Coronation Street fans are in disbelief after learning Alison King once dated a major star of the ITV soap back in the 90s.

The actress, 52, has played Carla Connor on the cobbles since 2006, and during that time has been at the centre of some of the show’s biggest storylines.

She’s currently trying to repair her relationship with fiancée Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers), after her wife Becky (Amy Cudden) ‘returned from the dead’ having spent time in witness protection.

Permanently unlucky in love, Carla has been married five times (including twice to Peter Barlow) and has had a string of other Weatherfield residents on her arm during the last two decades.

One person the character didn’t cross paths with is Des Barnes – who was a mainstay on the famous street for eight years from 1990.

However, did you know that Alison once dated actor Philip Middlemiss for five years?

Inside Alison King’s relationship with Philip Middlemiss

Long before she made a name for herself on the soap, Alison was regularly pictured with famous names from the show at parties and other behind-the-scenes events.

It was as if Corrie was her calling!

This is because of a 5 year relationship with Philip, something which has recently been unearthed by viewers on Reddit.

Sharing a clipping from a copy of the Sunday Mirror in 1995, which is a tell-all interview with Phil discussing their relationship, a fan wrote: ‘Anyone know where that Alison King ended up?’

The newspaper details the actor met 22-year old Ali – who was at the time managing a branch of the Fat Willy’s Surf Shack in Paignton, Devon – on holiday in Tenerife.

Claiming he ‘[loves] her to death’, Philip goes on to say that he was charmed by her not being overly starstruck, and actually being more of a Brookside fan.

I hope someone has told her about the forthcoming Hollyoaks/Brookie crossover!

Promising to stay friends after meeting in the Canary Islands, the two enjoyed a trip to Dublin supping pints of Guinness but didn’t make things official until they met again in London for a theatre date.

Philip states that he was regularly making the 260 mile trip from his bachelor pad in Manchester down to Devon to visit her.

It seems that the distance proved too much, as by 2000, she was working in London and they’d separated.

Corrie fans spot a strange connection

‘Now she’s living in the house where Des died? (I think???),’ commented one, picking up on the fact Carla and Lisa recently purchased No. 6 Coronation Street, which was originally home to the Barnes clan.

On X, another said: ‘The Alison King?! Maybe it’s a long game to get number 6 Coronation Street.’

Someone else noted that Vicky Myers makes an uncredited appearance as a Weatherfield General nurse in Des’ death episode.

What a coincidence!

‘Swarla were always destined’ added another fan.

Who was Des Barnes in Coronation Street?

Bookmaker Des was a regular on the show between 1990 and 1998.

Moving into new build No. 6 on his wedding day to Steph (Amelia Bullmore), their marriage soon turned sour. She thought that he was more interested in his boat than her, and had an affair.

He then moved onto a string of other women, including Raquel Wolstenhulme (Sarah Lancashire). She was madly in love with him, though it became clear that he was only treating her as a rebound.

His final relationship was with Natalie Horrocks (Denise Welch), with the two being wed just weeks before he was fatally stabbed by drug dealers while defending her son Tony (Lee Warburton).

It was Philip’s choice to leave Corrie, with a combined 20,300,000 viewers tuning in for his final episode – making it the most watched of 1998.

Where is Philip Middlemiss now?

Long after his departure, Philip hit the headlines as ‘one of the world’s most wanted men.’

The actor was named by investigators in Africa in relation to the sale of three military planes to the country.

He faced possible prosecution by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office in relation to allegations of bribery and corruption.

Philip says he went out to Ghana to make a film, but ended up pursuing other projects while in the country, including setting up a performing arts school for children.

He later accepted an offer from Airbus, who wanted his assistance in the sale of their aircraft to Ghana.

The cobbles star told Good Morning Britain he had been issued with a Red Notice, which ‘printed all my passport details of where I lived, and my telephone number and countries I’d likely visit which I have never been to any of them.’

‘But then at the top it said, ‘he may be travelling under his alias of Des Barnes.’

He was told in 2021 that he was no longer going to be prosecuted.

Screen roles since waving farewell to Weatherfield include Where The Heart Is, and in an episode of Doctors that aired last year.

Who is Alison King dating now?

Ali leads a relatively private life, sharing a daughter with Corrie sound engineer Adam Huckett. The pair separated in 2012, and an engagement with IT consultant David Stuckley dissolved three years ago.

She also once dated Hollyoaks director Paul Slavin, had a brief relationship with actor Jim Alexander and was also once coupled up with Brookside and Hollyoaks star Louis Emerick.

Shortly after her split from Philip, she was linked to Steve McDonald star Simon Gregson.