Oates approached Ben with the offer of more flexible hours if he chose to return to the show.
Reflecting on his return, Ben explained: “It was a no-brainer for me. I missed the show, and I missed the cast and crew. […] It’s not always easy, but I’m lucky to have a supportive family and a job that I love. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”